Lee Sang-min was one of the KBL's most iconic players. Now he's a champion coach.

The star power of the entire Busan KCC Egis' roster would struggle to match what the basketball team's coach Lee Sang-min commanded during his playing days.

His mailbox was flooded with fan mail, and fans followed him everywhere he went. He was a heartthrob to female fans in the 90s.

But as a coach, Lee's trajectory had been rockier. During his eight years as head coach of the Seoul Samsung Thunders, beginning in 2014, he never won the KBL title and described himself as a "failed coach." 

This season, however, he led KCC to what many considered a miracle, guiding the first sixth-seeded team in Korean professional basketball history to the championship series title on May 13.

The feat made Lee the first person in Korean professional basketball history to win championships with the same team as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He previously lifted the trophy as a player in 2003-04 and as an assistant coach in 2023-24 before capturing his first title as head coach this season.

What finally turned years of disappointment into championship glory? The reporter met with Lee in Yongin, Gyeonggi, to understand the essence of his leadership.

One of the first things Lee was asked about was KCC's timeouts, which became known as "strategy discussions" because players freely exchanged opinions. One memorable moment came during the championship series when guard Heo Hoon shouted, "They only run Spain pick-and-rolls," referring to the double-screen offensive tactic popularized by Spain’s national basketball team. Another came with two seconds left in Game 3, KCC trailing by one, when Lee took Heo's suggestion on board and replied, "You want to go with a backdoor play?"

The following are excerpts from that interview, edited for length and clarity.

Q. What did you think about the criticism that it looked as though the players, not the coach, were drawing up the game plan? What do you think about Heo Hoon saying he merely added "about 20 percent" to a framework that was already "100 percent" designed by the coach?

A. It's easy to say now because we’ve won [the KBL title], but if we hadn't, I probably would have been criticized as a coach who got pushed around by his players and lacked authority.

The truth is, I've known Hoon since he was a kid, so we're very comfortable with each other. From the outside, it may have looked like I was giving up authority. But as a former point guard, I've always believed that if the floor general sees something unfolding on the court that the coach hasn't picked up on, it's better to speak up right away than keep it to yourself.

What do you think about the resurfaced video from your playing days with the Seoul Samsung Thunders during the 2008-09 season, where you bluntly tell then-head coach Ahn Jun-ho, "No" to his orders during a timeout?

Maybe this is karma coming back to me. To be honest, I don't spend much time watching old clips of myself. I'd rather use that time studying our players. I was fortunate to play under great coaches like Shin Seon-woo, Hur Jae and Ahn Jun-ho, and none of them tried to control players by yelling or throwing their weight around."

Does your ability to understand “S-tier” players [star players] come from having been one yourself?

Back in my day, we called them “A-level” players. Now everyone uses the term “S-tier.” The new generation of players is much more outspoken about what they do and don’t like. Even team executives are often surprised and ask whether athletes have become as outspoken and individualistic as employees in ordinary workplaces. But I've been in their shoes before. You have to understand the generation you're coaching and meet them where they are.

What were the unusual words you were shouting while calling plays?

We use names like “Rammus” or “Malphite.” The players told me numbering our plays one, two and three felt old-fashioned. They wanted to use the names of characters and skills from League of Legends, so I went along with it. I've never played the game myself, but I do watch gamer Faker’s games. The more I paid attention to it, the more I saw parallels with basketball. Each of the five positions — Top, Jungle, Mid, Bot and Support — has a distinct role, and every character has clear strengths and weaknesses. Success depends on how well those pieces fit together

How did you handle Shawn Long's frustration when he disagreed with a tactical decision?

It felt like I had two children on the team whom I needed to constantly look after, so I always felt like I had to carry a lollipop with me. I asked Long to be the father of the team since [Heo] Hoon was the mom of the team.

I kept telling [Heo] Ung to simplify his game and play more like his father, Hur Jae, who was arguably the greatest player Korean basketball has ever produced. In fact, Hur once called me and said, “That kid is so stubborn. Please get him to stop all that fancy dribbling.”

How did you feel during the playoffs when many longtime female fans returned to the arena shouting, “Oppa"?

Fans I hadn't seen in years started coming back to the arena. Many of them are mothers now, with children of their own. They told me they “wanted to be there in person to celebrate another championship” with me. That meant a lot.

What did dealing with intense fame feel like when you were a player?

Back then, the Seodaemun Post Office (in Seodaemun District, western Seoul) had a delivery vehicle dedicated solely to the fan mail and packages sent to our dorm and our homes. I received a lot of offers from the entertainment industry to appear (in their shows). I considered some of them because I wanted to help basketball grow, but in the end, I turned them down. Later, I heard that the writers of the TvN drama “Reply 1994” (2013) wrote the star basketball player characters based on me.

How would your popularity compare with that of brothers Heo Ung and Heo Hoon today?

I have to watch my answers because both of them have huge fan bases. Honestly, I still don't know why I was so popular back then.

What is your reaction to your former teammates Moon Kyung-eun and Choo Seung-gyun, who helped define an era of Korean basketball alongside you, calling you the “greatest point guard of all time?”

It doesn't matter how perfect a pass is if the shooter can't turn it into points. I was incredibly fortunate to spend so many years playing alongside some of the best shooters of my generation.

If Lee Sang-min, in his prime, faced Heo Hoon one-on-one, who would win?

The eras are completely different, and so are the styles of basketball. It's like comparing Jason Kidd to Tyrese Haliburton. After Stephen Curry changed the game, modern point guards became far more offense-oriented and focused on 3-point shooting.

I watched Yoo Jae-hak play at Jangchung Gymnasium (in Jung District, central Seoul) growing up and dreamed of becoming a point guard. Back then, you'd get scolded for doing a back-dribble because people thought it was showboating. We couldn’t even imagine moves like “the Euro step.”

Coach Choi Hee-am never needed me to score. My job was to make the right pass. Hoon has always been an aggressive offensive player. That's why I appreciated how much he sacrificed during these playoffs. He put aside his personal ambitions and committed himself to defense and leadership."

How is your friendship with former player and television personality Seo Jang-hoon?

We've been close ever since we shared a room on the youth national team as high school freshmen. Jang-hoon worried more than anyone that failing to succeed even at KCC could leave a lasting stain on my coaching career.

No matter how busy he was with his broadcasting schedule, he made a point of watching all of our games, even if it meant catching the replays. His candid feedback from the perspective of a legendary center was a huge help in managing the team.

The only downside was that once he got me on the phone, I'd be stuck there for at least an hour and a half. After Game 2 of the championship series, he even came to the locker room himself and offered to buy the players a meal.

BY PARK LIN [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]