Kim thanks his mentor for supporting his new start.
Coach Kim Myung-jin was officially appointed as the head coach of Busan Dongjung Basketball on April 4. He previously coached juniors as an A coach at his alma mater, Incheon Jemul Pogo.
“After completing the interview in February, I met with the Dong-A players for about two weeks, and I was officially appointed as the coach of Dong-A on the 4th,” said Kim Myung-jin.
With less than a month to go before the first 2024 secondary basketball tournament, the team has undergone a change in coaching staff. “We know the players now,” said Kim Myung-jin. The freshmen players were not organized, so we were worried about that, so we didn’t train properly before the tournament,” said Kim.
Dong-A Joong participated in the ’61st Spring National Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Federation Tournament Haenam, which will be held in Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, on May 7, and was paired with Annam Joong, Pyeongwon Joong, and Hogye Joong in Group B of the secondary school division. The team’s first game will be on Friday, March 8 against Pyeongwon Middle School. This is the first official competition for Coach Kim Myung-jin.
“I want to create players who can do well in high school, college, and the pros,” said Kim. “Grades are important, but they are not everything. There are not only players in the pros who performed well in the amateur ranks,” he said.
“My hometown is Incheon,” Kim said. I don’t have a direct connection to Busan, but it’s where I received my professional call-up and retired from Busan KT. The relationships I built in Busan during my playing days are still going strong, which is why I decided to come back to Busan (laughs).”
He also revealed his ambitions as the first amateur basketball coach.
“I want to revitalize local basketball. In the past, there were strong seniors in each region. Now, many local players want to go to the metropolitan area. There are pros and cons, but I think amateur basketball will become more interesting if local basketball is 토토 revitalized.” He added, “I have become concerned and responsible for the development of amateur basketball. I would like to help revitalize the tradition of elite basketball in Busan.”
Finally, Coach Kim Myung-jin spoke about the difficult decision to switch organizations ahead of the tournament. Behind him was Eunsa and Jemulpogo coach Kim Youngrae. Although he was disappointed for Jemulpogo, he cheered for his student and junior.
Coach Kim Myung-jin said, “First of all, I feel very sorry for the sudden departure from Jepeopogo. I am especially sorry for the high school juniors who are about to take the entrance exam.” “Nevertheless, I am grateful to Eunsa Kim Youngrae for her support. Thanks to her, I was able to establish myself well and have good opportunities so far. I will always be grateful to her for supporting me on my path to further growth.”
