Kim Seung-hyun (born November 23, 1978) is a South Korean retired basketball player. He played for
Daegu Orions and
Seoul Samsung Thunders
Seoul Samsung Thunders ( ko, 서울 삼성 썬더스) is a professional basketball team, competing in the Korean Basketball League. Ever since the club was founded in 1978, they have been associated with Samsung Electronics. Initially based in ...
in the
Korean Basketball League and was a member of the
South Korean national team.
Although his heyday was short compared his counterparts, Kim left a lasting impact on the domestic game and is still regarded as one of the best point guards of his generation.
He
led the league in assists for four seasons, a joint record he shares with
Joo Hee-jung
Joo Hee-jung (born February 4, 1977) is a South Korean basketball coach and retired player. His playing career spanned twenty years with four different teams in the Korean Basketball League. Despite not being a highly-touted prospect in high sc ...
and
Kang Dong-hee
Kang Dong-hee (born 20 December 1966) 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 w ...
, and also holds the all-time record for assists average per season; in the 2004–05 season he averaged 10.5 assists.
Early life
A native of
Incheon, Kim had aspired to become a football player as football was his first sport, but switched sports after being introduced to basketball in fourth grade.
He attended
Songdo High School, one of the oldest high school basketball programs outside of Seoul. He drew attention for his creative play despite his short stature.
Playing career
College
Kim surprised recruiters and observers by choosing
Dongguk University
Dongguk University (Korean: 동국대학교, Hanja: 東國大學校) is a private, coeducational university in South Korea, fundamentally based on Buddhism. Established in 1906 as Myeongjin School (명진학교; 明進學校) by Buddhist pioneers ...
instead of one of the "big 3" college basketball programs (
Yonsei University
Yonsei University (; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. As a member of the " SKY" universities, Yonsei University is deemed one of the three most prestigious institutions in the country. It is particularly respected in th ...
,
Korea University and
Chung-Ang University
Chung-Ang University (CAU; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. It is widely regarded as one of the best universities in South Korea. The university operates two campuses: main campus located in Dongjak District, Seoul, and ...
).
He drew the attention of KBL scouts for his flashy style of play and passing skills, which stood out despite Dongguk's poor results in collegiate competitions.
Professional
Kim was the third overall pick of the 2001 KBL rookie draft and was drafted by
Daegu Tongyang Orions. Prior to the draft, pundits had speculated that his height would be a stumbling block to him succeeding at professional level and it affected his draft ranking; ironically, the other two players picked ahead of him all had less successful careers. He was immediately integrated into the main team during the 2001–02 season, playing in 54 games. In his first full season, he took the league by storm, averaging 12.2 points and 8.0 assists. They would go on to win the KBL Championship that season. At the end of the season, Kim was voted into the
Best 5 and won both the
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
and Rookie of the Year awards, an unprecedented feat that has never been repeated ever since.
Together with foreign recruit Marcus Hicks and domestic stars such as
Chun Hee-chul and Kim Byung-chul, the Orions became known for their offensive style which combined the players' strengths with flashy skills. It came to an end when Orions relocated to
Goyang and Hicks and Chun both moved to other clubs.
While his later seasons were mired by the team's poor league standings and a recurring back injury, he led the league in assists for another three seasons.
Kim did not play for the entire 2010–11 season due to a controversial lawsuit he had filed against the Orions. He had been negotiating a renewed contract for a raised salary when changes in the team's management and the KBL's rules regarding salary caps led to a disagreement which then escalated into a public spat. The new management felt that his requested figure was too high and did not match his performances. When Kim refused to back down, the management sought to nullify his contract by any legal means and Kim filed a civil lawsuit against them, the first time in domestic basketball a player has taken his own team to court. As Kim was neither able to play for his own team or transfer to another team, the KBL removed him from its list of registered players for that season, the first time such action had been taken against a player. The KBL stated that the action was taken for practical reasons and reiterated its official stance that both parties should settle their dispute privately. He dropped the lawsuit after he and the management both agreed to enter into mediation rather than engage in a protracted battle in court.
After the lawsuit ended, Kim was traded to
Seoul Samsung Thunders
Seoul Samsung Thunders ( ko, 서울 삼성 썬더스) is a professional basketball team, competing in the Korean Basketball League. Ever since the club was founded in 1978, they have been associated with Samsung Electronics. Initially based in ...
for the 2011–12 season.
His final years were plagued by injury, poor form and the Thunders' poor results in the league. Furthermore, the domestic game became more defense-oriented and players with tall and large physiques were more preferred, leaving players like Kim at a disadvantage.
He eventually retired at the end of the 2013–14 season.
Player profile
At his prime, Kim was known for his speed and passing skills despite being one of the league's shortest players, even for a point guard by current KBL standards. During an era where domestic point guards were still mainly "pass first, score last" players, Kim was one of the earliest point guards in the KBL to average points in the double digits while maintaining high assist averages, paving the way for a younger generation of scoring-oriented point guards such as
Kim Nak-hyeon and
Heo Hoon
Heo Hoon (born 16 August 1995) is a South Korean professional basketball player. He currently plays for Suwon KT Sonicboom in the Korean Basketball League and the South Korean national team.
Early life
Heo enjoyed playing various sports from ...
to be more accepted by the domestic basketball world.
In addition to contributing points and assists, he was known for utilizing his speed and lack of height to his advantage by causing turnovers, reflected in the fact that he led the league in
steals for four seasons.
Other activities
Kim was a cast member in the variety show ''
Real Men''. In February 2017, he appeared on
MBC's variety show ''
King of Mask Singer
''The King of Mask Singer'' () is a South Korean singing competition program presented by Kim Sung-joo, with introductions by voice actor . It airs on MBC on Sunday, starting from April 5, 2015 as a part of MBC's '' Sunday Night'' programming ...
'' (episode 99) as a contestant.
Kim returned to basketball and became a commentator for
MBC Sports+ in 2017, covering KBL games. When KBL switched broadcasters to
SPOTV
SPOTV is a South Korean pay television network, which features sports programming and some sports-related talk shows. Founded in 2010, the network is the fourth non-'free-to-air' broadcaster in South Korea alongside KBS N Sports, MBC Sports+ a ...
, Kim moved to the new channel and continued.
Personal life
In May 2018, Kim married actress Han Jung-won. It was reported that they had divorced in November 2021. Han later clarified that they remained friends and that the divorce was mutual.
See also
*
List of Korean Basketball League annual statistical leaders
References
External links
Career Statisticsfrom the
Korean Basketball League website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Seung-hyun
1978 births
Living people
South Korean men's basketball players
Goyang Carrot Jumpers players
Seoul Samsung Thunders players
Dongguk University alumni
Asian Games medalists in basketball
Basketball players at the 2002 Asian Games
Basketball players at the 2006 Asian Games
Asian Games gold medalists for South Korea
Medalists at the 2002 Asian Games
South Korean Buddhists
South Korean basketball commentators
Sportspeople from Incheon