“I have a lot of eyes for versatile players”

After making his debut in the 2014-2015 season, Kim Jin-young (176 cm, F) joined Busan BNK ahead of the 2019-2020 season. He quickly integrated into the team and became one of its mainstays. However, Kim was not satisfied. He continued to improve every season.

Ahead of last season, he headed to Incheon Shinhan Bank and quickly integrated into the team. In 30 games, she averaged 12 points and 6.1 rebounds. Along with Kim Sonia 토토 (177 cm, F), she served as the team’s ace. This is how Shinhan Bank was able to fill the void left by Kim Dan-bi (180 cm, F).

Reflecting on last season, Kim Jin-young said, “It was very sudden to transfer, and I was worried, but I was confident in myself. This confidence came from working hard. In the past, I focused on offense. After I turned pro, I only focused on defense. But last season I had to play both offense and defense. I found a balance there and was able to show a good performance,” he said.

“My basketball life is starting all over again. (Laughs) My manager and coaches believe in me, and they know me so well. They give me a lot of confidence. I’m working hard to match that. I will get better and better in the future.”

Despite his best showing, Kim was not satisfied. “I had some good moments last season, but I also had a lot of disappointments. There are so many things I can improve on. I want to work on my shooting accuracy, my free throw mentality, and my fancy dribbling skills. I’m enjoying passing more these days. It’s so fun to pass to find a teammate. (Laughs) I want to make it more colorful for the popularity of women’s basketball.”

Shinhan Bank has a large number of young players. The development of young players is the biggest challenge for Shinhan Bank. “The younger players are growing up fast. They are really good. But I’m growing with them. (Laughs) I can grow more than them. I’m doing my best to do that,” he said, showing confidence.

“I have a lot of desire to be good at basketball. At the same time, basketball is so much fun. I came to the pros because it’s fun to play basketball. Of course, there are times when it’s not fun, but right now it’s so much fun. It’s fun to see what you’ve practiced come out in the game. It’s fun when players hit each other. It’s fun to do what the coach says. It’s just so much fun,” he said, revealing his love for basketball.

“I also watch the NBA a lot. I don’t watch specific players, but I try to pick out their strengths. However, I am drawn to players who are versatile. It’s really fun to watch LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Magic Johnson, etc. I want to play like that,” he said of his favorite players.

“I want to be that versatile,” he continued, “I’m not super tall, but I have speed and strength. I want to be like them with my passing,” he concluded.