won the first ever KBL Rookie of the Year Award. Shin, who played in the same position, was drafted by Naray the following year and Joo signed with Suwon Samsung Thunders in hopes of more playing time. National team Despite his domestic successes, Joo was often overlooked by the likes of Lee Sang-min, Shin Ki-sung, Kim Seung-hyun and then youngster Yang Dong-geun during national team selection. He made the squad for the 2008 World Qualifying Tournament and the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship. Player profile Initially known for his speed and pace, Joo developed into an all-rounded guard, able to contribute to both offense and defense. He utilized his stamina to mark and defend his opponents despite being much shorter than most of them. He led in rebounds among domestic players during the 2006–07 season, the only guard to do so in the history of the KBL. At the time of his retirement, he had achieved eight triple-doubles (points, assists and rebounds), becoming the only guard in the leagues's all-time record for career triple-doubles in these three categories. Joo's playing career coincided with what has been dubbed as the KBL's "golden era" of guards and he was often overlooked due to his lack of "flashy" skills. However, his consistency and longevity meant that he either leads or is in the all-time top 10 of most statistical categories. The lack of long-term injury spells further contributed to his statistical records as he was able to play in most of the 54 league games and playoffs. Personal life Joo married Park Seo-in in 2002. They have four children: three daughters and a son. Two of the children appeared on Half-Moon Friends. See also List of Korean Basketball League annual statistical leaders References External links Joo Hee-jung - sksports.net 1977 births Living people South Korean men's basketball players Korean Basketball League players Wonju DB Promy players Seoul Samsung Thunders players Anyang KGC players Seoul SK Knights players Guards (basketball)