▲ Choi Jun-yong, a key figure in Busan KCC's championship victory in professional basketball, announces his challenge to enter the U.S. stage during a press conference held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 29th.
Choi Jun-yong, a key player behind professional basketball team KCC's championship victory, has declared his challenge to take on the U.S. stage.
Choi held a press conference and stated, "I am going to head to the U.S. to take on this challenge."
Debuting in the professional league after being selected second overall by SK in the 2016 rookie draft, Choi is a top-tier domestic forward who has appeared in 329 regular-season games, averaging 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
Having won the regular-season MVP award in the 2021-2022 season, he has played for KCC starting from the 2023-2024 season, leading the team to two championship titles.
Choi explained the background behind his decision, saying, "It has been a dream I've carried with me since elementary school."
He shared, "Even when I wrote in my training journals as a child, I used to write things like 'Let's go to Yonsei University,' 'Let's go to the NBA,' and 'Let's become a national team player.' I've taken on various challenges here in Korea, but something always felt lacking."
He continued, "Even though I am happier than anyone after winning the championship this time, there was still a sense of emptiness. When I thought about it, it seemed that the diary entry writing 'Let's go to the NBA' had always remained in a corner of my heart." He added, "I won the championship, earned good money, and received a lot of attention, and up until now, I didn't have the courage to let those go because I wanted to protect them. But I felt that if not now, it would never happen, which led me to make up my mind."
Choi, who recently underwent knee surgery, is currently focusing on his rehabilitation.
His plan is to first leave for the U.S. early next month to continue building his physical condition locally, and then knock on the door of the NBA G League, the league's minor league, in a fully recovered state around the end of next month.
Stating that his knee condition has improved significantly, Choi smiled and said, "Before making the decision, I was afraid, but once I made up my mind, there is no fear. Right now, I'm just excited." He added, "I'm going there to fail. I'm heading in to butt heads against bare ground."
He expressed his determination, saying, "Isn't there virtually no one who has gone at my age and from my position? I also have the heart to hope that my challenge creates a positive impact on Korean basketball and our younger juniors." He added, "I am going to a place where no one knows me, handing out flyers to make myself known, to see just how far I can go, where my limits lie, and whether I truly was a 'frog in a well.' I will let them know that Koreans are good at basketball too."
When rumors of his "overseas advancement" circulated, Japan's B.League was also mentioned as a potential destination.
Choi emphasized, "It is true that there were talks about Japan, and I did deliberate on it." He added, "Even if I went to Japan, won a championship, and won the MVP, I felt I would still have the same lingering regret as this time. Ultimately, my dream was to bump heads on the biggest stage and in a country that excels at basketball."
Smiling as he said, "I often watch NBA and G League games and imagine, 'If I were put in that position, I wouldn't look out of place at all and would do well.' Wouldn't everyone think that?" Choi revealed his aspiration, stating, "Shouldn't dreams be big? I want to return with a 30 billion won contract wearing an NBA uniform."
It is rare for a player who has already achieved everything possible on the domestic stage to take on an overseas challenge for the first time in their 30s.
Choi noted that people around him naturally tried to dissuade him.
Choi shared, "I normally never talk about basketball with my mom and dad, but I talked with them about it for the first time. They said they knew I would go someday, but didn't expect it to be right now. Even so, they are cheering me on by saying, 'Since you're going anyway, stay as long as you can.'"
He continued, "General Manager Choi Hyung-gil and everyone else in the KCC club tried hard to talk me out of it. But the General Manager later told me, 'I tried to stop you because my role is to protect our team's most needed player, but seeing the look in your eyes, I knew I couldn't stop you anyway.' I am truly grateful."
His close friends Lee Hyun-jung and Lee Dae-sung, who have experience on the U.S. stage, were major influences on his decision.
Regarding Lee Hyun-jung and Lee Dae-sung, Choi said, "They are a great source of strength in my life." He added, "I cautiously talked about it to Dae-sung, and rather than saying this or that, he just told me I would definitely do well. Hyun-jung also said I'd do well," noting, "They are my dream."
Meanwhile, Choi expressed his willingness to participate in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to be held in September even if he is in the U.S.
He recently participated in the national basketball team's schedule for the 2027 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup Asia Qualifiers, contributing to the victory in the match against Japan.
Choi stated, "There are evaluation matches coming up soon as well, but because it hasn't been long since my surgery, I was in a situation where I wouldn't have been able to play even if I hadn't gone to the U.S." He added, "If I am called up for the Asian Games, I have the intention to play."
He shared, "I needed to play in the evaluation matches and World Cup qualifiers to prove that I am a player who can go to the Asian Games. There were concerns about whether it would violate fairness if I came back from the U.S. and played only in the Asian Games." He added, "I communicated separately with the Korea Basketball Association, and they said, 'You are already a proven player, so such concerns probably aren't that big.'"
Choi added, "I figure that if I work out in the U.S. and return, my physical condition will be even better and I'll become a player the national team needs."
Concluding the press conference, which lasted for nearly an hour, by conveying his plans and aspirations without hesitation with his signature candor, Choi cheerfully kicked off his challenge, saying, "I've only talked every day without going, but I'm truly going. I will push all my limits, fail coolly, and return like Choi Jun-yong. Don't try to stop me!"
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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