It wasn’t flashy, but Choi Hee-jin, who was silent, decided to retire.
Heejin Choi (180cm, F) entered the WKBL through the 2006 WKBL New Player Selection. He played for Incheon Shinhan Bank and Yongin Samsung Life Insurance, and joined Cheongju KB ahead of the 2018-2019 season. In the 2021-2022 season, he also won the team. At the time, Choi Hee-jin performed like Altoran, averaging 8 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Heejin Choi played in all 30 games last season. Although his scoring and rebounding records have declined significantly, he has helped the team through defense and dirty work. And he earned free agent status this off-season.
Choi Hee-jin’s choice was retirement. Choi Hee-jin said in a phone call with this magazine, “I decided to retire and got a lot of calls from here and there. He only said good things. He had someone he hadn’t been in touch with in a really long time. He played basketball hard and thought he had a really good life.”
When he asked Choi Hee-jin why he decided to retire, he said, “I had a lot of thoughts. He honestly didn’t have the big heart to do it with the enthusiasm he used to. So he thought that if he wasn’t going to work hard, he shouldn’t be doing it.”
And, “When I retire, it was the same thing I would regret and miss. But now I was so relieved. If I had any regrets, I would have run more, but it wasn’t. (Laughter) I hope that the players under me and other players will have a chance and run. I think I retired at the best of times,” he added.
Then, he said, “I couldn’t play much while being an athlete. For a while, I plan to go on a family trip and take a break,” he said of his own plans. 안전놀이터
For Choi Hee-jin, KB is a very meaningful team. Although he only played for 4 years, Choi Hee-jin showed his best performance at KB.
That’s why Choi Hee-jin also said, “I came to KB in 2019. He thought thank you to the team. It’s such an honor to finish my basketball career at KB. I came here and did everything I could. I will continue to go to Gyeonggi-do and Cheongju without forgetting KB,” he said, thanking the team.
“I received a lot of love and attention from the fans. The love of the fans has become a great strength. The only thing I did was play basketball, but he gave me undeserved love. I don’t know where or what I’ll be doing in the future, but I hope you’ll support me in my next life.”
Lastly, “When I sent in the group chat yesterday that I was retiring, the KB players said, ‘You worked so hard. My sister worked the hardest and was a passionate player. It’s unfortunate, but I support the second life’. Thank you so much and it gave me strength. I want to say thank you to all the players. I’m going to say hello to the team sometime next week,” he said. “I feel sorry for (Yeom) Yoona. We should be together… But I think Yoona will lead KB well. I hope I can organize my remaining time well and achieve V3 and retire.”