Passion with the beat of dribble on a court dominates the stadium. When a small basketball cleanly runs into a tiny ring, nobody can stop screaming. At the very end of the game, a player roughly shoots his last ball and that gives the team the glory of victory. As a supervisor of Korea University (KU) Basketball Team, Lee Min Hyung(’84, Physical Education) is assertive in leading KU to victory.

▲ Photographed by Choi Jiyoung

Basketball was firstly introduced to Korea in 1907. Reaching its peak in the 1990s, Lee, who was one of the top players at that time at KU, was respected as much as an en­tertainer. People were crazy about basketball and the feed­back was great. Numerous star players showed fancy, com­plicated skills and a lot of legends were made in those days. The director Lee who presided over an unbelievable come-from-behind victory in the 2011 Annual Ko-Yon Games, gladly responded to The Granite Tower (GT), reflecting on that time and sharing his experiences.

“I was highly excited when our team won at the MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation) University Basketball League” said Lee. A son of Lee Gyung Woo, who was a member of the national basketball team in the 1960s and also participated in KU as a basketball team director, Lee firstly encountered basketball when he was young. He was extremely talented from the very beginning. After Lee graduated from high school, his friends, who became famous players, entered Chung Ang, Sungkyunkwan and Yonsei University (YU). One of them was Heo Jae, whose nickname was “basketball president.” So to compete with them, Lee decided to enter KU. He remembers the 1987 Annual Ko-Yon basketball game where he made his last shot seven or eight seconds before the end of the game bringing victory.

Lee describes himself as an industrious player. He was never absent from practice, nor was he ever injured during important games. People started to recognize him when he was a junior. Satisfying all areas such as shooting and dribbling, Lee was often considered as the best player. “Sincerity” is what Lee thinks as the key concept for players. “I have seen numerous highly talented players who did not give their full effort. They eventually failed to be the best players,” Lee said. As he used to be one of the most earnest players of his era, he wants his players to be what he used to be.

▲ Provided by Jumpball

However, Lee also has experienced hard times as a KU athlete. “When I entered KU, it was the most unbearable time in my whole campus life,” said Lee. “I had to do all the laundry for my seniors without using a washing machine. Cleaning the room was also my task,” he added. He recalls that demands on students were strenuous. Nevertheless, he deeply loves KU, which let him stay on as the director. To Lee, being a director is the same as being a leader of a group. He sees the word “director” as the meaning of being an all-around entertainer. He said, “I have to satisfy the parents and successfully communicate with members consulting with them, as well. I also take care of team management seriously. Harmonizing all the components into one is the core of leading,” is what he said. For Lee, there are basketball supporters, fans, and a team that he has to put together.

He took on the role of KU basketball director four years ago and remembers at that time the “crisis of KU”. There was a negative relationship among parents, staff, and coaches. He did not have any chances but to concentrate on scouting. His strategy was “step by step”. With recruiting best high school players, he dreamed of making an unbreakable team. It appears that his effort finally paid off through the victory of Basketball Festival in 2012, and MBC University Basketball League on March 8. Lee assures the superb strength of KU for near four years.

Lee feels sad about the current popularity of basketball compared to that of 1990s. There were so-called “Obba budae” meaning basketball players were as popular as entertainers. He analyzes why basketball has met this crisis. Ironically since the advent of professional basketball team, the heat toward basketball decreased slowly. Lee suggested one solution that KU and YU should meet in final games making great matches to gather the interests of viewers. Then basketball can regain its popularity. “These days there are few students who come to watch our game even though the match is in Hwa Jung Tiger Dome. I wish KU students give more affection to our games and basketball.” is what Lee wants to say to juniors.