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Woo Ji-won

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Woo Ji-won
Personal information
Born (1973-04-02) April 2, 1973 (age 51)
South Korea
NationalitySouth Korean
Listed height191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Career information
CollegeYonsei University
Playing career1996–2010
PositionSmall forward
Career history
1996–2001Daewoo Securities / Incheon Daewoo Zeus / Incheon Shinsegi Bigs
2001–2002Seoul Samsung Thunders
2002–2010Ulsan Mobis Automons / Ulsan Mobis Phoebus
Career highlights and awards
  • KBL Championship (2007, 2010)
  • KBL regular season champion (2006, 2007, 2010)
  • KBL Sixth Man Award (2007)
  • Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus number 10 retired
Medals
Representing  South Korea
FIBA Asia Championship
Silver medal – second place 1995 Seoul Team
Gold medal – first place 1997 Riyadh Team
Woo Ji-won
Hangul
우지원
Hanja
禹智元
Revised RomanizationU Ji-won
McCune–ReischauerU Chiwŏn

Woo Ji-won (born 2 April 1973) is a South Korean retired professional basketball player. He played for three different teams over a fourteen-year career, the longest of which was spent at Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus, who retired his number 10 shirt after his retirement.[1] He was nicknamed "Prince of the Court" (코트의 황태자).[2]

Early life

Woo enjoyed playing baseball and ran track as a child. He started playing basketball when his elementary school started a basketball team and recruited him to join, despite his short stature for his age.[3] From there, he began focusing on basketball and attended Samseon Middle School and Kyungbock High School in Seoul, both known for their basketball teams.[4][5][6] He graduated with a degree in law from Yonsei University, unusual for college athletes as the majority studied sports science, physical education or a related major.[3][7] One of his middle school and high school classmates was future national teammate and best friend Chun Hee-chul.[8]

Playing career

College career

Woo's time at Yonsei University coincided with what is often retrospectively dubbed the "golden era" of domestic college basketball. He and his teammates, as well as their counterparts from traditional athletic rivals Korea University, enjoyed a level of popularity similar to that of idol singers and A-list actors/actresses due to their skills and good looks. Together with his Yonsei teammates Lee Sang-min and Moon Kyung-eun and Korea University's Hyun Joo-yup and Chun Hee-chul, among others, they were collectively dubbed "Oppa Troupe" (오빠부대) by the media.[9][10][11][12] Woo and his Yonsei teammates drew significant attention after they defeated a Busan Kia team which boasted the senior amateur league's most formidable offensive players, the "Hur-Dong-Taek Trio" (Hur Jae, Kang Dong-hee and Kim Yoo-taek) during the 1993-94 season.[3]

Professional career

In 1996, Woo was signed by the Incheon-based team of Daewoo Securities, which has since become Daegu KOGAS Pegasus, and is among the last generation of players who began their senior careers during the semi-professional pre-KBL era.[13] He took the National Basketball Festival, then the main basketball competition, by storm on his debut for Daewoo, scoring 24 points in a 78-71 win against Tongyang.[14] In 1998, he and Chun enlisted for mandatory military service and were assigned as public service workers, rather than the Sangmu basketball team.[12] They were discharged ahead of the 1999-2000 season.[15] After five seasons with the Incheon team and no silverware, he signed with Seoul Samsung Thunders.

Woo was signed by Ulsan Hyundai Automons (later renamed Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus) in 2002.[16] During the 2003-04 season, Woo set the record for the most points scored in a single game in the Korean Basketball League, scoring 70 points against Changwon LG Sakers in March.[17] On the same day Moon Kyung-eun scored 66 points (22 three-pointers) against TG Sambo, ranking second behind Woo. The records came under scrutiny from fans and the media due to the statistical impossibility of such records occurring during a regular professional game unless collusion between players and coaches had taken place and the opposing team intentionally failing to play in a usual competitive manner to allow the respective players to achieve their records.[18] As no evidence was ever presented to support the theory, the records still remain in the KBL's record book, but have been described as "shameful" and "embarrassing" by the media and still regarded as a taboo topic by head coaches and players of the respective teams from the two games.[17] In later years, Moon and Woo have declined to mention the records whenever their career achievements are brought up. After the 2003-04 season, the KBL stopped issuing an award to the top scorer at its annual awards ceremony and only releases the statistics on its official website.[18]

Woo retired at the end of the 2009-10 season. His retirement coincided with that of Lee Sang-min and Moon Kyung-eun, leading the media to dub it the "end of an era".[19] All three players had their jersey numbers retired by their respective clubs. Woo's number 10 jersey was retired by Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus.[2]

National team

Woo was part of the team which won the 1997 ABC Championship. He and Chun Hee-chul were supposed to participate in the 1998 Asian Games but the Korean Basketball Association's request was turned down by the government agency overseeing their public service term.[20]

Post-retirement

After retiring, Woo became a commentator for SBS Sports.[21] He has also appeared on various variety programs, mostly with fellow retired basketball players such as Seo Jang-hoon and Hur Jae.[22][23]

Filmography

Television show

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2022 The First Business in the World Contestant [24]
2023 World's First Merchant Season 2 [25]

Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
Korea Awards Ceremony 2022 Sports Achievement Award Woo Ji-won Won [26]

References

  1. ^ "모비스 우지원, 영구결번식 개최" (in Korean). Seoul Broadcasting System. October 15, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "'황태자' 우지원 "정든 코트여 안녕"". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). May 3, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c "높은 곳에서 멀리 보는 눈, 농구스타 우지원". Yonsei Chunchu (in Korean). Yonsei University. May 30, 2010.
  4. ^ "[학교 탐방] 경복고 1편 - 아마추어를 대표하는 전통 명가, 다시 꿈꾸는 '최강'의 자리" (in Korean). BasketKorea.com. December 26, 2021.
  5. ^ "[학교 탐방] 삼선중 1편 - 55년 된 체육관, 그래도 보수 작업은 꾸준히!" (in Korean). BasketKorea.com. December 19, 2021.
  6. ^ "공부는 져도 농구는 못져". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). June 9, 2009.
  7. ^ "차두리는 신방과 우지원은 법학과였지만". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). July 26, 2005.
  8. ^ "[프로농구] 전희철, 대구서 라이벌 우지원 제압". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). February 25, 2002.
  9. ^ "[스포츠 특별기획] 원조 '오빠부대장' 문경은-이상민은 올해도 전쟁 중". J Magazine (in Korean). joins.com. October 17, 2020.
  10. ^ "문경은·우지원 등 오빠들이 돌아왔다". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). November 4, 2003.
  11. ^ "[솔직토크] '은퇴하는 세 거물' 문경은-이상민-우지원". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). May 19, 2010.
  12. ^ a b "프로농구 오빠 부대 우상들 장가가고 군대가고". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). March 19, 1998.
  13. ^ "내년 실업농구 첫 참가 대우증권.동양제과 움". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). March 10, 1995.
  14. ^ "대우증권 농구단 우지원 - 화려한 데뷔". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). April 6, 1996.
  15. ^ "[프로농구] 전희철 우지원 곧 복귀". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). September 10, 1999.
  16. ^ "프로농구-모비스 우지원, 슈터로서 '비장한 각오'". KBS (in Korean). October 31, 2002.
  17. ^ a b "부끄러운 우지원 70점·문경은 3점슛 22개". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). January 6, 2019.
  18. ^ a b "밥 수라 3연속 트리플더블 기록 박탈". The Korea Times (in Korean). April 14, 2004.
  19. ^ "코트 떠나는 '오빠부대' 사령관들" (in Korean). KBS. May 3, 2010.
  20. ^ "[농구] 전희철-우지원 아시안게임 못뛴다". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). October 2, 1998.
  21. ^ "'해설자' 우지원, "가끔은 코트로 뛰쳐나가고 싶다"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). March 3, 2011.
  22. ^ ""야 따라와"..허재, 하승진X우지원 "롤모델? 서장훈이충희" 고백에 발끈('대한외국인')[어저께TV]". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). April 1, 2021.
  23. ^ "'오후의 발견' 우지원 "서장훈, 나한테 연예인 할 거냐 묻더니 본인이 본격적으로 해"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). January 14, 2021.
  24. ^ Jeong Seo-hee (September 14, 2022). "이경규X배성재, '천하제일장사' MC…추성훈·홍성흔→윤형빈, 씨름 강자 가른다" [Lee Kyung-gyu X Bae Seong-jae, MC of 'The World's Best Sellers'... Choo Seong-hoon and Hong Seong-heon → Yoon Hyung-bin, the best wrestling players] (in Korean). spoTV News. Retrieved September 14, 2022 – via Naver.
  25. ^ "천하제일장사2' 조진형·남경진·모태범, 인터뷰…조진형 "피지컬팀 마선호·김경진, 우승 확률 50%" [Interview with Cho Jin-hyung, Nam Kyung-jin, and Mo Tae-beom of ‘The First Merchant 2’ Cho Jin-hyung “Physical team Ma Seon-ho and Kim Kyung-jin, 50% chance of winning”] (in Korean). Channel A. March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023 – via Naver.
  26. ^ Park Seong-gi (July 29, 2022). "[포토]우지원 '올해 대한민국을 빛낸 10인, 스포츠상 받았어요" [[Photo] Woo Ji-won '10 people who brightened Korea this year, received the Sports Award] (in Korean). spoTV News. Retrieved July 30, 2022 – via Naver.
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