Joo Hee-jung (born February 4, 1977) is a South Korean basketball coach and retired player. His playing career spanned twenty years with four different teams in the Korean Basketball League. Despite not being a highly-touted prospect in high school and college, he went on to have a career as one of the league's most consistent and prolific guards, leading the league in assists for four consecutive seasons and becoming the all-time leader for career assists and appearances in league games. After retiring in 2017, Joo returned to his alma mater Korea University as a member of the coaching staff. He was appointed head coach in 2020. Early life Born and raised in Busan, Joo was raised by his grandmother after his mother abandoned the family months after his birth. His father had distanced himself due to his dealings with local criminals and was largely absent after being diagnosed with cancer. Joo began playing basketball in elementary school but was not considered an outstanding prospect due to his height and slight frame. It was not until he went to middle school that he began attracting the attention of scouts. He went on to Donga High School, one the best known basketball programs in the south, and led them to win their first national tournament in six years. Playing career Joo was recruited by Korea University but his college career was largely uneventful as his more senior teammates Hyun Joo-yup and Shin Ki-sung were the center of attention. In 1997, domestic basketball was transitioning from amateur status and the professional Korean Basketball League was established. Joo shocked the college basketball world by dropping out during his sophomore year to sign with a professional team. During the amateur era and for much of the KBL draft's history, players were mostly signed after completing all four years of college, making Joo the first and most high-profile player to have gone professional so early. Joo later revealed that the decision was motivated by financial reasons and the desire to help pay for his father's medical bills. Joo was signed by Wonju Naray Blue Bird, now Wonju DB Promy, and made his KBL debut in November 1997, scoring 4 points and 2 assists against Gyeongnam LG Sakers. At the time of his debut, he was the youngest player on the roster of a KBL team. Despite the inauspicious start, he averaged 12.4 points that season and