Woo Ji-won
Woo Ji-won (born 2 April 1973) is a South Korean retired professional basketball player. He played for three different teams over a fourteen-year career, the longest of which was spent at Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus, who retired his number 10 shirt after his retirement. He was nicknamed "Prince of the Court" (코트의 황태자). Early life Woo enjoyed playing baseball and ran track as a child. He started playing basketball when his elementary school started a basketball team and recruited him to join, despite his short stature for his age. From there, he began focusing on basketball and attended Samseon Middle School and Kyungbock High School in Seoul, both known for their basketball teams. He graduated with a degree in law from Yonsei University, unusual for college athletes as the majority studied sports science, physical education or a related major. One of his middle school and high school classmates was future national teammate and best friend Chun Hee-chul. Playing career College career Woo's time at Yonsei University coincided with what is often retrospectively dubbed the "golden era" of domestic college basketball. He and his teammates, as well as their counterparts from traditional athletic rivals Korea University, enjoyed a level of popularity similar to that of idol singers and A-list actors/actresses due to their skills and good looks. Together with his Yonsei teammates Lee Sang-min and Moon Kyung-eun and Korea University's Hyun Joo-yup and Chun Hee-chul, among others, they were collectively dubbed "Oppa Troupe" (오빠부대) by the media. Woo and his Yonsei teammates drew significant attention after they defeated a Busan Kia team which boasted the senior amateur league's most formidable offensive players, the "Hur-Dong-Taek Trio" (Hur Jae, Kang Dong-hee and Kim Yoo-taek) during the 1993-94 season. Professional career In 1996, Woo was signed by the Incheon-based team of Daewoo Securities, which has since become Daegu KOGAS Pegasus, and is among the last generation of players who began their senior careers during the semi-professional pre-KBL era. He took the National Basketball Festival, then the main basketball competition, by storm on his debut for Daewoo, scoring 24 points in a 78-71 win against Tongyang. In 1998, he and Chun enlisted for mandatory military service and were assigned as public service workers, rather than the Sangmu basketball team. They were discharged ahead of the 1999-2000 season. After five seasons with the Incheon team and no silverware, he signed with Seoul Samsung Thunders. Woo was signed by Ulsan Hyundai Automons (later renamed Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus) in 2002. During the 2003-04 season, Woo set the record for the most points scored in a single game in the Korean Basketball League, scoring 70 points against Changwon LG Sakers in March. On the same day Moon Kyung-eun scored 66 points (22 three-pointers) against TG Sambo, ranking second behind Woo. The records came under scrutiny from fans and the media due to the statistical impossibility of such records occurring during a regular professional game unless collusion between players and coaches had taken place and the opposing team intentionally