KOR - High-flying Lee takes naturalized spot

SEOUL (FIBA Asia Championship/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Korea came up short in their bid to reach the London Games last summer when they played at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

However, the Asian team won a lot of fans at the OQT in Caracas, Venezuela, because during their defeats to Russia and the Dominican Republic, they had one of the most exciting players ever to wear a Korean jersey.

The Korean to play with a lot of flair, heart and determination was the high-flying Lee Seung Jun, a 2.06m center.

Lee didn't back down against anyone.

The American-born pivot, also known as Eric Sandrin, averaged 18 points per game and scored in a myriad of ways for the Koreans in South America.

He drew a lot of oohs and ahs with dunks.

The 35-year-old Lee has been named in Korea's squad that is going to play at the FIBA Asia Championship, a qualifying event for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

He averaged 14.6 points and 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks this season for Dongbu Promy in the Korean Basketball League.

For Korea to make it to the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, they will need to finish among the top three at the FIBA Asia Championship, which is being held 1 August to 11 August in Manila, the Philippines.

The Koreans will play in arguably the toughest of pools, Group C, against China, Iran and Malaysia.

The last time the country played at the FIBA World Championship was 1998 in Athens, Greece.

Korea have a phenomenal rate of success at FIBA Asia Championships.

Since 1960, the country has finished on the podium of each one except twice.

They came in fourth in 1960 and seventh in 2009.

FIBA