※ This interview was conducted in mid -to-late February and was published in the March 2023 issue of Basket Korea
webzine . . Excluding Kiana Smith, who joined Samsung Life Insurance, it is virtually no different than the number one player in Korea. He went through a brief slump due to an injury and reflected on himself in the past. And he promised his development.
“I thought I was arrogant when I was a student. Being a pro is a place where you have to take responsibility for yourself, so you have to take better care of your body. I feel very sorry for not being able to live up to the expectations of those who supported me. I will prepare well in the off-season and show more progress than before.” On
November 10th of last year, he suffered an ankle injury in his debut game. How is your current physical condition?
(Last year) Since I was in the national team and the National Sports Festival, my ankle has been a bit bad. Even after coming to the club, I started rehab first. Then he got hurt again in his debut match. The jump movement isn’t perfect yet, and the ankle angle doesn’t seem to come out well. It’s not perfect, but I’m still doing as much exercise as I can.
I’m very sorry
that’s right. The pain is there, but not to the point that I can’t exercise. I do rehabilitation and treatment on my days off. There’s not much time left in the season, so I just want to learn a little more.
returned to the court. It’s short, but I’m participating in the game.
When I was in high school, I was tall, and I was able to play the basketball I wanted to a certain extent. But here, I’m fighting with older sisters who are tall and have superior skills. Then I realized that all the efforts I had made so far were nothing. When I was in school, I played a lot with the ball, but that didn’t work. I feel that the most important things to me right now are dirty work and defense.
What difference do you notice in terms of training and tactics?
When I was a student, if I learned each skill step by step, from basic skills to defense and physical combat, I think pros only make completed movements. And I really felt this a lot, but in high school, I didn’t analyze my opponents one by one. However, the pro analyzed the opposing team in detail by player. ‘This player is good on the right side. That player is good at shooting, so adjust your defensive movements like this’.
Are there still many difficulties?
Even when I was in high school, I wasn’t very good at defense, but I was proud of my 1v1 defense. However, since I came to the pros, I was not feeling well due to injuries, and the unnies’ physical and physical fights were different (from the amateur days), so I couldn’t even defend one-on-one. We play according to the opponent’s pattern, but I think I’m damaging my team because I can’t block my defense properly. There are a lot of things to worry about, so there are still a lot of things I am confused about. We are learning one by one.
I participated in the Park Shin-Ja Cup as a youth team member, but I think the professional stage will come differently.
I was a senior in the national team, and I felt a great sense of responsibility as the captain of the team. Being a junior, both offense and defense had to lead by example. I did the so-called head banging. The pros do what the director orders, and there are many things that need to be matched with the older sisters. There are a lot of things to throw away from the basketball I played in the past. Now, the biggest difference is that the unnies lead and I follow.
Do you have any stories to hear from the director and coaches?
Before I was injured, the coach said this. “You are in the first round, and to prove that, you have to work two to three times harder than others. A player who needs to play on the court right away should not be able to defend and attack. I have to throw away the basketball I did when I was a student.” Coach, please point out the defense. Not too long ago, I was busy passing every time I caught the ball as if I had an ankle trauma. Please tell me to do it with confidence whenever that happens. During the night training, he taught me what I couldn’t do in the afternoon training. It’s getting better little by little.
Are there seniors who give you advice?
(Kim) Jiyoung unnie and (Kim) Yejin unnie are very good at defending. She is learning a lot from her older sisters and getting help. And (Jeong) Yerim unnie became my mental support when I was having a hard time (due to an injury). Thanks to that, I think she was able to quickly shake off the slump (due to her injury).
Please tell us about the accommodation.
Definitely much better than when I was in high school. The room is also a single occupancy room. And when I was in the national team, I went to various clubs and ate meals, and our team’s meals are really delicious (laughs). The food is diverse, and steak is served as a special meal. In particular, our nutritionist has a good sense. Please make a cake with your own money for every player’s birthday. Print out photos of the players’ faces and put stickers on them to cheer them on.
Looking back briefly on my high school days.
There were times when I was so upset that I cried alone on days when I couldn’t work out while playing. I went to the gym and practiced what I couldn’t do. When I overcome it, I have fun playing with the kids. When I was exercising, I was a bit fussy. But at the dorm, they listened to me well and joked around a lot. It was the hardest and most enjoyable period.
He was also called up to the U19 and U18 national teams.
The first national team I went to was the 19-year-old national team, but it was almost an adult team. There, ‘Oh, there are a lot of players like this. I felt that there are a lot of physical things like this. Now that I think about it, I think I experienced the professional world in advance in terms of tactics after being confined to high school basketball. When I was in the 18-year-old national team, everyone was my age. Everyone has good skills and physicality. There were times when I couldn’t rebound at all while playing against players from other countries. I felt it then. They said, ‘To beat players from other countries, you have to be number one in Korea.’
I started playing basketball officially when I was in the 4th grade of elementary school.
From an early age he was interested in sports. He has also played soccer. I once played basketball as an after-school class and it was so much fun. I started when I heard that I was taller than my peers and that I had talent. She initially objected that it would be difficult for her mother, but her father allowed it after meeting with her coach. That was when I was in the 3rd grade, and I was in the 4th grade when I received the uniform.
Why is basketball fun?
At first, I liked playing basketball. Then one day, I went to Dowon Gymnasium in Incheon with my dad and his friends. At that time, Danbi Kim left a deep impression on me. You may not remember Danbi, but there was a time when her sister bought her pizza and came to (Sangokbuk Elementary) school. It was so cool. And originally, I have a strong desire to compete, so I had a strong desire to be the best at basketball in the world.
Is Danbi Kim your role model?
yes. I’ve been Danbi unnie since elementary school. I rush her play, but her sister is too relaxed. Even when the defense presses, it’s cool to calmly do it. The same goes for shooting. Besides, he is tall and has good physique. Danbi unnie plays all the games I dream of. She’s an all-around player who can be outside me. She does well in fast breaks and is a really flawless player. The more I saw and experienced it, the better I saw the advantages.
Has she ever talked to Danbi Kim?
no. I can’t do that because I’m ashamed. I couldn’t even look properly when I high-fived with my opponents after the game. I shouldn’t be like this, but when I play against Danbi unnie’s team, I admire her play. When that happens, Yerim unnie gets jealous. She said, “Hey, you can’t do that” (laughs).
Please also introduce the pros and cons of Park Jin-young.
I am confident in my one-on-one play in fast-breaking situations. Rather than passing, I just hit the ball by myself and quickly go up to the layup. I think I’m good at jumpers because I have a high RBI, but that’s a bit of a story from the past (laughs). And I need to improve my defense. I have to not be pushed back in the physical fight with my sisters, and I have to supplement my play to get out of the 2v2 screen situation. Also, when attacking, I do what I want to do instead of reading the flow of the game, but that is not the case in pros. I want to become a player who can read the flow and figure out what I need to do at any given moment.
What are your goals as a basketball player?
At this point, my goal is to stop Danbi, my role model. Then I think she’ll feel, ‘I’ve grown as much as this sister.’ I wish I could beat Danbi on the court. (If we win) I think I will really cry. I want to become a player recognized by my role models. 메이저놀이터
Finally, a word of determination.
When I was in high school, I thought I was doing it to a certain extent, and I was highly evaluated after going to the national team. I thought I could do my part even after I became a pro. But after getting injured, I had the worst moment in my short basketball life, wandering around the floor. I thought I was arrogant when I was a student. Being a pro is a place where you have to take responsibility for yourself, so you have to take better care of your body. I feel very sorry for not being able to live up to the expectations of those who supported me. We will wrap up the rest of the season well, prepare well in the off-season, and show more progress than before.