Hyun Joo-yup is a South Korean former professional basketball player and head coach.
109 Facts About Hyun Joo-yup
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Hyun Joo-yup is regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time in the Korean Basketball League.
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Hyun Joo-yup is known for being the only player who broke the backboard in Korean basketball history.
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Hyun Joo-yup's career coincided with the founding of the professional league, having been drafted at the first ever KBL draft.
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Hyun Joo-yup was named into the KBL All-Time Legend 12 in 2017.
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Hyun Joo-yup is noted for leading the South Korean squad in winning its first Asian Games gold medal after 20 years during the 2002 Asian Games despite being injured.
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Hyun Joo-yup served as the head coach of the Changwon LG Sakers for three seasons from 2017 before stepping down in 2020, leading them to a playoffs berth in 2019 after four years of being at the bottom.
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Since 2015, Hyun Joo-yup has been appearing in Korean entertainment and variety shows.
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Hyun Joo-yup was born in Seoul, South Korea, the youngest of three sons.
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Hong Sung-hwa, his mother, is a former national basketball player, which Hyun Joo-yup was unaware of until his second year in middle school, when she came to watch his game and his coach recognized her.
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Hyun Joo-yup, who was a sixth grade student in Seoul Dosung Elementary School, applied for Whimoon Middle School and went to a tryout for the school's basketball team.
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Hyun Joo-yup was accepted to Whimoon but was rejected to be a part of the basketball squad since he failed to meet the required physique and skills.
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Hyun Joo-yup, who was a freshman at Whimoon, walked into the basketball tryout again, and in his second attempt, he was accepted.
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Hyun Joo-yup garnered the attention of college scouts and was sought by prestigious universities in South Korea because of his promising ability.
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The nation's top two basketball colleges, Korea University and Yonsei University, were out in a fierce competition to land Hyun Joo-yup, who was a high school senior, on their teams.
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Hyun Joo-yup played for Korea University from 1994 to 1998 and led its success in the 1990s.
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On September 20,1996, Hyun Joo-yup underwent surgery at Kyung Hee University Hospital for the left ankle injury he incurred.
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Since then Hyun Joo-yup has been experiencing pain on his left knee.
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Hyun Joo-yup was selected as the first overall pick in the 1998 KBL draft by the Cheongju SK Knights.
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Hyun Joo-yup became the first ever rookie in the league to record a triple-double.
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Hyun Joo-yup made history for being the first rookie named to the KBL All-Star.
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Hyun Joo-yup played in 34 games, averaging 23.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
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Hyun Joo-yup found out that he was traded from a reporter and was caught off-guard with the news.
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Hyun Joo-yup was named to the All-Star list for the second year in a row.
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Hyun Joo-yup was voted to the All-Star Best 5 by basketball commentators and reporters.
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Hyun Joo-yup ended his season early with only 27 games played, averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
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Hyun Joo-yup, 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.
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Hyun Joo-yup underwent surgery at Samsung Medical Center before joining the military.
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In June 2001, Hyun Joo-yup began his mandatory military service together with basketball players Shin Ki-sung, a teammate from college and the national team, and Kang Hyuk, who was a national team member.
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Hyun Joo-yup was eventually named the Finals MVP and he received the Rebound Award.
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Hyun Joo-yup, 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.
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In 2003, Hyun Joo-yup failed to play for Sangmu as he incurred an injury on his left knee cartilage for the third time.
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Hyun Joo-yup was advised by experts to get treatment abroad but was not able to do so since he was an active duty soldier.
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Hyun Joo-yup was discharged from the military in August 2003, after 26 months of mandatory service.
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Hyun Joo-yup, who suffered from a string of injuries, returned to the All-Star stage after three seasons.
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Hyun Joo-yup was voted to the 2004 All-Star Game by coaches, earning his third All-Star selection.
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Hyun Joo-yup played in 44 games during the season, he posted an average of 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.
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In 2004, Hyun Joo-yup was named Player of the Month for November, receiving 45 out of 73 votes.
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Hyun Joo-yup averaged 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game during this month.
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In particular, prolific tall shooters Seo Jang-hoon and Kim Joo-sung could not score over 10 points against Hyun Joo-yup who was in charge of playing defense against them.
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In 2005, Hyun Joo-yup was selected to play in the first All-Star Game between the KBL and the CBA.
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Hyun Joo-yup was then named to his fourth All-Star Game appearance.
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Hyun Joo-yup, who was voted by fans, made it to the All-Star Best 5 list after four seasons.
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Hyun Joo-yup'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.
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Hyun Joo-yup came in second place in voting for the season MVP award with 16 votes.
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Hyun Joo-yup became a free agent in the offseason, he then signed a five-year deal with the Changwon LG Sakers.
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In 2006, Hyun Joo-yup was named to the South Korean roster for the second KBL-CBA All-Star, making it his second consecutive appearance.
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Hyun Joo-yup, who was voted by coaches, made his fifth All-Star appearance.
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Hyun Joo-yup 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.
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On January 21,2007, Hyun Joo-yup injured his left ankle and knee during a game against the Jeonju KCC Egis.
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Hyun Joo-yup, 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.
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Hyun Joo-yup delayed his knee surgery so he can participate in the semifinals of the playoffs against his former team, the Busan KTF Magic Wings.
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Hyun Joo-yup averaged 12.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists over four games.
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Hyun Joo-yup was voted to the All-Star lineup by coaches, marking his sixth and last appearance.
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Hyun Joo-yup logged a game-high nine 3-point shots.
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Since Hyun Joo-yup postponed his surgery in the previous season, his condition worsened which affected his performance during the season.
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Hyun Joo-yup, 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.
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Hyun Joo-yup, 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.
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In 2012, when the KBL celebrated its twelfth anniversary, Hyun Joo-yup was selected to play for the Legend All-Star Game.
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Hyun Joo-yup, who received the most fan votes, came in first place in the Dream Team.
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In 2017, during the KBL's twentieth anniversary, Hyun Joo-yup was named to the All-Time Legend 12.
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Hyun Joo-yup was selected as a Legend for the forward position.
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Hyun Joo-yup first represented South Korea when he was selected to be a part of the South Korean national under-19 basketball team.
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At the 1997 FIBA Under-21 World Championship in Melbourne, Hyun Joo-yup recorded a tournament-high 32 points against Australia on August 3,1997.
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Hyun Joo-yup led the team in scoring and defensive rebounds, and was the tournament's top scorer.
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Hyun Joo-yup 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.
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Hyun Joo-yup often wore number 9 and 15 when playing on the international stage.
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Hyun Joo-yup became the second college freshman who was selected to play in the senior national team, following Hur Jae.
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Hyun Joo-yup averaged 3.7 points and 3.7 rebounds over three games.
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At the 1998 FIBA World Championship held in the city of Athens and Piraeus, Hyun Joo-yup played for the South Korean squad in four of five games, missing out on the match against Brazil.
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Hyun Joo-yup, who was admitted in the military for mandatory service, represented South Korea in the 2002 Asian Games in Busan.
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Hyun Joo-yup 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.
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Hyun Joo-yup, 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.
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Hyun Joo-yup was not only one of the top players of the team but 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.
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Hyun Joo-yup played for the South Korean national team at the 1997 East Asian Games, hosted by his home country in Busan.
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In 1997, Hyun Joo-yup, who was a college student, was tasked to represent South Korea in the continental games.
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Hyun Joo-yup 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.
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Hyun Joo-yup is the only one who broke the backboard in Korean basketball history.
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Hyun Joo-yup was named to the roster that represented South Korea in the 1995 ABC Championship in Seoul.
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Hyun Joo-yup last played for the South Korean squad during the 2005 FIBA Asia Championship, formerly named Asian Basketball Confederation Championship, in Doha.
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Hyun Joo-yup is noted to be the key person who introduced the position and made it popular.
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Hyun Joo-yup was one of the league's most popular players for his flamboyant and powerful playing style.
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Hyun Joo-yup came first in the forward position and second in the season's assists averages with 7.83 per game.
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Hyun Joo-yup logged seven career triple-doubles, the most in the league history.
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Befitting his moniker, Hyun Joo-yup never won a championship ring like Barkley.
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Hyun Joo-yup played in 397 regular games over nine seasons, putting up career averages of 13.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 30.5 minutes of action.
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Hyun Joo-yup averaged 12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 24.48 minutes of action in 10 playoff games over four seasons.
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Hyun Joo-yup's recorded career scores including the playoffs were 5389 points, 1674 rebounds and 2095 assists in 407 games.
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Note: In 2001, Hyun Joo-yup was admitted to the army for mandatory service.
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Hyun Joo-yup, who retired in 2009, returned to the hardwood 5 years later, as a sports commentator for the MBC Sports Plus from 2014 to 2017.
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On September 17,2014,39-year-old Hyun Joo-yup made his debut as a basketball commentator at the 2014 KBL Draft held in the Jamsil Students' Gymnasium, which was Hyun Joo-yup's first public appearance since his retirement press conference.
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In 2017, Hyun Joo-yup was named Commentator of the Year by Jumpball, the official media outlet and publication of the KBL.
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Hyun Joo-yup came in first place with 13 votes, followed by Choi Yeon-gil with 7 and Kim Dong-gwang with 6.
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Hyun Joo-yup signed a 3-year contract with the Changwon LG Sakers.
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In February 2015, Hyun Joo-yup, 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".
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Hyun Joo-yup's first entertainment show appearance was a smash hit, his antics, wit and humor impressed the audience, turning him into a TV sensation.
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Since then, Hyun Joo-yup has been constantly appearing on TV shows as a guest, a panelist and a cast member.
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Hyun Joo-yup 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 association football, baseball and golf.
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Hyun Joo-yup made his last appearance on the show in October 2019.
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At the 17th KBS Entertainment Awards, Hyun Joo-yup was nominated for the Top Excellence Award in Entertainment Category for his work in Boss in The Mirror.
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Hyun Joo-yup became active again in the entertainment industry, appearing in numerous shows.
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On September 2,2020, KBS announced that Hyun Joo-yup 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.
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On December 24,2020, during the 18th KBS Entertainment Awards, Hyun Joo-yup won his first entertainment award, receiving the Top Excellence Award in Reality Category, for his work in Boss in The Mirror.
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On February 1,2021, Hyun Joo-yup launched his YouTube channel mukboss Mr JooYup.
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Hyun Joo-yup signed with multi-channel network agency MCCOI for content production.
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Hyun Joo-yup met his wife, pastry chef Park Sang-hyun, through an acquaintance in November 2006.
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In two interviews, Hyun Joo-yup shared that even until his thirties, he would still kiss and sleep next to his father, who died when he was 33.
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Similar to his dad, Hyun Joo-yup expresses physical affection towards his two sons which his children like.
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Hyun Joo-yup is known as a family man and an affectionate dad.