※ This interview was conducted on March 12, and was published in the April 2023 issue of Basket Korea webzine
. He is also good at basketball,스포츠토토 but it is because he is recognized for his leadership as his guard and older brother. Because of that, Do Hyun-woo was ‘sincere’ in the role of captain. So, “I hope my juniors look at me and think that they want to be like me. (Laughter) I think I have to do my best to do that.” Do Hyun-woo is sweating at the gym today to achieve his own goal.
When did you start playing basketball?
I started when I was in the 3rd grade of elementary school. At that time, there was basketball among my after-school activities, so I played with my friends. Then, after school for about three months, I started playing basketball in earnest after playing basketball. At the time, the coach recommended it. I was interested in basketball at first and accepted it.
What did you like about basketball?
It was all just fun. (Laughter) Breaking through the opponent’s defense was fun, stealing and counterattacking was also fun.
What was your first impression of elite basketball?
The atmosphere was completely different from the basketball club after school. After school, it’s a form of play, but Elite had to do it seriously. I learned a new pattern and it was tactically difficult. Even so, I was able to adapt quickly through winter training together.
Did you get a chance right from the start?
To be honest, I didn’t do well in the 4th grade because I was young and didn’t like training. (Laughter) Then, when I was in 5th grade, there weren’t many members, so I naturally started running a lot, and since then I have trained harder. In the 5th grade, I was moderated because I was good at defense. I really enjoyed exercising at that time.
What did you enjoy?
It was all just fun. It was good to exercise and I also liked to play. In 5th grade, my grades were good. I also won a silver medal in the youth sports competition. Back then, if I added a bit of exaggeration to the game, I won everything. (Laughter) In 6th grade, my grades were worse than in 5th grade, but I was given many opportunities while playing almost full-time.
After that, he went to Chimsan Middle School.
I was given a little opportunity from the first year. But I didn’t play very well. I think it took some time to adapt to middle school basketball. Compared to elementary school, the strength was good, the speed was fast, and the patterns were difficult. Still, in my sophomore year, I made good grades by placing 3rd in the association shogi.
How was your third year of middle school?
I miss that time the most. There were two centers on the team. Power was good too. So I was able to play basketball more comfortably. However, there was no competition due to COVID-19. If there was a competition, I think I would have reached at least the quarterfinals, which is a pity.
Do you have any funny anecdotes from middle school?
Every year during the winter season, I shaved my hair to 10mm as a sign of unity. (Laughter) I think it worked. It was also a tradition of the school, and it was meant to focus on basketball. Now that I think about it, I think it was a really fun experience. (Laughter)
How was your basketball life in high school?
When I went up to high school, I felt that my physical skills were really lacking. I failed to break through because I lacked strength during the practice game. Even in defense, I couldn’t stop the opponent because I was pushed back by my strength. So I gained a lot of weight and tried to lift weights. He also tried to grow taller. (Laughter)
Especially in my freshman year, I couldn’t play many games because of the disciplinary action after transferring school. Back then, basketball was also basketball, but I focused more on bulking up. I ate two bowls of rice every day and worked harder than anyone else. I jumped rope every day to grow taller. I even looked for a taller video. (Laughter) I think it definitely had an effect.
So, did you run a lot in your sophomore year of high school?
Yes, from then on, I played as the main player. Due to the situation in the team, there were no guards, so we were given a lot of chances. I felt a lot while playing the game, gaining experience, and playing with the good hyungs. In particular, I think I thought a lot that the guard should be fast. From then on, I paid attention to controlling the dynamics and learned a lot about passing and game management.
Who was the hardest to block out of all the older brothers?
(Moon) Yoo Hyun-hyung and (Kang) Seong-wook-hyung. I knew that both of them were originally good hyungs, but it was more difficult to actually stick together. (Laughter) It was so fast that I couldn’t easily foul. The technique was good and I felt a lot of things. I thought a lot about wanting to be like him.
How was your team’s performance?
At that time, I went to the round of 16 twice. The results weren’t bad, but the content was okay. I did my best with the feeling that everyone was learning as one. It also became a turning point for me personally. I played a lot of matches, gained experience, and improved a lot in basketball.
You are now in your third year of high school.
Since I’m in 3rd grade, I feel a lot of responsibility. The overall height of the team is not great, so we plan to play basketball with more running. So during winter training, I did more physical exercise, but I tried to work harder. I also practiced a lot of defense. It was really hard, but I did my best until the end and brought a good finish.
What’s your goal?
I think the finals are quite possible. If the defense is good and we focus well, I think we can even make it to the quarterfinals. Personally, I’m in my third year of high school, so I have to pay attention to my grades. I want the team to win and my record to come out well. (Laughter)
And then, the basketball I want to play is simple basketball. I want to easily solve the game by properly mixing passes and breakthroughs. My last goal is to have juniors look at me and think that they want to be like me. (Laughter) I think I have to do my best to do that.