Cho Sung-min
조성민
Cho with the Changwon LG Sakers in 2020
Personal information
Born (1983-12-23) December 23, 1983
NationalitySouth Korean
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolJeonju
CollegeHanyang University
Playing career2006–2021
PositionShooting guard
Career history
2006–2017Busan KTF Magic Wings / KT Sonicboom
2007-2009→ Sangmu (loan)
2017–2021Changwon LG Sakers
Career highlights and awards
  • KBL regular season champion (2011)
  • 2x KBL Best 5 (2011, 2014)
  • KBL Fair Play Award (2014)
Medals
Representing  South Korea
Men's Basketball
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 2010 Guangzhou Team
Gold medal – first place 2014 Incheon Team
FIBA Asia Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Wuhan Team
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Manila Team
Korean name
Hangul
조성민
Hanja
趙成愍
Revised RomanizationJo Seong-min
McCune–ReischauerCho Sŏngmin

Cho Sung-min (조성민 born December 23, 1983) is a South Korean retired professional basketball player. He played for Busan KT Sonicboom and Changwon LG Sakers in the Korean Basketball League and was a member of the South Korean national team.

In his prime, Cho was considered one of the league's most accurate three-point and free throw shooters, earning the nickname "Chosun Shooter" (조선의 슈터).[1][2] He was the free throw percentage leader for four consecutive seasons and is only second to Moon Kyung-eun in the all-time percentage record, successfully scoring 92.3% of his free throws during the 2011–12 season.[3]

Early life

The youngest of three children, Cho is a native of Jeonju. He became interested in basketball as an elementary school student due to the popularity of the basketball-themed manga and its animated adaptation Slam Dunk and the television series The Last Match.[4] He attended Jeonju High School, where he first attracted the attention of scouts for his accurate shooting.[5]

College career

Cho went on to Hanyang University where he was a junior of future national teammate and best friend Yang Dong-geun.[6] At that time Hanyang was mostly known for its baseball team and its basketball team was still not considered a major contender to the "big 3" universities of domestic college basketball: Yonsei University, Korea University and Chung-Ang University. His college career was mostly overshadowed by a star-studded Yonsei team which included Yang Hee-jong, Kim Tae-sul and future 2006 KBL draft first overall pick Jeon Jeong-gyu.[5] He notably scored 32 points in the final of the National Basketball Championships (college division), one of the collegiate tournaments prior to the establishment of the U-League.[7]

Professional career

Busan KT Sonicboom (2006–2017)

Cho was drafted by Busan KTF Magic Wings in 2006 and was the eighth overall pick. Incidentally, Cho shared the same name as an older baseball player of the same name who had recently divorced popular actress Choi Jin-sil, leading the younger Cho to quip in an interview that he hoped to become famous enough to make the name "Cho Sung-min" associated with him and not his older fellow athlete.[5] In his first full season, Cho and veteran point guard Shin Ki-sung formed the backbone of the KTF Magic Wings team which reached the play-off finals to face regular season champions Ulsan Mobis Phoebus, Yang Dong-geun's team. However, Cho had to be stretchered off during Game 6 after colliding with Yang and Shin dedicated the hard-fought win to him.[8] KTF lost the seventh game and Mobis won the Championship.

Unlike many of his counterparts who generally enlisted for mandatory military service after two or three years, Cho decided to enlist in May 2007, at the end of his rookie season.[9] He and Yang enlisted together and were assigned to the Sangmu team after completing basic training.[6][8]

The 2013–14 season was a record-breaking one for Cho as he became the first guard to rank first in scoring among domestic players. Forwards, including swingmen doubling as shooting guards, and centers had traditionally dominated in the scoring category while scoring-oriented point guards were still relatively uncommon at that time. He also simultaneously ranked first in both the three-point field goal and free throw percentages for a second consecutive season. No other player has accomplished this feat ever since.[10] KT Sonicboom, which had finished second last the previous season, managed to qualify for the play-offs.

Changwon LG Sakers (2017–2021)

In February 2017, it was announced that Cho would be traded to Changwon LG Sakers in exchange for its highest drawn pick of the upcoming rookie draft and forward Kim Young-hwan, who was on the last year of his contract.[11] The move surprised observers and pundits as Cho was then KT Sonicboom's longest-serving player and considered to be the "face" of the franchise.[12]

Cho retired at the end of the 2020–21 season.[13][1] Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the club was unable to hold a full retirement ceremony for him. Instead, it was held prior to the first game of the 2021–22 season between his two former teams, LG and KT.[2]

National team career

After his good form during the 2013–14 season, Cho was chosen for the final squad to compete at the 2014 Asian Games, hosted on home soil.[14] Cho stood out for his accuracy in games where the South Korean team was at a disadvantage in terms of height. He hit the game winner in against Iran putting South Korea on top, 79–77.

Cho was part of the final 12-man which competed in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He averaged 6.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.[15]

Personal life

Cho lost both of his parents in September 2006 when they were involved in a car accident.[16] He had been in the Los Angeles area for off-season training when they travelled there to visit him. His father's last words were not to tell him about the accident so that he could concentrate on preparing for the upcoming season. As a result, Cho did not attend the funeral and was only told about the accident after he returned to South Korea. When KT Sonicboom won the regular season title in 2011, he dedicated the win to his late parents.[17]

In May 2012, Cho married his university girlfriend, flautist Yoon Sook-jeong.[18] Yoon, a graduate of Seoul National University, is a former principal flautist of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Symphony Orchestra.[14] The couple have a daughter (born in 2015).[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "조선의 슈터, 조성민의 마지막 인사 "열심히 농구한 선수로 기억에 남고 싶어요"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). May 27, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "'굿바이 조선의 슈터' 조성민 "의미 있는 은퇴식, 후배들 응원하겠다"". Jumpball (in Korean). October 11, 2021.
  3. ↑ "170클럽, 이 기록 앞에선 조던도 조성민 아래". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). January 21, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "박지영의 '사심인터뷰', 케이티 조성민" (in Korean). BasketKorea.com. March 13, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "한때 야구스타 조성민보다 4cm작지만 "전 농구신인 조성민"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). September 26, 2006.
  6. 1 2 "'양동근 은퇴에 허전한' 조성민 "갑작스런 이별 아쉬움, 언제나 응원할 것"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). April 6, 2020.
  7. ↑ "본교 농구부 10년만의 단독우승" (in Korean). Hanyang University. August 1, 2004.
  8. 1 2 "양동근 - 조성민 '내일은 없다'". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). May 1, 2007.
  9. ↑ "[타임아웃] 상무에 찍힌 조성민 "군대가기 무서워"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). May 13, 2007.
  10. ↑ "[매거진] 더 빠르고 더 강렬하게! KBL에 도래한 가드 전성시대". Jumpball (in Korean). December 20, 2020.
  11. ↑ "'깜짝 이적' 조성민을 둘러싼 트레이드 궁금증 3가지". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). February 1, 2017.
  12. ↑ "농구 드래프트 1·2순위 다 잡은 KT, 허훈·양홍석 지명 가능". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). October 24, 2017.
  13. ↑ "[단독] 프로농구 '간판 슈터' 조성민, LG서 전격 은퇴". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). May 23, 2021.
  14. 1 2 "땀으로 넣는 골 '슈팅 머신' 조성민". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). August 8, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Sungmin CHO at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  16. ↑ "[Who+ ③] 조성민 "갑자기 떠난 부모님, 산소 보고서야 실감"" (in Korean). JTBC. February 8, 2012.
  17. ↑ "조성민 "부모님께 바치는 우승컵"" (in Korean). KBS. March 14, 2011.
  18. ↑ "KT조성민, 3살 연하 플루티스트 예비신부와 고품격 웨딩화보". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). April 20, 2012.
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