‘4G Consecutive 20R+’ Fanatic Joel, “I like Ham Jihoon and MVID”
“I like Ham Ji-hoon and Joel Embiid from the NBA. They’re both centers, and Embiid has the same name, so I watched him and he’s so good and cool.”
Kwang Shin-joong led Chuncheon Middle to an 87-45 victory over Seoul Gyeongin Gangwon in the boys’ secondary school Group C game of the 2023 Korea Basketball Weekend League at Gyeongbok High School Gymnasium on Tuesday.
Kwang Shin-joong, who didn’t play in the Chuncheon League, went 1-5 in the Association Championship and Federation Championship. Kwangshinjoong, who were more accustomed to losing than winning, started the tournament with a refreshing victory.
While Park Seung-chan (30 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) led the scoring, Joel (193 cm, C) dominated the paint with 13 points, 23 rebounds, and 7 blocks.
Joel, a sophomore, made his debut as a full-time player this year. With his size and long arms, he is a definite rebounding threat. After averaging 10 points and 14 rebounds in three games in his rookie campaign, Joel averaged 10.7 points, 23 rebounds, 2.3 steals and three blocks in the conference championship. He grabbed double-digit rebounds in every game he played in and had 20+ rebounds in all three of his conference championship games.
Including tonight’s game, Joel has now recorded four consecutive 20+ rebound games in KHSAA play.
After the win, Joel said, “It feels good to win a game that I don’t usually win, and I hope we can continue this trend and win the next game.”
Kwangshinjung’s next opponent is Hongdae Bujung, who they lost to 82-88 at the Federation Hall. “I want to get revenge (on Hongdae) because I lost before,” Joel said.
When asked how he started playing basketball, Joel said, “I started around June 20 last year. I was originally a study student, but I played 메이저놀이터 basketball in the sixth grade, and last year I went to an interscholastic tournament for fun, and then I was scouted by coach Kwang Shin-joong, so I started playing basketball.”
After a year of paid practice, Joel developed his basketball fundamentals, saying, “I usually work a lot on shooting from the perimeter. When I first started, I didn’t have the strength or the body, so I did a lot of physical training. I learned a lot about court vision, movements after screens, handoffs, etc. that are necessary for a center.” “It’s a pity that I didn’t have enough after a year of hard work, but I play to help the team a little bit,” he said.
The fact that coach Yoo Sung-ho Kwang Shin-joong is a former center will help a lot.
Joel said, “(Coach) Yoo Sung-ho played center, so he gives me good instruction based on his experience. I learned how to move well as a center on the court,” he said, adding, “I want to grab the rebound and shoot the basketball calmly and without impatience.”
Joel’s debut game was on April 4 against Songdojoong, which resulted in a 45-83 loss. Joel, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds in the game, reflected on his debut, saying, “I was really nervous, but once I got into the game, I relaxed and decided to do well because I became a real player.” “I was disappointed with my shooting mate,” he said.
It’s true that his ability to create points under the basket is still lacking. However, his rebounding ability is excellent. The records prove it.
When asked about the secret to grabbing rebounds, Joel said, “I don’t know exactly. I think it’s important to be hungry to score, but I also want to get the rebound so that I can have at least one offensive chance, and I try to sneak in and get the rebound somehow. I also want to make sure that I don’t give up any defensive rebounds,” he said.
“I like Ham Ji-hoon and Joel Embiid in the NBA. They’re both centers, and Embiid has the same name, so I watched him and he’s so good and cool,” Joel said. “I’m going to keep working on grabbing rebounds and making sure I don’t miss any shots,” he vowed.