Chun Hee-chul

Chun Hee-chul

Personal information
Born	(1973-06-26) June 26, 1973 (age 51) Seoul, South Korea
Nationality	South Korean
Listed height	195.6 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Career information
College	Korea University
Playing career	1996–2008
Position	Forward / center
Coaching career	2011–present
Career history
As player:
1996–2002	Tongyang Confectionery / Daegu Tongyang Orions
2002–2003	Jeonju KCC Egis
2003–2008	Seoul SK Knights
As coach:
2011–present	Seoul SK Knights
Career highlights and awards
As a player KBL Champion (2002) KBL regular season champion (2002) KBL All-Time Legend 12 Seoul SK Knights number 13 retired As a coach KBL Champion (2018) KBL regular season champion (2013)
Medals Representing   South Korea FIBA Asia Championship 1993 Jakarta Team 1995 Seoul Team 1997 Riyadh Team Asian Games 1994 Hiroshima Team 2002 Busan Team

In this Korean name, the family name is Jeon .

Chun Hee-chul (born June 26, 1973 in Seoul) is a South Korean basketball coach and retired player. Chun is a swingman who can play in both the center and forward positions. In his prime he boasted athleticism, the ability to dunk and a mid-range jump shot which was rare for players of his height in domestic basketball at that time, earning him the nicknames "Airborne" and "Air Hee-chul". ^{[1] [2] [3]}

After retiring as a player, Chun went into coaching. He has been a coach at Seoul SK Knights since 2011 and was appointed head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Early life

Chun began playing basketball in elementary school "by accident" after being encouraged by his father, a sports enthusiast. ^[2] It was not until he attended Samseon Middle School, a well-known basketball school, that he began aspiring to become a basketball player. ^[4] He attended Kyungbock High School in Seoul and was recruited by Korea University during his last year of high school. ^[5] He was middle and high school classmates with future national teammate and best friend Woo Ji-won. ^[6]

Playing career

College career

At Korea University, Chun was a member of the dominant "Tiger Corps" which included Hyun Joo-yup, future KBL Rookie of the Year Shin Ki-sung and future KBL regular season MVP Kim Byung-chul. ^[1] During his senior year, they won the college division of the National Basketball Festival, then one of the main collegiate competitions. ^[7]

His time at Korea University coincided with what is often retrospectively dubbed the "golden era" of domestic college basketball. He and his teammates, as well as their counterparts from traditional athletic rivals Yonsei University, enjoyed a level of popularity similar to that of idol singers and A-list actors/actresses due to their skills and good looks. Together with Hyun and Yonsei University's Lee Sang-min, Moon Kyung-eun and Woo Ji-won among others, they were collectively dubbed "Oppa Troupe" (오빠부대) by the media. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

Professional career

Chun began his career in 1996 and is among the last generation of players who began their careers during the semi-professional era; the professional league (Korean Basketball League) was founded a year later. He and his college teammate Kim Byung-chul joined the newly-founded Daegu-based amateur team of Tongyang Confectionery, which has since moved to Goyang and is now Goyang Orion Orions after the company rebranding. ^[7] They beat other more established teams such as Kia, Samsung Electronics and Hyundai to win the last ever amateur championship and notably ended Kia's dominance. ^{[11] [7] [12]} When the KBL was founded, Chun stayed with the team. During his first season in the newly-founded professional league, he averaged 23.10 points, which was unheard of for a domestic player especially with the presence of foreign import players with larger and taller physiques. ^[2]

In 1998, Chun enlisted for mandatory military service. Unlike many of his counterparts, he was assigned to be a public service worker instead of the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Sangmu basketball team). ^[13] In between his routine duties with the Forest Service, he trained in the nearest gym by himself with amateur players. Tongyang were unable to find suitable replacements as he and Kim had enlisted at the same time as several other key players and the mid-table team finished the 1998–99 season at the bottom of the league table. ^[14] Chun was discharged ahead of the 1999-00 season. His assignment turned out to be a blessing in disguise as he was discharged earlier than his counterparts who joined the Sangmu team. ^[13]

In 2002, Chun signed with Jeonju KCC Egis but was released at the end of the season. ^[15] During his brief time at KCC, he was best remembered for an incident during a January game against Seoul Samsung Thunders. He was intentionally struck in the face by Park Sung-hoon but the referee failed to call the foul and Park scored a lay-up immediately afterwards. The referee still did not blow the whistle even though Chun's face was visibly bloodied. Chun's teammate Jung Jae-kun, incensed by the lack of action from the referee and other match officials, retaliated by elbowing Park in the face so hard that Park sustained a broken tooth and jaw and had to be stretchered off. However, Jung was only whistled for a technical foul rather than a more serious flagrant foul, which would have warranted ejection. ^[16]

In 2003, Chun joined Seoul SK Knights. The 2007-08 season was forgettable as he was mostly on the bench or unavailable due to injuries. With his contract ending that season, he chose to retire rather than join another team or renegotiate another contract. ^[17] His number 13 jersey was retired by the Knights. ^[18]

National team

Chun's versatility meant that he was registered as a center or forward in different competitions. He was part of the squad at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and a key member of the 1997 ABC Championship-winning team, being named tournament MVP. ^[19] While completing his military service, he and Woo Ji-won were expected to participate in the 1998 Asian Games but Korean Basketball Association's request was turned down by the government agency overseeing their service term. ^{[20] [21]}

Chun was recalled to the squad for the 2002 Asian Games, where he played as a forward due to Seo Jang-hoon and rookie Kim Joo-sung being preferred as the main centers. ^[22] During the final against a dominant China led by Yao Ming, he and Hyun Joo-yup both scored more than 20 points in a tight game, earning themselves the nickname "China Killers". The Koreans managed to climb back from behind to win 102–100 in overtime; it was their first gold in men's basketball at the Asian Games in two decades. ^[23]

Coaching career

Chun remained with Seoul SK Knights after retiring as a player. Before going into coaching, he worked as a player performance analyst. He transitioned into coaching and worked under long-time teammate Moon Kyung-eun on the coaching staff. After the 2020-21 season ended, the club announced that Moon would be moving to technical advisor role and Chun became the new head coach. ^{[24] [25]}

Personal life

Chun married former air stewardess Kwon Jung-eun in 2003. ^{[26] [27]} They have two daughters (born in 2004 and 2006). ^[28]

References

1. "'농구선수 인기 많네' 착각 말고, 개인 기량 더 키워야". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). November 20, 2021.
2. "'에어본' 전희철, 코치 변신 위한 '8년의 여정'" (in Korean). BasketKorea.com. April 6, 2015.
3. "흔한 풍경이 된 '토종 덩크'… 원조는 1978년 조동우". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). January 14, 2022.
4. "[학교 탐방] 삼선중 1편 - 55년 된 체육관, 그래도 보수 작업은 꾸준히!" (in Korean). BasketKorea.com. December 19, 2021.
5. "[학교 탐방] 경복고 1편 - 아마추어를 대표하는 전통 명가, 다시 꿈꾸는 '최강'의 자리" (in Korean). BasketKorea.com. December 26, 2021.
6. "[프로농구] 전희철, 대구서 라이벌 우지원 제압". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). February 25, 2002.
7. "동양제과 창단 첫대회서 우승 감격-코리안리그 남자농구". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). April 23, 1996.
8. "[스포츠 특별기획] 원조 '오빠부대장' 문경은-이상민은 올해도 전쟁 중". J Magazine (in Korean). joins.com. October 17, 2020.
9. "문경은·우지원 등 오빠들이 돌아왔다". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). November 4, 2003.
10. "[솔직토크] '은퇴하는 세 거물' 문경은-이상민-우지원". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). May 19, 2010.
11. "[농구대잔치］동양제과，기아에 대역전승". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). December 20, 1996.
12. "대구 동양에서 고양 오리온, 김병철부터 이승현까지" (in Korean). BasketKorea.com. March 16, 2020.
13. "[프로농구] '복귀신고'전희철·우지원 못말리는 자존심 싸움". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). October 19, 1999.
14. "[취재현장]＂인생 대역전＂". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). March 8, 2002.
15. "꼴찌팀 '구조조정' 2년연속 V일궈". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). March 9, 2003.
16. "농구-심판 부주의한 판정에 코트 피로 얼룩져." (in Korean). KBS. January 9, 2003.
17. "왕년 '오빠'들 우지원·김병철·전희철 FA시장 앞에선…". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). May 13, 2008.
18. "전희철 배번 13번 영구결번 'SK의 전설'". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). October 27, 2008.
19. Olympic results
20. "[농구] 전희철-우지원 아시안게임 못뛴다". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). October 2, 1998.
21. "[아시안게임]남자농구 '예고된 참패'". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). December 21, 1998.
22. "14년 전의 기적…부산아시안게임 농구 결승전" (in Korean). KBS. October 14, 2016.
23. "[농구] '20년동안 이 날을 기다렸다'". Busan Ilbo (in Korean). October 15, 2002.
24. "SK지휘봉 전희철에 넘겨준 문경은 "그대라서 다행이다"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). June 2, 2021.
25. "프로농구 SK, 전희철 감독 선임…문경은 전 감독은 기술자문". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). April 29, 2021.
26. "KCC 전희철, 31일 권정은양과 결혼". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). May 12, 2003.
27. "전희철 등 시즌 끝낸 농구스타들 '웨딩마치'" (in Korean). KBS. March 31, 2003.
28. "[오픈하우스] ① 전희철의 '해피 하우스' 공개합니다" (in Korean). joins.com. April 2, 2009.

External links

• Chun Hee-chul at sksports.net
• Career Statistics from the Korean Basketball League website (in Korean)

v t e KBL All-Time Legend 12
Guard: Yang Dong-geun, Joo Hee-jung, Lee Sang-min, Hur Jae Forward: Aaron Haynes, Johnny McDowell, Chun Hee-chul, Hyun Joo-yup, Choo Seung-gyun, Moon Kyung-eun Center: Kim Joo-sung, Seo Jang-hoon