The journey at Wonju DB, which was a joy, sorrow, and pleasure, was completed. As the trade process was noisy, Doo Kyung-min was careful to mention the DB. Still, his voice was strong when he talked about why he wanted a new environment and his ambition. “I wanted to play for a team that needed me even if I ran for just one second,” Doo Kyung-min explained.
How did you feel about being traded?
First of all, I’m sorry to the players and the team that were with DB fans. I can’t tell you in detail what happened in DB, but I had no choice about this (trade request). I just want you to know that it was a choice as a basketball player. I’m especially sorry for the fans because it’s a situation I don’t understand. It was a difficult choice for me as well as for the team LG and the coach Cho Sang-hyun. It feels real to receive the uniform for the cover shoot. I feel a heavy responsibility, and I also feel emotion beyond words. (Who did you get the trade news from?) The DB told me to think about it because I’m pursuing such a trade with LG. He gave me about a week around the end of May, and in the meantime, I met with Cho Sang-hyun and talked to him before making the decision. 파워볼사이트
I wonder why you asked for a trade.
It’s still hard to say and I’m cautious…. “Even if I run for just one second, I wanted to play for a team that needed me. That is everything. I swear, I didn’t ask for a trade because of the time or role I played. (Does this mean that I didn’t get the feeling that ‘the DB team needed me?’) Please understand that I can’t tell you in detail. If I do well, I am in the court, or I think it’s natural that I can’t run. I also had conversations with coach Cho Sang-hyun on this issue.
The fact that DB requested a trade at a time when it was cruising was a great disappointment to fans.
I don’t deny that. So I sincerely hoped that DB would win. Again, I feel most sorry for my fans and my teammates. After the trade request, I was careful to contact my friends (Kim) Jong-gyu and (Kim) Young-hyun. So I still haven’t met them.
There were some teams that DB pushed for a trade at the end of the season, but it didn’t happen in the end. If it’s not possible, did you consider playing in an overseas league?
I asked for a trade with the determination to retire. I didn’t mention to DB that I was willing to retire. All I wanted was to play for even one second for the team that wanted me. If there wasn’t a team that wanted me, my pride as a player would have been hurt. I was offered an overseas league offer and looked into it, but it wasn’t the first time. I wanted to continue my career in the KBL. It was a decision I made after discussing with my family, and I am grateful to my family for respecting my wishes.
Also excluded from team training after trade request. How have you been since?
Since I had a knee injury, I needed time to take care of my body. I maintained my health by training with a personal trainer. It was not rehabilitation because there was no pain at all. I have been doing court training and condition management to prepare for various situations that may come out of the game.
How is your knee now?
I love it. My goal is to carry out all off-season training. When I checked it personally, there was nothing wrong, and I decided to take a medical test from my team soon. I didn’t mean to, but I had enough personal training and rest due to the break period, and my body got better. If I prepare step by step from now on, I think I will be able to meet the season I’m looking forward to.
It is clear that he was a player who sent a lot of love to Wonju fans. What would you say to Wonju fans?
I had a lot of thoughts on my way to organize my house in Wonju. When I went down to Daegu, I thought we could meet again anytime. It might not be the end, but this time, I thought it was the end. I played for another team for one season, but I think I was actually a one-club man. So I wanted to find myself when I went back to DB, but I couldn’t even say hello to my fans and left. I still didn’t know how to say hello, but I still couldn’t leave it, but I was so grateful for it. I’m sorry that the ending was so sad. I achieved everything as a player in DB. I was grateful for always supporting me when I was good or when I was bad to achieve it.
What did director Cho Sang-hyun tell you?
He understood that I was in a desperate situation and wanted to play for a team that needed even a second. That was the best. I was grateful for making me feel that even if I didn’t run for a second, I would be included in the entry because I needed it, and that I would be a team that could give me a sense of belonging. We had a quick conversation about my strengths and weaknesses as a player. Each team has different systems, but they said to match them together and prove them with results. The general manager and the director jokingly said “high risk high return,” which motivates me. There were people who believed in it even though it was high risk. In that part, I am grateful to coach Cho Sang-hyun.
Joined LG with Jeon. How did Jeon feel from his opponent’s point of view?
I thought Seong-hyeon was a natural player, but I felt a lot while working with him at Sangmu. From a viewpoint, it might be easy to see movements for shooting, but he puts in a lot of effort. He was born with it, but he added effort, and thus he became an even greater player after being discharged from the military. He was so scary that I felt like I could throw it from two or three shots behind the three-point line. I have high expectations as I play in the same team. I think I need to take advantage of my chances. Isn’t it even scarier if he played in the days when the 3-point shooting distance was short? (In the early days, KBL also had an “iligirl defense” rule. (The 3-point shooting line) He probably threw from five shots behind.
If you have a close friend in LG?
Il-young was my roommate when he was first selected for the national team at the East Asian Championships. Sang-hyuk worked out together during the offseason, and Sung-hyun worked as a managing director with the Universiade team. We were not very close outside due to different personalities, but nothing bad happened. The same goes for Jang. I didn’t interact with young players, but I didn’t have any difficulties with my peers or older brothers.
Changwon fans are as passionate as Wonju. What would you say?
My picture was posted on LG’s official Instagram, and I read all the comments on it. I was able to give myself a cold evaluation by feeling how Changwon fans viewed me. I can’t say, “I’m a kind of player. I can show you this, and this is not true.” I want to show my emotions and mindset as much as I can on the court. If you see something different from what you thought after seeing that, please support me. Since I am at LG, I think the priority is to show my actions and performance rather than asking me to give unconditional support. I will try.
There will be an objective evaluation of the changed history, but there are many fans who feel a sense of loss that “a lot of our players have left.”
(Lee) Jae-do is also a friend. Compared to Jae-do, there may be some parts where he is better and some parts where he is not good enough, but I think fans’ reaction is natural. Some say that he made the decision because LG failed to win the championship, but it is a process that is not a failure. Jae-do showed good performance at LG. Despite the team’s shaky ground, he has led the team to the semifinals twice. He deserves applause. Fans’ reaction like this is natural, but he was not hurt or disappointed. It was time for him to look back on himself coolly.
I think we should look into the house?
Even when I was at DB, I lived alone in Wonju. My family was in Seoul. When my family comes down to Changwon, I need a place to rest, so I am looking for a house in Changwon quickly. Not long ago, I also contacted Jae-do. While receiving invitations, I also received advice on living in Changwon and LG.
The uniform number was kept at 30.
I thought about it, but I think it’s right to use the same number. When he debuted, he used the number 7. I thought, “Should I play with the mindset of a rookie?” But this is the number that (Yang) Jun-seok uses at LG. Since he was named the No. 1 player and has been playing since debuting at LG, it is right that he keeps using the No. 7. The No. 30 number is also meaningful to me. He has experienced both good and bad things. I hope more good things happen in the future.
I think there will be no choice but to have a different determination for this season.
The team’s goal will come true if it follows the direction the coach envisions. Personally, just standing on the court will mean a lot. I won’t care about anything else. I met Sung-hyun and talked about basketball this and that for the cover shoot. I was excited just to play basketball with these players, rather than thinking about what kind of basketball I should play. I think the time I spend standing on the court will be more precious than ever. I have to make an effort to get recognition for my mindset that “Even if I ran for one second, I wanted to play for a team that wanted me.” Through a series of processes, I met so many people I was grateful for. As it is an important season, I want to show you how to start again.