SEOUL (FIBA Basketball World Cup/FIBA Asia Championship) - Lee Jonghyun has been a part of Korea's senior national team since 2012, while still a teenager.

Already, he's played at a FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, a FIBA Asia Championship, a FIBA Basketball World Cup and an Asian Games.

"It was a great honor to take part in the national team as the youngest player," the 2.06m power forward/center said.

And it's been a learning experience for him.

Being a member of the national team made me feel a strong sense of responsibility towards my teammates and the team - Lee Jonghyun

Lee, while he still has much to improve on, already does many things well.

At Spain 2014, he showed flashes of brilliance on defense.

Lee didn't just impress with his steals and fastbreak dunks, but also his shot-swatting ability.

His most impressive statistic of all at the World Cup was his average of 2.6 blocks per game, which led the entire competition.

In 2012, Korea didn't claim one of three spots for the Olympics and last year at Spain 2014, they did not win a game.

There were nevertheless terrific opportunities for Lee and the other players to measure themselves against the best.

"Yes, it was extremely difficult for me and the Korea team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup," he said.

"The positive thing that I could draw from the tournament was that I could obtain valuable and unforgettable experience that could be a driving force for my future basketball life."

So how did basketball become Lee's sport of choice?

"Because my father used to be a basketball player as well, I could get involved in basketball easily," he said.

And what about the first time he got into a real game?

He smiled and answered: "As far as I remember, I took part in my first game when it was in 'garbage time'.

"Even though it was in 'garbage time', I didn't really care.

"I just enjoyed playing basketball and being on the court as a basketball player."

'Garbage time' is not how you would describe his minutes with Korea now.

He averaged 21.6 minutes per game at the World Cup.

His most impactful performances, at least statistically, were against Slovenia and Mexico when Lee poured in 12 and 10 points, respectively.

He shot 54.5 percent (12 of 22) from the floor in the tournament.

"During last season, I was thinking that I was not excellent in individual skill and felt the need to improve it," he said.

To get better, he has even travelled to the USA to train at camps.

Lee is grateful for the times he has worn the Korea shirt, but he is also hoping to achieve something in a major tournament like an Olympics or a World Cup.

"My ambition as a professional basketball player is to be the best player in Korea," he said.

"Also, I would like to contribute to the national team to help get on the top of the world."

This summer, Korea will return to the hardwood and look to build on their World Cup and Asian Games experience.

They will compete at the FIBA Asia Championship in China, with the winner clinching an automatic berth to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

FIBA