One of his contemporaries was Kim Min-goo, a year his junior, and they led the team to win the 2008 National High School Basketball Championship.

[4] In January 2012, he transferred to Brigham Young University–Hawaii as a junior in hopes of entering the NBA[5] and spent the 2012–13 season playing for the Seasiders in the NCAA Division II, averaging 5 points and 2 assists.

[6] He later admitted that the decision to go to the United States was also partly motivated by his desire to escape the strict hierarchical culture of Korean college basketball.

[7] With veteran stalwart Yang Dong-geun already in his mid-thirties, Lee was given considerably more playing time, compared to other first-year rookies that season, as Mobis Phoebus won the championship.

[15][16][17] With one year still left on his contract, Lee and teammate Ra Gun-ah joined Jeonju KCC Egis in a trade for four other players ahead of the 2019–20 season.

[26] With the Orions facing uncertainty due to its ownership pulling out, Lee decided not to see out his contract and signed with Daegu KOGAS Pegasus.

After participating in the qualifiers, he made the final 12-man squad for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup where he averaged 10 points, 2 rebounds and 1.3 assist at the tournament.

[31][32] Under new coach Choo Il-seung's fast-paced offense, Lee rotated with Heo as the team's main ballhandler to great effect.