Veteran Pro Basketball Players’ Various Stamina Managing Ways

“If I could stop time.”

In their 30s before anyone knows. The body doesn’t seem to the same as yesterday from morning to evening. But he cannot just blame it on age.

38-year old Huh Jae (TG) is the oldest player in the professional basketball league. Considering only age, he can surely become a head coach. Having seen every joy and sadness on the court, Huh still plays. His secret of good health is drinking sniper soup. For over 20 years, Huh religiously eats boyak (restorative medicine or herbal tonic) which his father prepared for him since his middle school years. He also eats sniper soup, picking up a “good one” for a month at the regular favorite store in the vicinity of Yongmoon temple, Yangpyung Gyeounggi this season.

“When I was young, the effect of medicine happened quickly but it’s different nowadays. However, I have no choice.”

Huh eats one meal a day during the basketball season. He skips breakfast because he feels it makes his body too heavy. Therefore, he eats a fully nourishing dinner, picking it carefully. He often goes to zzimjilbang (fomentation room) when he stays in the dormitory in Wonju. He says stress is blown away by chatting with women.

In the case of 37-year old Kang Dong-hee (LG), second oldest player behind Huh, his meal is the source of his restoration. Even though it is sad that he is single unlike other players who receive treatment from their wives, Kang was born healthy who does not need any medicine. He became full of vigor after having one and half bowl of food for every meal. Also, he said sleeping is the best solution to overcome fatigue. On days without any games, he never leaves the room without sleeping at least 10 hours.

However he might have seen fellow player Song Young-jin, 12 years younger than him, drink ginseng-steamed red juice and eel juice. Kang chewed the whole ginseng to the root on an empty stomach saying, “Recently, my stamina has sharply decreased.”

“Rambo shooter” 32-year old Moon Kyung-eun’s (ETLand) dormitory room in Bucheon is a so-called “moving drug store.” He grabs and takes four or five kinds of pills because he is suffering minor injuries and poor stamina. He takes Chinese medicine globules three times a day without water. In his room, there are shark cartilage extraction pill which is good for the knee and vitamins and arthritis medicines. According to him, he sometimes forgets to take pills because there are so many types.

“Computer guard” 31-year old Lee Sang-min of KCC takes chlorella and evening-primrose flower seed oil which he discovered recently from TV along with tonic medicine. It helps the exhausted body recover and is good for the functioning of the intestines. Unlike other players, he has to take a sauna bath for about 20 minutes prior to the matches. Lee said, “Now I think I have grown old like Huh Jae and Dong-hee.”

Jong-Seok Kim kjs0123@donga.com