"Why am I assigned to cover Ham Ji-hoon (42)?"
The 2007 KBL draft is remembered as a 'golden generation.' Kim Tae-sul, who was picked first by SK; Lee Dong-jun, picked second (Etland pick then traded to Orion); and Yang Hee-jong (KT&G) were called the 'big 3.' Fourth-place Jung Young-sam (picked by LG then Etland), fifth-place Park Sang-o (KTF), sixth-place Shin Myung-ho (KCC), seventh-place Lee Kwang-jae (Dongbu), and eighth-place Kim Young-hwan (Orions) all grew into stars. Ninth-place Woo Seung-yeon (Samsung) also put on a solid performance.
At that time I was assigned a rookie feature for Jumpball. Team leader Son Dae-beom, who was also a rookie reporter, instructed me, "Cover Mobis's Ham Ji-hoon." I was inwardly resentful. Thinking, "I also want to cover Kim Tae-sul and Yang Hee-jong…," I headed to the Yongin Mobis training center.
Ham Ji-hoon, who played center through Chung-Ang University, was not a standout player. At 198 cm it is awkward to be a center in a professional league that has foreign players. His feet were slow and his athleticism was lacking. He did not have an outside shot like now — in short, he was a 'tweener.' Honestly, he did not seem likely to succeed.
Meeting Ham Ji-hoon in person made it harder. He had piercing eyes and spoke little. He answered every interview question with short responses. I really didn't know how to write the article. I only have difficult memories.
When the season actually started, I was wrong. I was embarrassed and my face flushed. Ham Ji-hoon caused a sensation in professional basketball. In the 2007-08 season Ham Ji-hoon averaged 16.1 points (18th in the league), 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks, an all-star level performance. Although he lost the rookie of the year to Kim Tae-sul, it was an enormous record. At the time Mobis finishing ninth in the regular season worked against Ham Ji-hoon.
Since then Ham Ji-hoon has grown into a pro basketball legend known to everyone. He was selected to the all-star team six times, won the 2009 sixth man award, 2010 regular season and finals MVP, was named to the regular season best five three times, and won the 2020 Lee Sung-gu fair play award. Ham Ji-hoon, with five finals championships, together with coach Yoo Jae-hak and Yang Dong-geun, shared Hyundai Mobis's most brilliant history.
Above all, Ham Ji-hoon played 18 seasons for Hyundai Mobis without transferring. He performed consistently well throughout his long career and had no common scandals. He is a one-club franchise star comparable to Kobe Bryant.
Many of his peers have already retired. Yang Hee-jong, Shin Myung-ho and Lee Kwang-jae are working as coaches on active pro teams. Kim Tae-sul even served as a head coach. Two decades have passed since their debuts, but only Ham Ji-hoon still wears the uniform and plays.
Even Ham Ji-hoon, who was like that, will now take off his uniform forever. On April 8 he faces LG, the regular-season champion, for the last time. Hyundai Mobis held a retirement tour for Ham Ji-hoon. Ham Ji-hoon never won a game during the retirement tour matches. Under the burden, he will tie his basketball shoes for the last time.
I, too, head to Ulsan to see Ham Ji-hoon's final game. I still feel sorry for not recognizing the greatest pro basketball legend sooner. I want to tell Ham Ji-hoon in person that he has worked hard for 20 years.
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