Kim Jun-hwan (김준환) of professional basketball’s Suwon KT was a dominant player in college.
He averaged 33.7 points per game in the first round of the 2020 College Basketball Playoffs while wearing a Kyung Hee University uniform.
After making a name for himself as the “best scorer in college basketball,” Kim was overlooked by all 10 teams in that year’s professional basketball rookie draft.
Some were pessimistic that his 6-foot-5 frame and focus on individual attacks would not work in the pros, and others said he was rejected because he had no “connections” outside of his skills, such as academic connections and blood ties.
After putting his heartbreak behind him, Kim spent a year playing 3-on-3 basketball and adding muscle to his body, and eventually was selected by KT with the 9th pick in the 2021 second round.
After a tumultuous childhood, Kim’s professional life hasn’t been easy. In the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons combined, Kim only played 15 regular-season games.
This season, he didn’t step on the court until the fourth game of the season.
In his first appearance in KT’s fifth game of the season on Thursday against the Seoul Samsung, Kim scored a career-high 18 points in a single game and was the top contributor in a close 90-87 victory.
He made six of eight shots from the field and also converted eight free throws, giving Samsung fits with his unorthodox offense from college.
“I hope this game will be a turning point in my career,” Kim said in the postgame press conference.
He added that he felt really good when he realized at the end of the game that he had set a new career-high in points, and vowed to continue to play like he did today.
Kim Jun-hwan pointed out that his strength is his offense and showed the confidence that comes with being a ‘goal scorer’.
“My strength is my offense. Once it goes off, it keeps going off,” he said curiously.
KT coach Song Young-jin said, “He is a very sincere player. He has been working steadily and hard.” “At some point, he seemed to have a downward spiral, but he overcame it well. There were many times when he didn’t make the roster, but I think he handled it well,” he praised.
He added, “I think it’s the result of my own hard work, and that’s why I was given the opportunity.” He encouraged him, saying, “As long as you do this, you will continue to be used. I’m looking forward to seeing good things.” 파워볼사이트