“A beauty shooter? To be honest, this and that is overkill. The word “beauty” and the nickname “Shooter” are all too much. But on the other hand, I am so grateful and honored. There are many players who have been active for a long time but do not have a clear nickname. In my case, even though I mainly played as a sixth man, I am eternally grateful for giving me such a cool nickname. When I look back on my basketball life, I think I am one of the lucky players.”
Kim Yeon-ju (37‧178cm), who was nicknamed the ‘beauty shooter’, often mentioned ‘I was lucky’ about her basketball life. did. The fact that he modestly refers to himself as ‘one tool for three-point shooting’ proves this. Even though I didn’t do well in school, I showed a good figure in my third year and was selected as a high ranking overall, finished my career as a one-club woman in a team at Shinhan Bank, and continued my professional career for 14 seasons. I look back positively on the fact that I was able to retire of my own will when I was still alive to some extent.
In a way, it is impossible to simply be lucky in the elite sports world or the professional stage where every day is a continuation of fierce competition. There are cases where luck follows to some extent, but if you do not work hard and prepare, even if a good opportunity comes, you will not be able to seize it. Kim Yeon-joo knew from an early age what he was good at, and because he never neglected his efforts, he was able to go out on the court and respond when the team called him.
What I felt throughout the interview was her sincerity and strong mentality about basketball. As can be seen in the words “I was not a great star anyway, so I could calmly accept any situation”, the so-called ‘power of acceptance’ was great for not being shaken even when trials came. Most of the players who came to the pros in basketball are players who experienced aces or equivalent positions during their school days.
Because of this, if the business trip time is suddenly reduced or the opportunity is not given well, it is common to experience a great deal of stress, such as suffering mentally. Kim Yeon-ju was different. Even as a freshman at Sunil Girls’ High School, she was far from the core of the team, so she had relatively little pride like that, she says. Her starting members were unfamiliar and she was more accustomed to clapping and cheering on the bench. She says that experiencing such times gave her the strength to endure even when she came to the pros and didn’t get good chances in the beginning.
She said, “You talk so well, but in fact, I don’t want to package and beautify the situation at the time. I just waited on the bench because I didn’t have enough skills, and I accepted the situation because I knew the reality. Of course, I couldn’t end it like that, so I worked hard on what I was good at, and I tried to be faithful to my role on the court.” ◆
There was a report that Yang Hee-jong was my ideal type. Actually… ”
Q. How are you these days?
He works as a basketball instructor and also commentates WKBL during the season, yes. In the case of instructor work, it is not the elite side. At wemeetupsports, we focus on providing fun for ordinary adult women who have not played basketball much, and children who lack physical activity.
Q. You must be very popular, but you are not married yet.
In fact, I think this is one of the most frequently asked questions not only by me but also by men and women around my age. Well, since everyone is curious, you can ask, but it’s really hard to know what to answer. I have no words to answer other than that I haven’t met a relationship yet. I have nothing to say, but there are many people asking… , I would be even more grateful if you congratulate me if you meet a good relationship even later.
Q.One day, I saw someone talking about his ideal type on YouTube, and he replied that he was a ‘handsome person’. Each person has different standards, but how can a good-looking person be good-looking?
yes. that’s right. I like good-looking people (laughs). I don’t think it’s good to look like this in detail, but I think that a person who is handsome when he sees it is not handsome. For example, everyone knows Jo In-sung, Jung Woo-sung, etc… , In the case of Jo In-seong, I thought he was good-looking since he was a player. I don’t personally know them, but aren’t they really handsome when I just saw them? It’s not like I’m just evaluating something. It’s just my personal opinion.
Q. You also revealed that you are a fan of Yang Hee-jong, who retired a while ago.
As a player, he has often mentioned that he is a fan of his playing style since he was young, but if you watch his YouTube broadcasts, you might misunderstand that he likes him because he is so handsome. Of course, he’s a very cool person, but the reason I’m a fan is that I long for him to play more than his appearance. I was a college student in high school, and even back then, he was really good at defense. I don’t use it now, but I saw that you were the bottom line in the one-three defense at the time. In fact, it’s really hard to take on the bottom line in that type of defense. But you are doing so well. I remember feeling great because the cover went in well when it was appropriate. So, as an athlete, I became a fan, but after that, it was slightly misleading, and it was expressed like an ideal type and went out. It went out in the form of a surprise video camera, and I think those who watched it might have felt that way. Yang Hee-jong is a wonderful player, but it’s completely acknowledged, but his ideal type is different from his fans. (Laughs)
Q. I think you must have been a little embarrassed while filming the video.
A little bit. (Laughs) It was embarrassing because he came in without talking to me at all. At the end of the video, they seem to be preparing like a surprise gift, but since the story revolves like that, we got it right. , But it was a fresh concept and I think it will be a fun material for fans, so I think of it as a good memory.
Q. Usually, there are many cases where you like players who have a similar playing style to you or who are flashy.
Ha ha ha… , not to that extent. It’s just that I’ve been criticized for my weak defense throughout my playing days. I think my respect for him has deepened because he has reached the level of a master in a part I am not good at. It is good to have a family like senior Park Jung-eun in the same position, but in terms of play, there are people who are good at what they are not good at. He is really smart in defense and bold in hustle play.
Q. For some reason, I keep asking handsome and beautiful women. I’ll just add two more. So who do you think is the most handsome male basketball player?
I really don’t know. There are so many tall and handsome people. It’s hard to pinpoint and pinpoint anyone. However, unlike celebrities, I think players who speak well through play look cool and feel their aura. Don’t basketball players have so-called basketball suckers? I think that would make it more fair.
Q. Then, the last appearance question. Who do you think is the most beautiful female basketball player of all time?
hmm… , I’ll say this is me. There are many seniors and juniors who are so good, but I can’t rank them. If I were to vote, I think the opinions of the fans would be different. In this case, it’s just me. Please throw a lot of stones at me. (Laughs)
“I really like ramen. Among them, ramyeon is the best ramen.”
Q. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, but I think there are a lot of shooters who are nicknamed ‘beauty’.
Come to think of it, it is. Perhaps there is no influence of position or role. If we take game photos as an example, in the case of a center or power forward, there are many cases where the physical fight is rough under the goal, and as a result, the face is wrinkled for a moment because of excessive expression. You can’t play the game while managing your expression. It’s not a comfortable position for shooters, but since there are relatively few cases like that, I think there are fewer humiliating shots. It’s mainly taken while shooting, so there are a lot of great photos. Even the guards make good shots when giving orders. I remember talking about that sometimes with the players.
Q. Do you have any hobbies besides basketball?
Hobbies tend to change from time to time. It’s not like I’m just getting into something. Should I just say I’m enjoying it? ah! I also like to watch dramas. I also enjoyed watching The Glory. But when I see it, I see it very well, but there are times when I wonder what I saw to remember it later. I guess I’m not the type to watch while replaying like a maniac. And what hobbies do you have? I’m trying to say something, but I can’t think of anything.
Q. Looking at it, you seem to be serious about basketball and enjoy the rest in a small way.
ha ha… , not even that. In the case of basketball, after retiring, I became more affectionate and grateful. I had fun playing basketball, but there were also many difficult moments. Comparison is a bit like that, but if you look at the high school seniors, they had a burning desire to compete at the time, but there were quite a few difficult times. But later, when you go to college and have a social life, there are times when you think of those days, like that? But isn’t that true for all industries and events where you have to compete against each other? Good times and hard times coexist and go like that… , I think it’s like that when I remember the days when I was playing basketball.
Q. These days, there are a lot of sports stars appearing on broadcasts, but it is surprisingly difficult to see them in variety shows. A lot of offers come in, but are you turning them down?
Not even that. There weren’t too many offers. I also have greed for variety shows, but I don’t. It doesn’t seem like he has a lot of talent or appeals to me and doesn’t have that kind of tendency. I just think it’s best to live quietly doing what I want to do.
Q. I remember hearing that you eat well enough to be called ‘food soul’ among your colleagues when you were active in the past.
To be precise, I ate well. My stomach seems to be getting older too. (Laughs) It’s not like I can’t eat now, but it’s a bit different compared to when I was active. As I entered my 30s, the amount I ate definitely decreased. There must be a part related to my age, but I got a lot of exercise when I was a player, so even if I ate a lot, it covered everything. But even if you can eat like that now, it would be a big deal if you eat like that, right?
Q. You are also famous for ramen mania. Are you still eating ramen?
Yes, because I like ramen very much. But I think it’s not enough to be called a fan. It’s just about eating ramen well, not having a lot of information about ramen or boiling it with your own recipe. If there is a characteristic, how much do you like spicy ramen?
Q. Personally, I like ramen. I’ve eaten everything for decades, but at some point, my favorite ramen was compressed into one. My best ramen, which cannot be compared with anything else, is ‘snack noodle’. The taste of the pure ramen itself was good with nothing added.
Oh really? Is the snack side like that? In my case, it’s ‘ten ramen’. It’s not too spicy, it’s moderately spicy, and the noodles are chewy, and it’s perfect for my taste. T Ramen is good, but I like Yeol Ramen better because it has a strong pepper taste.
Q. Delicious spicy heat ramen~ It would be nice if an advertisement came in.
Ha ha ha… , It would be great. (Laughs)
“I felt and learned many things through
senior Kim Young-hee. ”
She’s called the WKBL Players Welfare Society. It is not officially run separately. It’s kind of like a meeting. I was with it because it seemed to have a good purpose. WKBL is also paying attention. I personally couldn’t do anything. It was just a visit as a member of the Welfare Association. I visited him about 3 times, but he went to heaven so quickly recently that I was very surprised and regretful. I just followed what I was trying to do. Bo-mi Kim, head of WKBL’s game operations department, and Jong-ae Lee, chairman of the Welfare Committee, put a lot of effort into it. To be honest, I feel like I did something big when I talk like this, but it’s not like that at all. It was just that I gathered a very small amount of sincerity and went to find it. In fact, I only followed the unnies, so I feel ashamed and apologetic even while answering.
Q. I also dealt with Kim Young-hee in ‘Basketball Tour’, and I remember that she was as pure and broad-minded as a girl.
To be honest, I was a little worried at first. He’s such a great senior, and he thinks what to do if he makes a mistake in his words, etc… , But the moment I went to see him in person, that kind of thought disappeared like snow melting. She welcomed me with such a bright expression and talked to me comfortably, so I even thought she was like an older sister I knew well from before. She said right away that she likes good things, and while she led the conversation in a fun way, she even cared about this and that. I felt that she was as rich in sensitivity as a girl. She is remembered in many ways as a time in which she learned and felt a lot.
Q. I’m so sorry about this.
Yes. I don’t know what to say because I’m in a different era from my seniors, but more than anything, I think the part that didn’t quickly recognize the disease he had was the most unfortunate. Rather, various situations and environments have made the disease worse. It must have been physically difficult, mentally painful, and lonely. Even in such a situation, it hurts my heart more to see him looking back at his surroundings and being considerate of people without losing hope.
“I don’t particularly think of a rival from my school days. Why… ”
Q. How did you start playing basketball?
I caught a basketball for the first time when I was in the 3rd grade of elementary school. At the time, her father was an elementary school teacher, and he was the head of the basketball team. I felt better because people around me loved it, and I think it would be right to say that I started doing it in earnest from the 4th grade with fun like that.
Q.Have you been tall since childhood?
It was big in class. But when I started playing basketball, I was nothing. There were a lot of really big players. When I just entered, I was the smallest in the basketball team of the same grade. In my case, my height is a bit late. Personally, I think it was a blessing in disguise. It was because I was able to brush up on the basics to some extent while training to touch the ball a lot when I was short. I think it helped me grow because I didn’t play basketball because I was so-called tall.
Q. Since you were not tall, you must have taken on the point guard position.
I did it in the early days, but I hadn’t done it for a long time, so I literally only experienced it. Athlete Lee Kyung-eun is one grade below me. Since he was young, his motor skills were good and his ability to handle the ball was excellent. It was just a point guard. I don’t know if that was the case, but when I was in the 5th grade of elementary school, the coach made me switch to the number 2 shooting guard. And from then on, I also liked shooting.
Q. Is being a shooter innate? Or is it made?
I think there are parts of it that are innate. It is often referred to as fingertip sensation. I can’t seem to ignore that. Of course, hard work is also important. However, if players with good shooting feel and players with poor shooting feel the same, I wonder if the difference will grow over time. Of course, the same goes for other aspects such as passing ability, vision, and rebounding. So, as a leader, it is important to teach well, but it is also a key point to find out which player has more talent.
Q. Besides shooting, what was there that you were good at?
I am also a player, so I was able to do a little bit of everything, but I think I was just a one-tool shooter. I wonder if I really lived on one shot. (Laughs) I knew that from the beginning, so I think digging a well led to good results. It was fortunate that I met a leader who made good use of those strengths. I went to a good team called Shinhan and played with players like Giraseong and was able to develop more or less evenly while encountering various plays.
Q. There are some who say that shooters are not comfortable because they just take it from the outside, but I heard that it takes a lot of movement to shoot once. I think it’s really hard to get past a defender where shooting isn’t the problem.
that’s right. If it’s just simply throwing a shot at an open chance, I wonder if everyone’s success rate will be pretty good even if they’re not at the shooter level. However, in real games, it is difficult because you have to break through the fierce defense and throw a shot. Especially in the case of me, since I’m a player specializing only in 3-point shots, if the shot doesn’t go in, I don’t really need it. What the team wants from me is a cool outside shot, so I have to create a chance somehow and shoot it, and I have to make it successful with a considerable probability. The problem is that the opposing team and players are well aware of it. If other options are threatening, the defender will have many things to think about, but a 3-point one-tool shooter like me can focus all his energy on blocking outside shots. In such a situation, since I had to make a 3-point shot, I had no choice but to pay more attention to the movement without the ball, and I needed to raise my concentration to the maximum level. Of course, in the process, I received a lot of help from colleagues such as Screen and Pass.
Q. I’m curious about your role model in school.
In my case, I liked Michael Jordan. It’s so cool. I remember trying to imitate the shooting form or something like that. Of course, I won’t be a player who can be copied, but I think I wanted to become a good player like the player I like in my youth.
Q. Then, who would you consider your rival in school days?
To be honest, you’d be right to say there wasn’t. It’s not because I’m too good at it, it’s because it was the opposite. I was really bad at basketball when I was in school. That’s why I’m very grateful that I went pro. I’m not trying to be humble, it’s true. Until my freshman year of high school, I was a member of the bench, the last player among them. There weren’t many people, but I was the 8th player out of 8. In particular, there were two older sisters who were in the same position as me in the same grade and had better physical conditions as well as better skills, so there were few opportunities to compete. Then, when my older sisters got sick in their senior year of high school, my turn came around. You can see that I got a chance to play when I was in high school. Fortunately, I was able to stand out from pro scouts while doing well at that time, and was able to step on the WKBL stage with a high rank. In a way, I am a very special case. In basketball, it is common for players who have been consistently good to continue doing well. Up until the first year of high school, I thought a lot about whether I should go to college, but the results came out that I couldn’t believe.
Q. There were few business trip opportunities in the early days of my professional life, but I think I endured it better because I already had a similar experience during my school days.
ah… , Honestly, I didn’t think of that, but after hearing the words, I think it could have had such an impact. At first, I went pro, but the unnies are really good at it. Originally, I thought they were good players, but when I saw them from the side, it was different. So I remember putting my mind down to a certain extent, thinking, ‘Oh, I’m lacking in these parts, so it will take some time to fill up and run.’ Maybe that’s why it was painful not to play a lot, and it wasn’t like that. However, I think the part that made the game stamina or technical elements was difficult.
Q. It is impressive that you tried to fill in your lacking parts rather than being impatient.
Because it had to be. I probably wasn’t a very good player at the time, but it was no joke when I went pro. From the basic body, there are many players who are different from me. From the quality of the muscles to the explosive power and elasticity that comes from it, to a really fast and skillful player… , No matter how I look at it, I can’t see the elements I passed right away. Instead of justifying myself unnecessarily, I accepted the reality. After all, innate physical abilities have limits. I thought a lot about this and that, starting with where I could compete. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to survive if I didn’t do that.
Q. At least mentally, I think you were well prepared. I don’t think it would have been easy to do that.
Not even that. I’m the kind of person who forgets easily, so I’m speaking calmly, but at the time, it must have been difficult with a lot of worries. Rather than saying that my mentality was good, I think I grew physically and mentally by going through that process over and over again. Everyone is like that. I can talk about it with a smile when I think about it after the hardships of the past have passed.
Q. Can you say that the days when Shinhan Bank was building a dynasty with 5 consecutive losses were your heyday?
well… , I managed to play a role as the sixth man at the time, but I’m embarrassed to discuss my heyday with such outstanding members. In fact, it was just like that until the beginning and middle of the dynasty. I think it was a time when I improved a lot in terms of skills when I won the last championship in the second half. I was often put in at important moments and took some time on business trips. I think it would be more correct to say that it was a time when I was steadily taking the growth process as a player rather than using the term ‘heyday’. It’s a time when I learned a lot. Even though I couldn’t run much on the court, I trained with the outstanding sisters and improved my skills there, and I think that was the driving force behind my long run longer than I expected.
Q.Sixmen’s travel time is irregular. Was it difficult to maintain the shooting feel?
I don’t know if it was like that at first, but as time passed and experience accumulated, I got used to it. When I watch the game from the bench, I feel to some extent that ‘I think I’m going to enter at this point’. It’s like having an eye to read the flow of the game. Then, I prepare myself by running lightly in place and trying to shoot a shot. And I think Sixth Man was a better fit. Since my stamina is weak, rather than running continuously, I go in at the right timing and hit and run? Later, I was also a starting player, but after retiring and looking back at that time, I knew where a player like me was most effective.
Q.You played an active part in the 2013 William Jones Cup basketball tournament in Taiwan. In particular, against the United States, he led the victory by pouring 28 points, including 9 3-pointers.
I feel like it was a time when my skills improved a lot and my view of the game broadened. I was selected for the national team at the right time, and even though I was not selected as a pro, I also won the US match, so I felt good. At that time, the national team was about 1.5 teams. As a result, I had more things to do, and unlike before, I felt a sense of responsibility because I was playing as a senior, and I remember that.
“I felt that only I had a crush on him, but I found out later that he was staring at me too”
Q. During training at the beginning of the 2015-16 season, I suffered an injury that ruptured my Achilles tendon. I heard that it was the first time I had suffered such a major injury, but I think it must have been very difficult mentally.
I hadn’t had a major injury in the past 10 years, but then I got hurt properly. At that time, my Achilles tendon was torn, and I suffered a major injury for the first and last time as a professional player토토사이트. Originally, I had a bad Achilles tendon. The part that was cut off was the part where I lived with Achilles tendon inflammation for about 7 years. So it was in bad shape. Ironically, it is correct to say that thanks to the injury, I was able to accurately diagnose Achilles tendon and take the appropriate prescription.
Q. In the case of Achilles tendon, I heard that even if you treat it well, it affects your athletic ability.
that’s right. They say there are many such cases. As a similar example, I remember that male basketball player Kang Byung-hyun had Achilles tendon surgery in the same year as me. I remember him as a very good athlete in his prime. However, after the surgery, it seemed that he was not as active as he was in his prime. In my case, I was less affected by that. Originally, the reason why I wasn’t the style to play with athletic ability was great. I remember that the chronic Achilles tendon pain disappeared, and I even felt that I was holding it tight when I ran, and that I was much better than before when I used my body.
Q. Then, did you ever think about getting surgery?
It’s not. Achilles tendon surgery and rehabilitation take at least six months. You have to experience the difficult period and process. I did it once, so I thought I couldn’t do it twice. It also served as an opportunity to empathize with the players who were previously injured. There are players who unintentionally went through surgery and rehabilitation, but I really want to know how they endured it. In fact, before that, when I was having a hard time with Achilles tendon inflammation, I even brought up the idea of surgery to the trainers. Regarding that, the teachers at the time said that it was better to postpone the surgery if possible. There is no guarantee that it will heal perfectly as much as a knife is applied to a sensitive area, and the time and effort spent on it is no joke. Side effects and risks need to be looked at. After undergoing surgery and experiencing it, I knew for sure.
Q. At the end of the 2017-18 season, you announced your retirement and ended your career as a player.
I must have been 33 at the time. Since it was a time when I had my skills left, there were not a few people around me who stopped me by asking why I retired so soon. However, in the early days of the pro, it was difficult, and since I started my professional life, I made a resolution in my heart to try for 10 years. Just in time, I was a free agent that year, and I was thinking if I could do more after setting my own standards, or I should finish it. Personally, I was very tired. Just in time, the team was also thinking about a generational change, so I decided it was a good time to step down with my will. Because of this, I had a good conversation with the team, and we were able to say good-bye without hurting each other. I was drawing a picture of myself retiring at the right time, rather than holding on to it until I was forced to withdraw, and I thought it was fortunate that I was able to do that. Also, it was so nice to play for only one Shinhan team before retiring.
Q. Lastly, what is basketball to Yeonju Kim?
He thought of me as a kind of unrequited love throughout my playing days. He wanted to get closer, but it wasn’t as easy to get close to as he wanted… , But looking back after I retired, I think there were some things I was thinking about wrong. I thought it was unrequited love, but the love I received from basketball was also very big. At that time, I didn’t know because of my greed to do better, but I wonder if I didn’t achieve love to some extent. I thought I was the only one watching basketball, but unbeknownst to me, basketball was also watching me and I felt that it gave me a lot. It’s something I’m really grateful for. thank you for basketball