Hur Jae of 37 Years Old, Age is Only Numeric One.

‘Eternal Victory, Burning Impression’

Professional basketball will last a long march of 5 months from 26th.

All of 10 teams has 54 games respectively (total 270 games) according to 6 round system practiced from the last season to select best 6 teams for play-off and championship.

Anycall Professional Basketball, the 7th season, has many variables to attract fans compared to the previous years.

▽ Heaven and hell is in the order of merits = Kim Dong-kwang, Director of Samsung Sunders, who had experienced championship in 2000-2001 season and failed to advance to play-off in the last season contracted the post only with I year term at last after many twists and turns. So he has to recovery his reputation or he should resign after this season.

5 directors such as Kim Dong-kwang, Choi In-sun of SK Knights, Kim Tae-whan of LG Sakers, Kim Jin of Dongyang Orions, Yoo Jae-hak of SK Bigs will terminate their contract with the teams after this season.

On the other hand, Choi Hee-am of Mobis Automons, Chung Duk-Wha of SBS Stars and Lee Sang-yun Acting Director of Korea Tenders will have their debut in this season.

▽ Veterans` fighting sprit= The oldest active player, Hur Jae (TG Xers) is 37 years old in this year. He is older than the colleague player Kim Joo-sung (23) who had debut playing in this year by 14 years, and Chung Sun-Kyu (22 years old, LG) the youngest player in professional basketball by 15 years. He should already have retired considering his age, but he is tightening shoe` string in this year as well. In 1997, the first year of Professional Basketball, he experienced the championship in Kia (present Mobis). Unfortunately, he has been far away from championship since then. However, he shows his fighting sprit to gain championship as the last opportunity with Kim Joo-sung` support. Hur Jae hurrahed after selecting Kim Joo-sung in new player drafting of the last year.

Other old players, Kang Dong-hee(36, LG), Kim Sang-sik (SBS) and Pyo Pil-sang(34, Mobis) also play in the courts regardless of age.

▽ Defense basketball versus Offense basketball= director Choi Hee-am, contributed the flourish period of Yunsei University` basketball, encourage players` strengths but tuned the team works in his style completely. He does for Mobis as well. The players have intensive training to be familiar with various defensive strategies director Choi demands. Chung Duk-hwa, Director of SBS is also famous for defense basketball.

It will be very interesting to see how other directors perform game against the two directors. It also attracts much interest whether ‘Total Basketball’ of Shin Sun-woo can get fruits.

▽ Resurrection of domestic center = from this season, only one foreign player can play in the second quarter, so the appearance of domestic back-up center is focused. Except She Jang-hoon (Samsung) and Kim Joo –sung, other players who used to keep bench all the time have a opportunity to be responsible for the center for 10 minutes at least, such as Lee Eun-ho (SK Bigs), Pyo Pil-sang, Chung Kyung-ho (TG), Park Sang-kwan (Dongyang), Lee Chang –soo (Mobis).

Sang-Ho Kim hyangsan@donga.com