A daring rookie who also acknowledged the legend of "1,000 three-point shots"
I thought there was a good player in women's basketball. You're a rookie, and you did a good job."
Asan Woori Bank coach Wi Sung-woo (52) was also surprised by the bold rookie appearance. Busan BNK coach Park Jung-eun (46), a former women's basketball legend, also expected future growth.
The opening game of the 2023-2024 Women's Professional Basketball Association was held at Yi Sun-shin Gymnasium in Asan on the 5th. There was a rematch between Woori Bank, which won the integrated championship last season, and BNK, which won the second place in the team's history. There was a rookie player who caught the attention of the two head coaches on a battlefield where the ace representing the league and veteran sisters competed. It is BNK rookie forward Kim Jong-un (18).
Kim Jong-un played 31 minutes and 46 seconds in his first professional match. He took more time to play than most sisters and scored two three-pointers (6 points). All of them were goals scored in the fourth quarter. Woori Bank won 74-70 in overtime, but Wi Sung-woo confessed that he felt a sense of crisis due to Kim Jong-un's three-point shot.
Along with this, I left a compliment. Coach Wi Sung-woo said of Kim Jong-un, "I was surprised to see him throw at such a shot timing in the opening game. There's an atmosphere of shooting and there's a sense of self-timing. It feels like the shot is almost going in. It's not fast, but the accuracy is good and the release of the ball is good. It is said that it took a lot of strength when the three-point shot bounced off the rim. "It's a good shot that the ball falls around the rim, but Kim Jong-un did it," he said with a tongue-in-cheek.
"I think I will be a good player if I raise it well," he said. "I think there is a good player in women's basketball. I'm a rookie, and I did a good job."
BNK coach Park Jung-eun, who played as a legend, achieved a milestone of 1,000 three-point shots for the first time in women's professional basketball history, also had high expectations for Kim Jong-un. Coach Park Jung-eun gave a lot of time to play in the important game of the opening game and spent his faith. Kim Jong Un also rewarded it with a good performance.
"I thought it was an experience that money could not buy, so I wanted to bump into it once," coach Park Jeong-eun said of his trust in Kim Jong-un. Kim Jong-un tried to find a way by playing the game. I saw him trying to fulfill the parts he ordered. Our team needs the same position and role as Kim Jong-un. I'm going to raise it well in the future," he said.
Kim Jong-un, a forward from Hyosung Girls' High School, joined BNK after receiving the second overall nomination at the Rookie of the Year competition held last September. He is 177 centimeters tall and stands out for his flexible play. In the opening game of the day, he created a daring scene, not only a three-point shot but also a bold attempt to break through.
At the time of the second nomination, Kim Jong-un said, "I want to be a player who always develops. I will work hard even when I go to the pro." He surprised the two coaches by keeping his promise from the first professional match.