Huh Still Dominates Court

Huh Jae who is called `the basketball genius` has been dominating the court for more than a decade and is now thinking about when he should leave. Seeing him gain lines on the forehead and lose his hair, we can tell that it has been long time. Like the twilight in the evening sky, however, Huh is doing his best in a very impressive way.

He is the oldest player in the league and will be forty after two years, but he is doing more than his bit in this post season. During the season, he was more like a sixth man, playing about 20 minutes a game. Indeed, it takes a lot of energy to push and shove with much younger players.

Since the team`s first playoff match with Mobis, however, Huh has been one of the five startups leading the team at every critical moment. In the first and second match with LG, in particular, he played a key role in the team`s victory playing thirty minutes and scoring 12.5 points with 7 assists.

With his young teammate Kim Ju-sung, he is making a good duo and a headache for the opponents. ˝I am pretty confident about keeping clam and doing what I can do at critical moments,˝ said Huh. ˝I guess it comes from experience.˝

˝His experience and fighting sprit boost morale of the team,˝ said head coach Jeon Chang-jin. ˝He is like a big pillar for this team.˝

Then, what is the secret of his great performance? Huh Jae wrestled with barbells last week before the playoff matches with Mobis. ˝You just have to exercise more not to lag behind,˝ said Huh. ˝I can`t disappoint my fan. Being old cannot be an excuse.˝

He never skips his weight training even the next day of a big match. He also eats more so as to build up his body for the final match over championship. He is not certain himself how long he can go on like this. If he gets injured, it might mean an end of his career.

So he is all determined to relish the joy of victory with his teammates this year when he has a chance. ˝Championship can not be won by aiming at. I am just doing my best. We have good players and work well as a team, so I believe things will go well.˝

Jong-Seok Kim kjs0123@donga.com