Coach Lee Si-joon (40) continues his leadership career at Shinhan Bank. I was able to make the decision after much consideration thanks to the sincere support from the team officials who started my career as a professional team leader.
Coach Lee Si-joon, who coached Bucheon Hanawon Q until last season, joined the Incheon Shinhan Bank coaching staff in May. He was called up with the team on the 8th and started his official job as a Shinhan Bank coach.
Shinhan Bank, which had the only coach assisting coach Guna Dan, was coach Lee Hwi-gul, before the start of the 2022-2023 season, realized the need to recruit coaches, and hired coach Lee Si-jun after discussions after the season. An official from Shinhan Bank said, “It was necessary to foster more young players, and to do so, a coach with a high understanding of women’s basketball was needed. I think a good leader has come. We plan to rebuild by giving more opportunities to young players.”
Shinhan Bank repeatedly sent love calls to Coach Si-Jun Lee from last month, but Coach Si-Jun Lee politely declined. It was a situation that could cause public misunderstanding.
Coach Lee Si-joon, who served as Sam Iljung coach, started his professional team coaching career at the suggestion of head coach Lee Hun-jae (current men’s basketball team coach), who was appointed as Hana 1 Q’s head coach in 2019, but Hana 1 Q was seldom out of the dark period. During the three seasons under manager Lee Hoon-jae, the win rate was only .310 with 27 wins and 60 losses.
The coaching staff, except for coach Lee Si-jun, left Hanawon Q at the end of the 2021-2022 season. Coach Si-jun Lee also decided to step down with them, but he thought that he had one last role to play before leaving, so after much thought, he took over as Hana 1 Q coach until the 2022-2023 season.
“The past two years have been particularly difficult. Because of poor grades, I was under a lot of stress and my health was not improving. Coach Lee Si-joon said, “I thought it was right to go out together when coach Lee Hoon-jae and other coaches left.” I wanted you to play a role. He added, “It was a team that started my career as a professional team leader, and I got along well with the players, so if it’s a role like that, I think it’s right to have one more season, so I stayed안전놀이터.”
After the last game of the regular season, coach Lee Si-joon, who resigned as Hana 1Q coach, visited Japan. He gained knowledge by watching professional basketball and school training, and was considering studying in the United States afterwards. It was also around this time that Shinhan Bank contacted me, but coach Lee Si-jun several times refused, saying, “I don’t think it’s because it could lead to misunderstandings.”
Shinhan Bank continued to send love calls to Coach Lee Si-joon even after he returned to Korea. When I was spending time with my family in Korea, director Guna Dan personally came and told me about Shinhan Bank’s plan. Coach Lee Si-joon, who had been struggling, sought advice from none other than Hana 1Q team leader.
He said, “I felt sorry for Hana 1Q, and after thinking a lot, I contacted Hana 1Q’s director. He is the one I tried to hold on to when I said I was going out. I told the truth about my situation and said, ‘This coach, it’s nothing to worry about. He wants to keep working. It’s a good thing, so I hope you go and do well’. The captain’s advice played a huge role in making the decision. As much as I had a lot of trouble, he told me to try other basketball as well, so I decided after hesitation.” These are the words of coach Lee Si-jun.
Coach Lee Si-jun continued, “It wasn’t that Hana 1 Q came out badly. The director and director also understood what I had a hard time with. He also sent a lot of encouragement and support for the new challenge.”
Shinhan Bank has been reborn as a dark horse since coach Guna Dan took the helm. In the 2021-2022 season, he finished the regular league with 16 wins, 14 losses and 3rd place, and last season, which was evaluated as weak due to the transfer of Kim Dan-bi (Woori Bank), also advanced to the playoffs.
Coach Lee Si-joon said, “Director Gunadan said that we needed at least one more coach, and told us to play basketball happily without hesitation. It touched my heart. I am worried that it will harm the prestigious club, but I am grateful for the opportunity to learn another basketball under the new coach.”
Coach Lee Si-jun continued, “This season, KB Stars and Samsung Life Insurance will also play with normal power. Hana 1 Q will also have a tough season with the recruitment of Kim Jong-un. It is more important to quickly understand the coach’s basketball style than what I will do right away. I will do my best to be of some help and energy to the players who play hard and happily.”