TEHRAN (Iran) - Lee Chae Hyung wrote his name in the FIBA U18 Asian Championship's history books right in his very first game.

The 17-year-old notched 13 points, 10 assists, and a whopping 10 steals, helping Korea keep India winless by way of a dominant 100-63 victory for a rousing start to their campaign, Monday at the Azadi Basketball Hall.

It was only the second triple-double registered in the Asian U18 tilt since 2014. The previous one was set by Flynn Cameron back in 2018.

There, he produced 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists to lead New Zealand to an 87-82 win over China to reach the Final. For Lee, to be mentioned alongside a future star makes him all the more honored with the feat.

"I was just motivated to win. It feels great to get a triple-double. Also, I feel honored to be spoken of beside a rising star," he expressed.

His 10 steals, furthermore, is the most by a player since 2014. Lee never had any idea that he had racked up that much until after the game, but said that there was a conscious effort on the team's part to be aggressive defensively.

Flynn Cameron recorded a triple-double in 2018 in Bangkok

"I was not aware at all," said the 1.87 M (6'2") guard, whose side finished with 28 steals. "I found out when I looked at the stat sheet."

"Before the game today, we went to watch the game when India faced China. We were able to see they were more of a going-to-the-rim team rather than a shooting team. So, we played our defense upon that," he added.

The versatility he showed definitely turned lots of heads, but it no longer comes as a surprise for his peers. They know what he's capable of, since they've witnessed his exploits while playing for Yongsan High School back home.

Yes, the same school that was attended by Yeo Jun Seok, who was one of the best players of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup last year.

The 20-year-old forward has since become part of the men's team, and is now serving as an inspiration to the younger ones like Lee, who actually had the chance to play alongside Yeo in Yongsan briefly.

"We played for the same high school. Before coming here, he told me to play smart," said Lee, referring to the advice Yeo told him. "He told me international games are very different to the games in Korea."

No doubt that he's bringing that brotherly reminder with him, now that he begins possibly a long journey ahead playing for Korea.

FIBA