“I have a clear goal, and I’m greedy…”
Busan KCC second-year player Lee Ju-young (23, 181.4 cm) is spending his first professional offseason with the goal of becoming a better player. However, when we met at the KCC practice gym in Mapuk-dong, Yongin-si, on the 27th, he confessed, “To be honest, I think I was worried.” Why?
Lee was selected with the sixth pick in the first round of the 2023 KBL Rookie Draft. In his debut season, he averaged 3:13 minutes per game in eight games. That was valuable experience. But KCC is a star-studded organization with five former MVPs (Lee Seung-hyun, Dionte Burton, Song Kyo-chang, Choi Jun-yong, and 사설 토토사이트 Heo Woong). The chances of a younger player getting a chance are slim.
“I have a clear goal, and I’m very greedy,” explains the lucky Lee, ”so I was a little worried because it’s a very competitive team.” “But once I got into it, I didn’t have any worries. My brothers are very supportive and the coaches are very interested in me, so I’m having a fun day trying to challenge myself.”
As you mentioned, this is your first summer of professional preparation. “I went to Taebaek for training, but the weather was too hot and it was hard, but I think my body is definitely improving, and I’m working hard to keep my mindset positive,” Lee said.
The KCC coaching staff wants to see more combativeness from Lee. Defense is also an area of improvement. Kelvin Epistola fits the bill.
“They want you to be tough on defense, so I’ve been working on having a combative mindset and passion. In attack, they told me to have the focus to make sure I finish my chances. I’ve been watching Epistola, who plays a similar position and style to me but has a strong defense,” he said.
Lee’s first goal as a debutant came on March 6 against Goyang Sono at Goyang Sono Arena. It came in her second appearance of the regular season, in the last minute of the game. It was a fast break goal following a steal, and it will always be a special moment.
“I think it was probably my second start, and I felt like I had to score that day, because I missed a lot of chances, so I was nervous. Fortunately, I got a good chance and scored, and I think it was refreshing,” Lee recalls.
His debut goal was even more special because his older brothers scored it for him, as the KCC players were saying, “Hey, Lee Joo-young, go in!” and “(Lee) Joo-young should go out!” during that game, and everyone wanted the youngest player to play.
“That’s right (laughs). Not only that, but to this day, I’m very grateful that my older brothers have always been so supportive, so I feel like I want to sacrifice for this team, and that’s one of my goals for next season.”
“When I get my chance, I want to make sure I grab it,” he concludes, ”and I want to play more games, and I want to be a big contributor to the team.