Hyun Joo-yup

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Hyun played for Korea University from 1994 to 1998 and led its success in the 1990s. Together with Chun Hee-chul, Yang Hee-seung, Kim Byung-chul (Korean: 김병철; Hanja: 金昞徹) and Shin Ki-sung, they were dubbed as Korea University's "Best Five". Due to Hyun's ability to dunk, he became a famous crowd-pleaser making the stadium roar. His size and strength earned him the nickname "Magic Hippo".

On September 20, 1996, Hyun underwent surgery at Kyung Hee University Hospital for the left ankle injury he incurred.

Due to excessive training and strenuous athletic movements to the knees which started during Hyun’s college career, he suffers from a condition called knee effusion, which occurs when too much fluid accumulates in the knee. Since then Hyun has been experiencing pain on his left knee.

Professional career

Hyun was selected as the first overall pick in the 1998 KBL draft by the Cheongju SK Knights. He signed a five-year rookie contract totaling ₩1 billion KRW.

In his debut on November 14, 1998, Hyun posted 26 points, six rebounds, eight assists and two steals, leading SK Knights to a 95–94 season-opening win over the Daegu Tongyang Orions.

In Hyun’s first season, he scored double-digits in 24 consecutive games which is the KBL’s longest streak of double-digit scoring as a rookie. He became the first ever rookie in the league to record a triple-double. Hyun made history for being the first rookie named to the KBL All-Star. In his first All-Star Game, Hyun scored six points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out two assists and tacked on two steals. Since Hyun made it to the All-Star list, he was shortlisted as South Korea’s delegate to the first Asian Basketball Super League (ABSL) held from June 5 to July 16 in eight different cities of the participating countries, which includes Korea, China and Japan.

Hyun played in 34 games, averaging 23.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

During his second season, Hyun played 15 games for the SK Knights and he recorded an average of 19.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.

On the evening of December 24, 1999, the day before the season trade deadline, Cheongju SK Knights traded Hyun to the Gwangju Goldbank Clickers in exchange for Cho Sang-hyun and ₩4 million KRW. Hyun found out that he was traded from a reporter and was caught off-guard with the news. In an interview following his trade, Hyun expressed his disappointment towards the team’s coach for not giving him a heads up that a deal will be made.

Hyun, who was traded in the middle of the season, was named Player of the Month for January, receiving 38 out of 66 votes. During this month, he logged two triple-doubles and was ranked sixth in scoring (23.33 points per game), sixteenth in rebounds (7.5 rebounds per game) and second in assists (8.42 assists per game).

Hyun was named to the All-Star list for the second year in a row. He was also voted to the All-Star Best 5 by basketball commentators and reporters.

For the remainder of the season, Hyun played 27 games with his new team, averaging 23.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.

Following Hyun’s debut with the Goldbank Clickers, the team relocated from Gwangju to Yeosu, becoming the Yeosu Goldbank Clickers.

On February 14, 2001, Hyun, injured his right ankle and knee in a game against Daejeon Hyundai Gullivers. On February 21, he was diagnosed with two broken right ankle ligaments, inflamed and torn right ankle tendons, myositis and a knee joint damage. Hyun ended his season early with only 27 games played, averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

Hyun, who was supposed to make his third consecutive All-Star Game appearance, failed to participate in the event due to the right ankle injury he incurred.

Hyun underwent surgery at Samsung Medical Center before joining the military.

In June 2001, Hyun began his mandatory military service together with basketball players Shin Ki-sung, a teammate from college and the national team, and Kang Hyuk (Korean: 강혁; Hanja: 姜赫), who was also a national team member. While in the military, Hyun was selected to play for the Sangmu or Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps.

Hyun, who was still rehabbing the injuries he incurred in the previous year, led the past year’s tournament runner-up to victory during the 2001–02 Basketball Festival (officially known as the Sewon Telecom Basketball Festival for sponsorship reasons). During the final game on January 16, 2002, he logged a double-double with 25 points and 17 rebounds in an 87–84 win over Chung-Ang University, ending their third championship winning streak. Hyun, who only scored eight points in the first half, succeeded in a reverse layup at the end of the third quarter making the score 63–61. In the fourth quarter, Hyun scored 17 points helping Sangmu claim the championship title. This led to people calling him "The Lord of the Military". Hyun was eventually named the Finals MVP and he received the Rebound Award.

After his Sangmu championship, Hyun injured his left knee cartilage twice and received two surgeries in 2002. His first operation was on February 19 at Samsung Medical Center, Hyun underwent arthroscopic surgery on the left knee femur for his injured cartilage. Hyun, who was still experiencing pain on his left knee and rehabilitating at that time, was highly discouraged by his doctor to take part in the 2002 Asian Games. Despite the doctor’s advice, Hyun still played and led South Korea to win its first gold medal in 20 years. After his participation in the continental games in October, Hyun suffered from the same injury once more. On December 20, Hyun underwent his second left knee cartilage surgery at Samsung Medical Center.

In 2003, Hyun failed to play for Sangmu as he incurred an injury on his left knee cartilage for the third time. Hyun’s case was considered alarming and risky since he received two operations in the previous year after suffering from the same injury twice. In a statement, Busan KTF Magic Wings Director Chu Il-seung (Korean: 추일승; Hanja: 秋壹勝) said that there was barely cartilage left in Hyun’s knee. Hence, performing the third left knee surgery will be complicated due to the difficult method of culturing and transplanting cartilage tissue. Hyun was advised by experts to get treatment abroad but was not able to do so since he was an active duty soldier. According to the South Korea law, active duty soldiers are only allowed to get treatment overseas if it is a fatal case that cannot be treated in Korea. Eventually, Hyun did not opt for a surgery, instead, he underwent rehabilitation program at Samsung Medical Center for his injured left knee cartilage.

Hyun was discharged from the military in August 2003, after 26 months of mandatory service.

After finishing his military service in 2003, Hyun returned to the Yeosu Goldbank Clickers whose named changed to Yeosu Korea Tender Purmi in 2001. Upon Hyun’s return, the team once again relocated, moving from Yeosu to Busan, becoming the Busan Korea Tender Maxten. However, due to financial difficulties, the team was sold to KTF. Hence, the change of name to Busan KTF Magic Wings.

Hyun, who suffered from a string of injuries, returned to the All-Star stage after three seasons. Hyun was voted to the 2004 All-Star Game by coaches, earning his third All-Star selection.

Hyun played in 44 games during the season, he posted an average of 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.

In 2004, Hyun was named Player of the Month for November, receiving 45 out of 73 votes. He averaged 13.7 points (ranked twenty-fourth), 3.4 rebounds (ranked twenty-seventh), 8.3 assists (ranked third) and 1.2 steals (ranked twenty-fifth) per game during this month. Despite not being the leading player in points, rebounds, assists or steals, Hyun’s defensive ability made him the winning candidate. In particular, prolific tall shooters Seo Jang-hoon (of Seoul Samsung Thunders) and Kim Joo-sung (of Wonju TG Sambo Xers) could not score over 10 points against Hyun who was in charge of playing defense against them.

In 2005, Hyun was selected to play in the first All-Star Game between the KBL and the CBA. The first game was held in Seoul, South Korea on January 28, where South Korea won 85–82. The second game was held in Harbin, China on January 30, where the host country won 93–77.

Hyun was then named to his fourth All-Star Game appearance. Hyun, who was voted by fans, made it to the All-Star Best 5 list after four seasons.

During this season, he logged 13 double-doubles, the most for the forward position. Hyun’s averages increased to 14.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and he was referred to as "Point Forward" for recording the most number of assists for the forward position and ranking second in the season’s assists leaders with a career-high 7.83 assists per game.

With Hyun leading the team, the Busan KTF Magic Wings finished the season 32–22, showing a 13-game improvement from the previous year which helped them qualify for the playoffs after two years. Despite Hyun’s effort, the team was eventually eliminated by the Seoul Samsung Thunders after losing in the first two games. Hyun posted an average of 23.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game — all of which are his playoffs career-highs.

Hyun came in second place in voting for the season MVP award with 16 votes. Subsequently, he was voted into the KBL Best 5.

Hyun became a free agent in the offseason, he then signed a five-year deal with the Changwon LG Sakers.

In Hyun’s first season with the Changwon LG Sakers, he received an annual salary of ₩360 million KRW, becoming the second highest paid player for the 2005–06 season (following Seo Jang-hoon of the Seoul Samsung Thunders with ₩380 million KRW).

In 2006, Hyun was once again named to the South Korean roster for the second KBL-CBA All-Star, making it his second consecutive appearance. The first game was held on January 22, in Seoul, South Korea where the host country won 96–86. The second game was on January 24, in Jiyuan, China where China won 104–85.

Hyun, who was voted by coaches, made his fifth All-Star appearance.

Hyun received the 2006 KBL Exemplary Player award after being selected by the league's referees and technical committee for his professional conduct on the court.

During this season, Hyun did not miss a single game, he played a career-high 54 games and he averaged 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.

On January 21, 2007, Hyun injured his left ankle and knee during a game against the Jeonju KCC Egis. On January 24, diagnosis revealed that he suffered from a left ankle sprain and a left knee meniscus injury.

Hyun, who was hampered by injuries, appeared in 46 games and saw a decline in his season averages, posting 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. This was the first time he recorded a single-digit scoring average.

Hyun delayed his knee surgery so he can participate in the semifinals of the playoffs against his former team, the Busan KTF Magic Wings. Hyun averaged 12.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists over four games. The LG Sakers was eventually eliminated.

On May 8, Hyun went under the knife for his third left knee cartilage surgery.

Hyun was once again voted to the All-Star lineup by coaches, marking his sixth and last appearance. He logged a game-high nine 3-point shots (alongside Seo Jang-hoon).

Since Hyun postponed his surgery in the previous season, his condition worsened which affected his performance during the season. Despite his physical decline, Hyun played in 53 out of 54 games and he registered a career-low 7.9 points per game. His average for rebounds was the same as the previous year at 3.7, while his assists average increased to 4.0.

The LG Sakers moved into the first round of the playoffs but was eventually eliminated by the Seoul Samsung Thunders after losing in the first two games. During the playoffs, Hyun averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

Due to his recurring left knee cartilage injury, Hyun recorded his worst performance in his nine years of playing professional basketball. Hyun, who appeared in 44 games, finished the season with career-low averages on scoring, rebounds and assists at 6.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

Hyun, who only played in two of four games during the playoffs, registered an average of 6.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game — all of which are his playoffs career-lows. The Seoul Samsung Thunders eliminated the LG Sakers in the first round.

During the offseason, on May 7, 2009, Hyun underwent knee arthroscopy, his fourth left knee cartilage surgery at Samsung Medical Center.

After four left knee cartilage surgeries, Hyun decided to leave the hardwood. The Changwon LG Sakers announced Hyun’s retirement.

Hyun, who had been rehabbing his knee and still had a year left on his contract with the LG Sakers, formally concluded his career after nine seasons, in a press conference on June 25, 2009.

In 2012, when the KBL celebrated its twelfth anniversary, Hyun was selected to play for the Legend All-Star Game. Hyun, who received the most fan votes, came in first place in the Dream Team (while Lee Sang-min was voted first in the Magic Team).

In 2017, during the KBL’s twentieth anniversary, Hyun was named to the All-Time Legend 12. The award was given to four guards, six forwards and two centers. Hyun was selected as a Legend for the forward position (alongside Aaron Haynes, Johnny McDowell, Chun Hee-chul, Choo Seung-gyun and Moon Kyung-eun).

National team career

Hyun first represented South Korea when he was selected to be a part of the South Korean national under-19 basketball team. He played at the 1992 Asian Basketball Confederation Under-18 Championship, now called FIBA Asia Under-18 Championship, in Beijing, where they won the silver medal, after losing in the final game to the tournament's host team, China, with a score of 80–93.

Hyun competed for South Korea at the 1993 FIBA Under-21 World Championship, a now defunct age group competition, in Valladolid, where they finished in eleventh place after a 96–87 victory against Chinese Taipei in the classification round. During the tournament, Hyun played in five of seven games, missing out on the match against Angola and France. He scored 8.0 points per game, on top of recording a 66.7% free throw percentage.

At the 1997 FIBA Under-21 World Championship in Melbourne, Hyun recorded a tournament-high 32 points against Australia on August 3, 1997. Hyun was the top performer of the team, averaging 18.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 7 games, while shooting 41.1% from the field, in addition to posting a 73.1% free throw percentage. Hyun led the team in scoring and defensive rebounds, and was also the tournament's top scorer. South Korea finished in the ninth place after a 78–62 win against Egypt in the classification match.

After competing for the South Korean junior team, Hyun was selected to play for the senior team. He was a part of the South Korean senior national basketball team for more than ten years and he regularly played from mid-1990s to mid-2000s. Hyun often wore number 9 and 15 when playing on the international stage. He became the second college freshman who was selected to play in the senior national team, following Hur Jae.

19-year-old college freshman Hyun, who was the youngest member of the team, made his debut for the senior national team at the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Toronto. In his debut match against Australia on August 4, 1994, he scored six points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out an assist. Hyun averaged 3.7 points and 3.7 rebounds over three games. South Korea won in the semifinals against Egypt with 76–69, claiming the thirteenth rank in the tournament.

At the 1998 FIBA World Championship held in the city of Athens and Piraeus, Hyun played for the South Korean squad in four of five games, missing out on the match against Brazil. Hyun averaged 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, on 50.0% shooting from the field. South Korea finished in the sixteenth place after a 75–72 loss to Senegal.

Hyun was named to the South Korean roster for the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, where they finished runner-up, bringing home the silver medal in a 72–100 loss to China.

At the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Hyun competed for South Korea, where they lost again in the gold medal game against rival team China, with a score of 92–112.

Hyun, who was admitted in the military for mandatory service, represented South Korea in the 2002 Asian Games in Busan. Prior to the tournament, Hyun’s left knee cartilage was operated. Despite experiencing pain on his left knee and the doctor’s advice to not participate, Hyun led South Korea to snatch the gold medal from China, headed by NBA player Yao Ming, in a 102–100 final score victory. Hyun, who succeeded in a layup shot with 4 seconds left in fourth quarter, tied the score to 90–90, forcing an overtime. Hyun then scored six points in the overtime, securing South Korea’s first Asian Games gold medal in 20 years since the 1982 Asian Games held in New Delhi.

Hyun, who was in his second year of college, was named to the South Korean roster for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where he played in all seven tournament games. He was not only one of the top players of the team but also of the competition, outperforming NBA players Charles Barkley in terms of points per game, David Robinson in total points, and Scottie Pippen in field goal shooting percentage. Hyun led the team in scoring and rebounds. He averaged 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 56.8% from the field, in addition to posting an 82.1% free throw percentage. South Korea finished in the twelfth place after they lost 61–99 against Angola in the classification round.

Hyun played for the South Korean national team at the 1997 East Asian Games, hosted by his home country in Busan. South Korea lost in the gold medal game against Chinese Taipei, finishing second in the competition.

In 1997, Hyun, who was a college student, was once again tasked to represent South Korea in the continental games. Hyun won and gained the attention of the international audience when he shattered the backboard during the dunk competition at the All-Star Game of the 1997 ABC Champions Cup, now called FIBA Asia Champions Cup, in Jakarta. Hyun is the only one who broke the backboard in Korean basketball history.

Hyun was named to the roster that represented South Korea in the 1995 ABC Championship in Seoul. They won the silver medal, after losing to China in the final game with 78–87.

At the 1997 ABC Championship held in Riyadh, Hyun competed for the national squad, where they won the gold medal, after defeating Japan in the finals with 78–76.

Hyun represented South Korea in the 1999 ABC Championship in Fukuoka, where they finished runner-up, after being defeated in the gold medal game by rival team China with a score of 45–63.

Hyun last played for the South Korean squad during the 2005 FIBA Asia Championship, formerly named Asian Basketball Confederation Championship, in Doha. He played in all eight matches, averaging 8.6 points per game and recording a 61.5% free throw percentage. South Korea lost to Qatar, the tournament's host team, in the bronze-medal game, with a score of 77–89, ranking them fourth in the competition.

Broadcasting career

Hyun, who retired in 2009, returned to the hardwood 5 years later, as a sports commentator for the MBC Sports Plus from 2014 to 2017.

In an interview, Hyun, who had turned down many sports broadcasting offers he had received since his retirement, revealed that he initially said no because he felt he was not yet ready to step inside the hardwood but after he realized that if it becomes too late, he will never be able to come back to the court, which he considers his home, he finally said yes.

On September 17, 2014, 39-year-old Hyun made his debut as a basketball commentator at the 2014 KBL Draft held in the Jamsil Students' Gymnasium, which was also Hyun’s first public appearance since his retirement press conference.

In Hyun’s first year of broadcasting, he was partnered with the veteran sportscaster Han Myung-jae (Korean: 한명재) for the 2014–15 KBL season coverage. Since the 2015–16 season, Hyun was paired with sports commentator Jung Yong-gum (Korean: 정용검). The duo was well-received by the public for their informative and engaging discussion. Hyun’s in-depth analysis and entertaining commentary became a hit to basketball fans.

In 2017, Hyun was named Commentator of the Year by Jumpball (점프볼), the official media outlet and publication of the KBL. Hyun came in first place with 13 votes, followed by Choi Yeon-gil (Korean: 최연길) with 7 and Kim Dong-gwang (Korean: 김동광; Hanja: 金東光) with 6. The award was decided by a 30-member panel composed of basketball writers and broadcasters.

After the announcement that Hyun will be joining the Changwon LG Sakers as their head coach, he made his last appearance as a broadcaster on April 26, 2017 when he came out as a guest commentator during the third game of the 2016–17 KBL finals between the Anyang KGC and the Seoul Samsung Thunders.

Coaching career

On April 21, 2017, Hyun, who does not have prior coaching experience, was named the seventh head coach of the Changwon LG Sakers. It was a first in the KBL history that a coach was hired without any coaching experience, making Hyun the only one who went from being a player to an inexperienced head coach of the same team in the KBL. Hyun signed a 3-year contract with the Changwon LG Sakers.

In Hyun's first year of coaching, the Changwon LG Sakers ranked ninth out of the ten teams in the league with 17 wins and 37 losses in the 2017–18 season. He then took the team, who had been struggling at the bottom since 2015, to third place with 30 wins and 24 losses in the 2018–19 season. This was their first time making it to the playoffs after four years of being in the lower ranks. The team fell again to ninth place with 16 wins and 26 losses in the 2019–20 season, which ended early due to COVID-19.

On April 9, 2020, LG announced that Hyun has resigned. The Changwon LG Sakers expressed their interest in renewing Hyun's contract but the latter, whose contract expired with the end of the season, refused the extension offer.

In an episode of the KBS2 show called Boss in The Mirror which aired on May 17, 2020, Hyun expressed that he resigned from his post because he felt responsible for the team’s lackluster performance in the 2019–20 season. It was also revealed that the players found out about Hyun’s departure through the news.

Entertainment career

In February 2015, Hyun, who was active as a basketball commentator, appeared as a guest on the award-winning and most-watched Korean variety show Infinite Challenge, where he got the nickname "Super Power". Hyun’s first entertainment show appearance was a smash hit, his antics, wit and humor impressed the audience, turning him into a TV sensation. Following his appearance, Hyun's name constantly appeared in Naver's real-time search.

Since then, Hyun has been constantly appearing on TV shows as a guest, a panelist and a cast member. Hyun expressed that the aim of his TV appearances is to help rekindle the public’s interest in the sport of basketball, which was overshadowed by the popularity of football, baseball and golf.

In an interview with Korean magazine STYLER (스타일러 주부생활) in 2016, Hyun shared that he was initially hesitant when Seo Jang-hoon asked him to appear on Infinite Challenge since it was his first entertainment show appearance, but after filming, his children told him that they loved his shoot and they were excited to see him on TV. Hearing that his sons approved of his TV appearance, Hyun became receptive to TV show offers which he did not entertain before. In another interview in the same year, when Hyun was asked what was his basis on accepting TV program offers, he answered that he only appears on shows that his two sons would like him to.

Due to Hyun’s appointment as a basketball head coach in April 2017 and his subsequent departure from sports broadcasting, he also discontinued appearing on TV shows to focus on his coaching duties. His last appearance was for One Night Food Trip in May 2017.

In April 2019, Hyun joined KBS2’s new variety show, Boss in The Mirror as a cast member, ending his 23-month break from television activities. The players and staff of Hyun's team, the Changwon LG Sakers, made an appearance in the show. Due to their TV stint, players Kim Si-rae (Korean: 김시래; Hanja: 金時來), Kang Byung-hyun (Korean: 강병현; Hanja: 姜秉賢), Jeong Hee-jae (Korean: 정희재), Kim Dong-ryang (Korean: 김동량) and Park Byung-woo (Korean: 박병우) became well-known figures in the basketball world as well as the team's general manager Park Do-kyung (Korean: 박도경; Hanja: 朴塗景) and translator Chae Seong-woo (Korean: 채성우). The Changwon LG Sakers also became one of the most popular teams in the league.

With Hyun's television activities, he helped in boosting the image of the KBL, especially since the league and its players and coaches had been in the negative spotlight after a series of scandals involving illegal betting, match-fixing and drunk driving from the late 2000's to early 2010's. In the past, the conservative domestic sports world had largely been resistant to athletes appearing on television programs. Alongside Seo and their former national teammate Hur Jae, Hyun's appearances on television have drawn more attention towards basketball, which had seen a sharp decline in popularity since the 1990s, back when the trio were in their prime.

To devote more time and have an undivided attention in coaching the Changwon LG Sakers, Hyun did not appear in Boss in The Mirror for the whole duration of the 2019–20 KBL season. He made his last appearance on the show in October 2019.

At the 17th KBS Entertainment Awards, Hyun was nominated for the Top Excellence Award in Entertainment Category for his work in Boss in The Mirror.

Following his resignation as a head coach of the Changwon LG Sakers, Hyun returned as a cast member of Boss in The Mirror in May 2020 after 6 months of being off-air. Hyun became active again in the entertainment industry, appearing in numerous shows.

On September 2, 2020, KBS announced that Hyun will be hosting the third season of TV Loaded with Love, a TV program that has been running since 1994, together with veteran TV presenter Kim Won-hee. This was Hyun’s first hosting gig since he entered show business.

On December 24, 2020, during the 18th KBS Entertainment Awards, Hyun won his first entertainment award, receiving the Top Excellence Award in Reality Category, for his work in Boss in The Mirror.

On February 1, 2021, Hyun launched his YouTube channel mukboss Mr.JooYup (먹보스 쭈엽이). In two weeks, he reached 193,000 subscribers. He signed with MCN agency MCCOI for content production.

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