Kim Wookyeom's heart. "Working hard."

Kim Wookyeom's heart. "Working hard."

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This article was published in the August 2024 issue of Basket Korea Webzin. The interview took place on the morning of July 22. (Link to purchase Basket Korea Webzin)

He was neither flashy nor outstanding. He stayed in one place for a long time, however. He "熱" what he had to do there. He naturally recognized him as an athlete.
Now, he is living his second life as a leader. As a leader, he also has the word "熱" in his heart. He also considers basketball to be "everything in his life." This is the story of Kim Woo-gyeom, a coach at Hanyang University, who was a "Seoul SK One Club Player."

an honest big man
Kim Woo-gyeom, a graduate of Hanyang University, joined the Seoul SK in 2009 as the seventh overall pick in the KBL's domestic rookie draft. During his debut season (2009-2010), he played in 47 regular league games and played 12 minutes and 25 seconds per game. Despite being a rookie, he played a lot of time.
However, Kim headed to the military shortly after his debut season. He then returned to the military in the 2011-2012 season. He played 17 minutes and 45 seconds per game, although he played only eight games. His average record was 5.3 points and 1.4 rebounds. He did not have many samples, but he hit a career high.

In 2009, he joined the Seoul SK as the 7th overall pick in the KBL domestic rookie draft.
I was in the draft when I was in third grade. Early entry. After I applied for the draft, I heard "Team A and Team B look good at you." I heard a lot of good things.
But when I went to the scene, I was so nervous. But I got a better turn than I thought. I was glad. And that's how I finished the draft, and I had a beer. I fainted right away. (laughs) Maybe my nervousness just completely eased off.
What was your first impression of SK?
As it is now, the training environment of a professional team is completely different from that of a university team. I thought, "This is a professional team." And Moon Kyung-eun (former KBL head coach) and Jeon Hee-chul (current Seoul SK coach) were next to me, which I have only seen on TV. It was very interesting.
How was your debut season?
At that time, coach Kim Jin gave new players a lot of time. He instilled confidence. Also, the coach was considerate to say, "Go out with rookies." So I went to the Han River with my colleague and cooled my hair down there.
What did you think about the Han River?
I felt that I had to work hard.
However, he immediately joined the military. Right after he was discharged from the military, he played for a short period of time.
There were a lot of good big guys in my team. So when I had some records, I thought it would be better to go to Sangmu. And when I was discharged from the military, Moon Kyung-eun included me in the entry. I was so grateful, and I wanted to repay my faith. I promised to work harder.

ONE CLUB PLAYER
Since the 2012-2013 season, SK has hired Moon Kyung-eun (former head of KBL's sports division) and Jeon Hee-chul (current coach of Seoul SK) as its coaching staff. The newly appointed coaching staff has improved SK's physical constitution. As a result, SK's clear colors of "forward basketball" and "fast basketball" have been engraved on the team.
SK has clearly displayed different colors from the past. It has become the most wins in the KBL history." (SK had 44 wins in the 2012-2013 regular season. It has become an emerging powerhouse since its debut in the 2011-2012 regular season.
However, Kim Woo-gyeom's position has diminished. This is because he didn't get a chance from the 2012-2013 season. And he took off his uniform from the 2019-2020 season. However, he has a few records to show. They are "No. 1 in the regular league," "Playoff championship," and "SK ONE CLUB PLAYER."

SK has been cruising since the 2012-2013 season. However, 'player Kim Woo-kyum' has lost ground.
There were a lot of good players. And especially, a good rookie named Choi Boo-kyung came in. So I felt pressured, and I was under a lot of stress.
In addition, I was not tall for my position. So I spent a lot of time on defense and mischievous things. Above all, I focused on the word "熱." I thought I should take a step further than others.
Eventually, he retired after the end of the 2019-2020 season.
My contract probably lasted from the 2020-2021 season. But my back hurt a lot. I had a lot of sudden pain, so I often missed out on the roster. I felt sorry for the coaching staff. Then I told the secretariat that I couldn't do it anymore.
In fact, SK managed to get past my retirement. But it connected me to Hanyang University's basketball team. It gave me leadership training. And they also supported me with my pay for the 2020-2021 season. Thanks to you, I was able to get to where I am now. It was a huge luck. So I was even more grateful to SK. It's the same now.
He didn't leave a big mark as a player. But he did experience 'No. 1 in the regular league' and 'Winning the playoffs.' It's a hard title to get as a player.
They said, "Many players retire without a ring." Even though I wasn't a mainstay, I had the pleasure of winning with my teammates. I also got a ring. I was proud of myself as a player.
I started my career with SK and I finished my career with SK. I think it means a lot to 'player Kim Woo-gyeom.'
I thought, "If you go to another team, you get more opportunities." So I offered him a trade. Every time he said, "We need you, so I want you to wait a little longer."
Thanks to the manager's support, I was able to play with the prestigious SK club until the end. I think I got the title 'SK ONE CLUB PLAYER' because SK thought well of me. I think it was better because I was with SK.

Turning Point
All professional sports players face a new life. This is because only athletes cannot do it in their lifetime. Kim Woo-gyeom was the same. I wanted to do more in my career, but I couldn't.
But now that he finished his career, he was able to face new points. Kim, who took off his uniform, headed to Hanyang University, his alma mater. He is training juniors with coach Chung Jae-hoon. At the same time, he is building his skills as a 'leader.'

After my retirement, I took over as a coach at Hanyang University.
I was trained at Hanyang University for one year. But Jung Jae-hoon looked at me well and suggested me to "work as a full-time coach." I was so grateful, and I thought it was a good opportunity. I promised to work hard. It was all possible because of SK. Without SK, I wouldn't be here. So I'm more grateful to SK.
I went to university after a long time. I think you must have felt a difference from a professional.
There are differences in infrastructure, but there are also differences in perceptions of players.
Can you tell me in detail?
In our time, we worked out with the idea that basketball must be the only thing we can do. But these days, I think that's weakened. So I tried to understand that to the players.
And even though I didn't have a huge career, I watched many different types of players in the profession. Above all, the goal of college players is to be professional. You have to learn how to survive in the profession. That's why I'm teaching players how to survive in the profession for a long time.
He has become a coach for five years. In the meantime, what is the philosophy that coach Kim Woo-gyeom has built?
As I mentioned, the ultimate goal for college players in our country is to be professional. Even if lower-grade players get the attention of professional teams, we should encourage early entry. We can't let the coaching staff block their future just because our school is losing power.
And most players have to play defense first. Unless you're a superstar, you have to do that. Actually, you have to do that, you have to survive for a long time. I think Oh Jae-hyun (Seoul SK), who graduated from our school, is a good example.
What should I study as a leader?
There's still a lot to learn, a lot to study. That's why I'm learning a lot by following him around. And I'm trying to communicate more with the players. (If there's a reason?) I think the first thing to do is to understand what the players think. 안전놀이터

"It's everything in my life"
The final theme of "What have you been up to?" is looking back on your basketball life. I asked Kim Woo-gyeom the same question. "Look back on your basketball life."
Kim Woo-gyeom has been working with the court for more than 20 years. During the time I was on the court, I went through many things. And I felt many emotions inside the court. So, I said, "Basketball is my whole life."

What does 'basketball' mean?
I started playing basketball when I was in my first year of high school. It started too late. But basketball is my whole life now. I can't stop being there." (laughs)
Please look back on "Kim Wookyeom's Basketball Life".
I worked hard, but it turned out better than I thought. I've been a one-club player, I've worn a championship ring. And now I'm coaching under a good coach.
In a way, I was treated poorly. However, I felt that "the harder you work, the more you have a way." Even if you're not a superstar, you know you have your own way.
Will you play basketball even if you are born again?
Of course. Basketball is that much more attractive. And I think I'll work a little harder. I always thought, "Why didn't I work hard when I was young?" And now I know how to be good. I think if you work harder, you'll get better.
If you had started playing basketball earlier, how would 'player Kim Woo-gyeom' have changed?
I think I was more desperate because I started playing basketball late. I worked harder to catch up to other players. Rather, if I had started playing basketball early, I would have fallen behind other players.