As Han Chae-jin left the court, he left a final goodbye.
Han Chae-jin of Shinhan Bank Sbird, Incheon, will retire from her active role after playing against Asan Woori Bank Woori WON in the second round of the Shinhan Bank SOL 2022-2023 Women’s Professional Basketball Playoff held at Dowon Gymnasium on the 13th.
Han Chae-jin, who joined Hyundai Hyperion in 2003, was forced to leave her court behind her long playing career. Han Chae-jin, who broke the records for the oldest appearance in both the WKBL regular league and the playoffs, will be remembered as one of the most consistent players, even though she wasn’t the most flashy.
With her Shinhan Bank losing, Chaejin Han had to play her final match on her birthday, coincidentally. With 20 seconds left until the end of the game, coach Guna Dan put Han Chae-jin back on the bench and was considerate so that she could decorate the end on the court. In fact, it was a win-lose situation, so Woori Bank, the opponent, also helped Han Chae-jin to shine even more.
Even before stepping on her coat, Han Chae-jin, who was filled with emotions, shed tears even while greeting her fans. It was her retirement game that left a lot of lingering memories in many ways.
Han Chae-jin, who had a phone interview with <Rookie> on the 15th, said, “I had a special retirement. Isn’t it rare for players to retire like that? Woori Bank and coach Seong-Woo Seong-Woo have seen me since I was a child. At the time, I was busy crying like crazy, but as time passed, I thought I was the only player who retired like this.”
Because the team advanced to the playoffs, Han Chae-jin was in a situation where he did not know when he would play his last game. He had no choice but to do his best no matter when the end came.
Han Chae-jin said, “(Kim) Bomi said that she cried from the time she tied her shoelaces at the end. Fortunately, I did not cry when I tied my shoelaces in the second game. (Laughs) At the end, (Kang) Gyeri and (Yoo) Seung-hee said, ‘Listen to my sister. “I have to go,” he said, “I was moved by the way the players thought of me, and I was already crying when I was replaced. It’s not easy to do that, but the opposing team was considerate. It would have been nice if I had won the championship, but even if it wasn’t, I finished it special well.” said.
When asked if he felt sorry for not being able to score the last shot, he said, “I was already crying and my arms were shaking. It wasn’t easy even if I made the situation. “He smiled.
Han Chae-jin, who played 29 games during her retirement season and played an average of 29 minutes and 52 seconds, is still a competitive player. It was also a situation where he only had 3 games left in his 600 regular league appearances. Even in the team, there were voices that wanted to extend the active service, but Han Chae-jin decided to leave while applauding.
Han Chae-jin said, “Anyway, there was a part about age, and I also considered that young players can grow only when they gain experience. Physically, I had the confidence to play more, but I thought about when it would be best to retire. Rather than leaving the bench, I applauded while running on the court. I wanted to go when I received it. I had a lot of worries because I was old and it took time to get married, but I chose to end it this year.”
He continued, “He even jokingly asked me to retire after only 600 games. However, achieving the record artificially did not mean much to me. Rather, I thought it was right to retire that day. I cried at the awards ceremony during the interview, so the company really wanted to give me a present. I am grateful for that feeling alone.”
Han Chae-jin, who received the Best Player Award three times, received a special award at the regular league awards ceremony held on the 6th. Han Chae-jin, who had already decided to retire, shed tears while revealing his acceptance speech. It was an acceptance speech that seemed to hint at his retirement in advance.
Han Chae-jin, who said, “I can say it now,” said, “I had no choice but to cry at the awards ceremony, but I was already preparing for retirement. I thought it was really the last time, and there were players who knew that fact. Because I did not report it to the company, questions were asked at the awards ceremony I came in, but I couldn’t tell you about my retirement. I saw you crying and the team asked me, so I said I’d do it until this point.”
It is a team with a lot of affection, but among them coach Guna Dan and Lee Kyung-eun are special. Coach Koo said in an interview with Han Chae-jin, “Now I feel like I have a friend I can get along with.”
Han Chae-jin said, “I became very close with the director over time. The director talked to me a lot without hesitation and listened to my opinions a lot. We talked a lot like friends comfortably. She is a player that will remain in my heart. I have been with her for a really long time, but there is regret that she did not treat me better, and even though she is an older sister, she is a player who takes good care of me. I am grateful and I am sorry that I am leaving her alone.”
Han Chae-jin, who finished her active duty life, is about to get married in early May. Han Chae-jin smiled, saying that she had hardly prepared for her marriage. It’s not that he doesn’t think about the leader challenge, but he plans to focus on rest for the time being.
Han Chae-jin said, “I hardly prepared for the wedding. The coach was considerate of me, but I didn’t want to go out and prepare for the wedding alone while my teammates were playing. It’s not that I haven’t done it, and I’ve received a lot of related questions. However, it’s not a place where I can say that I’m greedy, and when an opportunity like that comes along, I think I’ll have to go there and think again. I’m thinking of focusing on resting for the time being.” 토토사이트
Coach Guna Dan spared no praise for Han Chae-jin, who took the initiative even though his professional career spanned over 20 years.
Han Chae-jin said, “I definitely had a great sense of responsibility, and I became the captain again this season, but I didn’t want to look bad. I wanted to have the mindset that I could do it, and I was grateful to be able to play with my teammates.”
When asked about the most memorable moment in his long career as a player, Han Chae-jin said, “I remember having a hard time like the old players. I was able to do that until now because I did that when I was young, and I met a lot of good coaches and players. And the time I played on the court until the time I finally retired. I think this will be memorable. I wasn’t special, but I think I was able to come this far by continuing to be ordinary and steady. I was able to do it for a long time because I always had the same standard.”
Finally, Han Chae-jin said, “Thankfully, there are fans who said that even if it is not flashy, just being on the court with sincerity is a big presence. I am grateful to everyone. There are so many people who have worked hard for me, so I am grateful to everyone and to my family. I have no regrets about retiring.”