Yang Dong-geun (basketball)

Last updated
Yang Dong-geun
Yang Dong-Geun (basketball).jpg
Personal information
Born (1981-09-14) September 14, 1981 (age 42)
Seoul, South Korea
NationalitySouth Korean
Listed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Career information
High school Yongsan High School
College Hanyang University
Playing career2004–2020
Position Guard
Number6
Coaching career2021–present
Career history
As player:
2004–2020 Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus
2007–2009→ Sangmu (loan)
As coach:
2021–presentUlsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus (assistant coach)
Career highlights and awards
  • KBL Championship (2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019)
  • KBL Playoffs MVP (2007, 2013, 2015)
  • KBL Rookie of the Year (2005)
  • KBL Most Valuable Player Award (2006, 2007, 2015, 2016)
  • KBL Defensive Player of the Year (2011, 2013)
Medals
Representing Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea
Men's Basketball
Asian Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2010 Guangzhou Team
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2014 Incheon Team
FIBA Asia Championship
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2007 Japan Team
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2011 China Team
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2013 Philippines Team

Yang Dong-geun (born September 14, 1981) is a South Korean retired basketball player for Ulsan Mobis Phoebus and the Korean national team, where he participated at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. [1] During his sixteen-year career, he won the KBL Rookie of the Year and was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) in KBL four times. [2] He spent his entire playing career with Ulsan Mobis Phoebus, having been at the forefront of Ulsan's dominance in the league from the early 2000's. [3] Since retiring after the 2019-20 season, he has returned to the team as a coach.

Contents

Early life

Yang enjoyed playing basketball since his elementary school days. As he had been short compared to his peers, he never considered going professional until he had a late growth spurt and started playing college basketball. He attended Yongsan High School, which is known as a high school basketball powerhouse, but was neither a highly-rated prospect or a regular at that time. One of his contemporaries was Lee Jung-suk, who was a year behind him. [4] He overlooked by the "big three" universities in collegiate basketball: Yonsei University, Korea University and Chung-Ang University. [3] [5]

Playing career

College days

Yang was recruited by Hanyang University despite not being a regular in high school. [3] [6] At that time, Hanyang was not a particularly well-known basketball program and was better known for its baseball team. His close friend and future professional rival Cho Sung-min would join him two years later. [4] [7]

During his senior year, Yang led Hanyang to a runner-up finish at the MBC Cup. He was then thrust into the spotlight for leading Hanyang to a 96-91 upset against Yonsei in the National Basketball Festival (Korean: 농구대잔치), the other main collegiate competition. Yonsei had been on a 39-game winning streak in the tournament and boasted a star-studded team which included Ha Seung-jin, Kim Tae-sul and Yang Hee-jong. [8] Although Hanyang finished third, Yang ranked first in assists in the competition. [4]

Professional career

During the 2004 KBL rookie draft, Yang made history by becoming the first player not from a "big three" college basketball program to be drafted first in the first round. [9] [10] He was selected by Jeonju KCC Egis, who had the first overall pick, but was immediately traded to Ulsan Mobis Phoebus in exchange for two players. [11] There were initial doubts as he was considered short by KBL standards but he established himself as an integral member of the team due to his physicality and accurate shooting and passing. In his debut game, a loss to Seoul Samsung Thunders, he scored 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists despite having a distinct height disadvantage. [4] He averaged 11.5 points and 6.1 assists and was named KBL Rookie of the Year. [5] [12]

Yang formed a tandem with foreign recruit Chris Williams and led Ulsan Mobis Phoebus to the 2007 Championship, his first title. [13] During the final, they faced a Busan KTF Magic Wings which had Cho Sung-min and Shin Ki-sung and won four out of seven games in a tightly-contested race. He averaged 19.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists during the playoffs and was named Playoffs MVP. [14]

In May 2007, a week after his wedding and the playoffs, Yang enlisted for mandatory military service. [13] He enlisted together with Cho and they were assigned to the Sangmu team after completing basic training. [15] [7]

Coaching career

Yang declared his interest in coaching after retiring as a player and went sent to the United States for a training course. He returned to Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus as a coach under Yoo Jae-hak from the 2021–22 season onwards. [16]

Personal life

Yang married his college classmate Kim Jung-mi in 2007 after a seven-year courtship. [17] They have a son and a daughter. [18]

Yang is an avid baseball fan and is best friends with Lee Bum-ho. He was at Lee's retirement game in 2019. [19]

Yang shares the same name, written with the exact same Hanja characters, as an actor and hip hop artist who is two years older than him. The older Yang is known as an avid basketball fan and posted a retirement tribute on his Instagram to the basketball player quipping that his life as an actor just got started at age forty while a professional athlete's life ended at the same age. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

Kim Yoo-taek is a former South Korean basketball player. Although positioned as a center due to his height, Kim possessed the ball-handling skills of a guard and was equally capable of playing inside and outside. He is considered one of the greatest Asian centers to ever play the game, along with Carlos Loyzaga and Yao Ming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suwon KT Sonicboom</span> Basketball team in Suwon, South Korea

Suwon KT Sonicboom is a professional basketball club based in Suwon, South Korea which plays in the Korean Basketball League. Their home games are played at the Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena. Founded in 1997, the team was initially based in Gwangju and was later relocated to Yeosu, Busan and Suwon, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hur Jae</span> South Korean basketball player and coach

Hur Jae is a South Korean retired basketball coach and former player. His playing and coaching career combined spanned over three decades, beginning during the semi-professional era and coinciding with the establishment of the professional Korean Basketball League (KBL). As one of the most recognizable domestic sports stars of the late 1980s to early 2000s, Hur was nicknamed "The President of Korean Basketball" by Korean fans and the media. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, he took the Athlete's Oath with handball player Son Mi-na.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Joo-sung (basketball)</span> South Korean basketball player

Kim Joo-sung is a South Korean basketball coach and retired player. A forward-center, he spent his entire sixteen-year playing career with Wonju DB Promy. Since 2019 he has been a coach at Wonju DB Promy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Se-keun</span> South Korean basketball player

Oh Se-keun is a South Korean professional basketball player who plays for Anyang KGC in the Korean Basketball League. Once a mainstay of the South Korean national team, he was a member of the gold medal-winning team at the 2014 Asian Games. Oh is the first South Korean player to record a quadruple-double in any domestic officially-sanctioned adult basketball competition, whether at college or senior level.

Lee Kyu-sup is a South Korean basketball coach and retired player. He spent his entire playing career with the Korean Basketball League team Seoul Samsung Thunders and played for the South Korean national team at the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship.

Kim Min-goo is a South Korea retired professional basketball player. He previously played for Jeonju KCC Egis, Wonju DB Promy and Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus and represented South Korea at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship. At the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship in Manila, he was named to the tournament's All-Star Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Tae-sul</span> South Korean basketball player

Kim Tae-sul is a South Korean retired basketball player. During his fourteen-year professional career, Kim played for five different teams, the longest stint being at Anyang KGC where he won the KBL Championship. He was also a member of the South Korea national team and participated in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and two Asian Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Jong-hyun (basketball)</span> South Korean basketball player

Lee Jong-hyun is a South Korean professional basketball player for the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters of the Korean Basketball League (KBL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cho Sung-min (basketball)</span> South Korean basketball player

Cho Sung-min is a South Korean retired professional basketball player. He played for Busan KT Sonicboom and Changwon LG Sakers in the Korean Basketball League and was a member of the South Korean national team.

Heo Il-young is a South Korean professional basketball player. He plays for Seoul SK Knights in the Korean Basketball League and the South Korean national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woo Ji-won</span> South Korean basketball player

Woo Ji-won is a South Korean retired professional basketball player. He played for three different teams over a fourteen-year career, the longest of which was spent at Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus, who retired his number 10 shirt after his retirement. He was nicknamed "Prince of the Court".

Lee Jung-hyun is a South Korean professional basketball player for Jeonju KCC Egis in the Korean Basketball League and the South Korean national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yang Hong-seok (basketball)</span> South Korean basketball player

Yang Hong-seok is a South Korean basketball player. He plays for Korean Basketball League team Changwon LG Sakers and the South Korean national team.

Kang Dong-hee is a South Korean former basketball player and coach. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics. In his prime, Kang was regarded as the best domestic point guard of his generation and was nicknamed "Wizard of the Court".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heo Hoon</span> South Korean basketball player

Heo Hoon is a South Korean professional basketball player. He plays for Suwon KT Sonicboom of the Korean Basketball League and the South Korea national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Dae-sung</span> South Korean basketball player

Lee Dae-sung is a South Korean professional basketball player. He plays for SeaHorses Mikawa in the B.League and the South Korean national team.

Shin Ki-sung is a South Korean retired professional basketball player and former coach. He played for three different teams in the Korean Basketball League and the South Korean national team. Known for his speed and shooting accuracy, he was nicknamed "Bullet Man".

Choo Seung-gyun is a South Korean retired professional basketball player and coach. He spent his entire 15-year playing career with Korean Basketball League team Jeonju KCC Egis, who retired his number 4 jersey. After a brief stint in coaching, he became a SPOTV commentator and covers KBL matches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ham Ji-hoon</span> South Korean basketball player

Ham Ji-hoon is a South Korean professional basketball player. He plays for Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus in the Korean Basketball League and is the club's captain and longest-serving player after Yang Dong-geun.

References

  1. ↑ "Yang Dong-geun". fiba.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "2020-2021 현대모비스 프로농구 시상식 결과 안내" (in Korean). Korean Basketball League. 7 April 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "한팀서 17년, 우승 6번 '원클럽 맨'…"질수록 더 강해졌다"". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 18 April 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "[민준구의 DEBUT] 다이아몬드 원석과도 같았던 양동근의 데뷔전". Jumpball (in Korean). 4 April 2020.
  5. 1 2 "거참 신기하네, 양동근 선수는 지칠줄 모르네". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 13 October 2017.
  6. ↑ "[농구대잔치 고3 잔치] 한양대 입학예정 양동근 팀4강 수훈". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 25 January 2000.
  7. 1 2 "'양동근 은퇴에 허전한' 조성민 "갑작스런 이별 아쉬움, 언제나 응원할 것"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). April 6, 2020.
  8. ↑ "연대, 39연승서 '스톱'… 한양대에 덜미". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 23 November 2003.
  9. ↑ "1m68 소년이 KBL 레전드가 되기까지, 양동근 농구 인생에 타협 없었다". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 1 April 2020.
  10. ↑ "한양대 양동근 1순위 '취직'". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 4 February 2004.
  11. ↑ "프로농구 신인 최대어 양동근, 모비스에 둥지" (in Korean). KBS. 4 February 2004.
  12. ↑ "[프로농구]신기성 MVP…프로농구 신인왕엔 양동근". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 15 March 2015.
  13. 1 2 "양동근 - 조성민 '내일은 없다'". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). May 1, 2007.
  14. ↑ "첫 만장일치 MVP 양동근 '5월 신부에게 챔프반지를'". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 2 May 2007.
  15. ↑ "모비스, 상무 입대 '양동근 특별대우 '". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 2 May 2007.
  16. ↑ "양동근, 미국 코치 연수 마치고 이달 말 귀국…현대모비스 코치 합류 예정". Jumpball (in Korean). 11 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "양동근 '감동 프러포즈'...6일 결혼 김정미씨 공개". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 1 May 2007.
  18. ↑ "코트선 철인… 아들·딸엔 '순한 양' 양동근". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 27 April 2015.
  19. ↑ "굿바이 이범호, 눈물의 은퇴식 "그동안 감사했다"". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 13 July 2019.
  20. ↑ "배우 양동근이 농구선수 양동근에게 "난 이제 막 시작했는데…"". Rookie (in Korean). 2 April 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.