THE DREAM LEAGUE
Asian American / Open Basketball Leagues
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2008_Summer/Fall NL (NYC) |
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Courtside Chat with Dan Sandrin of the Korean Basketball League | |||||
| By: SMC From the time many of us have picked up a basketball, we’ve had some aspirations to play in the NBA. Unfortunately, reality sets in and we realize that the chances of making it to the NBA or playing professional basketball are much slimmer than getting into a good college and coming out with a decent paying 9 to 5 job. In fact, we have only seen one Asian American, Rex Walters (NJ Nets, Phila 76ers, Miami Heat), make it to the NBA in its 62-year-old existence. (I'm not counting Wat Misaka who was a 1st round draft pick in 1947 for the Knicks but only played 3 games in his career, though some will bastardize me for it). For those of us that were able to reach a level of being a decent post secondary player, there are other options if one decides they want to further their basketball careers. Europe is a common destination for many college stars whose games did not translate to the NBA level and also is a place where they can hone their skills to possibly one-day play in the NBA. For Asian Americans, Asia might be a destination that is more appealing, as there could be more of a familiarity with the culture and also an opportunity to get in touch with one’s roots. Citizenship, if some of us have dual, may have a factor in the decision as well, where some leagues may not regard you as a foreigner, so it would be more appealing to have you on the roster as a local so the team doesn’t have to use up their roster spot designated for the foreign players. Some of the Asian leagues include the Chinese Basketball Association, Philippines Basketball Association, Japan Basketball League and the Korean Basketball League. The Dream League has seen its share of former pro basketball players from these leagues such as Yoshi Kashitomi (JBL), Mike Lee (KBL) and Migs Noble (PBA). (And hey! Where are our South Asian brothers??)
I recently took a trip to Seoul and while I was there, I met up with two KBL ballers: Dan Sandrin of the Daegu LG Orions and Rich Han of the Seoul SK Knights. Dan and Rich are two out of the three 2nd generation Koreans that grew up in North America playing in the KBL. The other is Brian Kim of the Suwon Mobis Phoebus from Vancouver, British Columbia and Vanguard University in California (Brian and I actually came out of the same district in Vancouver, but we missed each other by, oh, about 9 years). It was a vicarious moment for me to meet these two professional ballers, as I once had aspirations to play in the KBL 10 years ago. For the most part, many of us think it’s just about playing ball and being paid for it when playing overseas, but I learned from my two friends that there are a lot more complications than trying to dismantle a Pitino full-court trap when playing in unfamiliar territory. The Korean Basketball League or KBL came into existence in 1997 and is made up of 10 teams that are sponsored by major Korean corporations and are located in different locations in Korea. Each team is allowed 2 foreigners and up until recently the maximum height requirement was 6’8 (so no Ha Seung Jin). The brand of ball is very disciplined with an emphasis on outside shooting. It’s very comparable to the European style of finesse ball. The foreign players, however, are able to play a more physical style in contrast. Some notable players that have played in the KBL are Adonis Jordan (Kansas University, Seattle Sonics), Sam Crawford (New Mexico State University) and Tony Rutland (Wake Forest University and incidentally would be eligible to play in the DL thanks to his Philippino heritage). All three of the North American Koreans entered the league with some controversy. In the 2005 KBL draft, when Rich Han was drafted 3rd overall straight out of Poly Long Beach High School and Bryan Kim 2nd out of Vanguard University, a walk-out was staged by the domestic KBL players and college coaches in protest that foreign players were being drafted over domestic ones without any sort of formal tryout. Dan’s entry into college basketball was met with controversy as well, where he was initially prevented to play for Yonsei University because he previously played professionally. Dan and Rich have since been able to fit in nicely with their domestic counterparts, but they still deal with a lot of cultural differences, politics and also adapting to the different style of ball that Koreans are accustomed to. Dan was gracious enough to talk to me about his life as a professional basketball player in Korea and to give us some insight on what it's like to be living his, and some of our, dreams. Dan is a 6’8 center who hails from the Seattle area. He played his collegiate ball first at Portland University and then transferred to Seattle Pacific University so he could join his older brother, Eric, who has been playing in Europe and is going to be in the KBL in the 2008/09 upcoming season (Eric was the last cut in the Sacramento Kings 2005 camp). In 2007, Dan was picked 2nd overall in the KBL draft. He also played on the Korean National team. First of all, being from the Pacific Northwest, what are your thoughts about the Sonics moving to Oklahoma? Well, I love the Sonics and it just seems weird to think of Seattle without the Sonics. One of my close friends Abby is a dancer for the Sonics so we used to always get tickets to the games, and when I played at SPU (Seattle Pacific University), players used to come and play with us in open gym. Being a basketball player in a relatively small city, the Sonics are a big part of your life, from working Sonics camps, to our university practicing at the Sonics facility. But, all in all, I think we'll eventually get a new team.
Tell us about your journey and how you ended up in the KBL. I graduated from Seattle Pacific University, and then left to play in Europe. During my second season overseas, I decided to come back and play in the ABA with my brother, Eric. The team didn't look very financial sound at the time, so I decided to get a job with HSBC and I worked there for almost 8 months. During that time, my brother went from ABA all-star to Globetrotter, to an NBA summer league roster. At that time, because of my brother's ethnic background various agents approached him about going to Korea. His goal at the time was the NBA, so he passed them off to me. I eventually went with a guy that provided introductions to Yonsei University, where I began my Korean basketball journey. What’s the brand of ball like in the KBL and what kind of adjustments have you had to make? How different is it from the States and Europe? The brand of ball in the KBL is very cerebrial and team oriented. While, the players are not as big or skilled as Americans or Europeans, they are very fast, unselfish, can shoot the lights out. Coming from America and being a lot bigger and stronger, I came out just dominating through athleticism and my one-on-one skills. It's very hard to succeed as a Korean out here doing that due to the nature of the culture where the team comes first and individualism is sort of suppressed. I think I've gotten a lot better at the "Korean" team concept and improved a lot, plus we do a lot of running so my athleticism has naturally improved a lot as well. How would you describe yourself as a player? Is there a NBA player that you have modeled yourself after and/or is there someone that people say your game resembles? Typically, I've always been a tall guy who has skills to play all the positions. I played point guard up to high school and then again in Europe. I played the wing and forward in college, and now I find myself at the center. I really like KG's game, as it fits with the kind of center I need to become out here. In the past, I would say I was more of a Dirk type player as I spent the majority of my time outside. Are you treated any differently because you were born and raised in the US or because you are of mixed decent? I think no matter where you go outside the states, there's always gonna be a certain degree of discrimination or alienation. I think Korea, in one way likes mixed people, but it's kind of a double-edged sword. For instance, people will always compliment me on superficial things like my appearance or the fact that I speak English so well (Gee thanks), but when it comes to respect and things like that, it's different. For instance, those of you who really know Korean culture, the *(1)“sohn/hoo bae” relationship is very strict; especially, in sports and military. Some of my “hoo baes” don't call me the respectful title of *(2) “hyeong” or don't speak to me in *(3)“jeon dae marl” because they don't see me as a "real" Korean. And then, at the same time, they don't cut me any slack for being ignorant to cultural things, language, and things like that even though I grew up in America and only learned Korean beginning 2 years ago. But, all in all, Korea is what it is and it doesn't change. Since I decided to come out here, I've got to accept the bad with the good. I try not to sweat the small stuff because I'm living out my dream out here.
*(1)In Korea the sohn bae is considered your senior, which is determined by who entered the school or workplace before the incumbent. The hoo bae refers to the incumbent’s juniors. There is a certain code of respect honored among sohn baes and hoo baes. ) *(2)Hyeong means older brother, but is also referred to as your senior. *(3)Jeon dae marl is the honorific form of speech that you would use to speak to someone who is your elder. An interesting fact is that you changed your citizenship to Korean. What was the decision process for that and are you treated any differently than before you changed it? Yeah, that was tough. The interesting thing is that full-blooded *(4)“kyopos” don't have to change their citizenship to play out here, but I did because I'm mixed. The decision process was tough, except for my brother, my whole family on both sides of the Pacific was against it. When I went to the embassy to apply, they looked at me like I was crazy. I had a lot of doubts too. There was no guarantee that I would get drafted, injuries can happen and if so, I would be stuck in a place where I didn't even speak the language or know the laws. But, sometimes in life, to get something really great, you have to take a huge gamble. I just figured, if you're gonna gamble, might as well bet on yourself, right? I'm still figuring everything out with regard to taxes, litigation, investments, but it's an adventure and you only live once. The funny thing is, now that I'm Korea, there's really no difference. I go home when I want, stay as long as I want. I could be an American living abroad and be treated the same, I just can't vote in the upcoming election. *(4) Kyopos is a term referring to 2nd generation Koreans that have been raised outside of Korea. What was it like to play on the Korean National Team? That was really a great experience. Just to go out and know that you're representing the whole country is an amazing feeling. I didn't do as well as I wanted to do, but I'm sure there will be many more opportunities to come. Because I was home training in the states this year, I didn't get the opportunity to go to Greece this year, but I'll be ready for next year. What is your best basketball moment to date? There's been a few. I think in college, it would be scoring the final 8 points in the fourth overtime to beat then number 3 Humboldt State on our home floor. In Europe, I had a 58 point game which was pretty amazing. Last year I had the national team experience, some good games, as well as winning the dunk contest. What was your favorite game that you were involved in? Last season had to be the KT&G game where I scored 17 points but shot 100% in like 20 minutes. Hopefully this year, I'll get more tick and have some really big ones.
What’s life off the court like for a professional athlete in Korea? Is it glamorous like in the States? How does it compare to Germany? It's not really that glamorous. I mean we work out a lot, so we're not out clubbing and tearing up the town. Plus, culturally it doesn't look good for pro athletes to always be out on the scene. Our games are fun and draw some crowds, sometimes I get recognized in the streets, but it's basically like an ordinary job. Have you dated any celebrities? (Yeah, I know silly question, but inquiring minds want to know.) I have, but I'm not a name dropper. The thing with Korea, is that it's small. It's easy to go out in *(5) Apkujung and meet celebrities at clubs and stuff like that, so it's not that big of a deal. It's not like going to America and dating Jessica Alba. The celebs out here are very much more accessible. *(5) Apkujung is an area south of the Han river that is known for its trendy spots. It’s comparable to Tribeca in NYC. There are some Dream League players here that played in the Korean Olympics when you and your brother participated in them. Can you tell us what that was like? How did you guys do? I was like 15 or 16 when Seattle one it so I didn't really know much about it. I just thought it would be fun to play with other Koreans and eat Korean food seeing as how I didn't really have any Korean friends growing up. But now I see those guys every now and again. The second time, in LA when we got second, there was a lot of drama with the older guys, but we did get a free trip to Korea after winning it the first time. That was a fun trip. When you go back to the States, what is the first thing you want to eat? I dunno. I think it's always the fast food comfort stuff that's really bad for you. Like 7eleven slurpies and Jack in the Box. I could really go for some of that right about now. What do you miss the most about living in the States? I've been living abroad for a long time, now when I go home, I miss Korea. It's all relative. I think the biggest thing is, Seoul is just huge and busy. I miss Seattle where you have your little city, but you also have mountains, and trees, and lots of personal space. I miss camping, the outdoors, not really a city person. What’s the best thing about Korea?
The food's awesome out here. I love the food. It's also a lot of fun to go out in Korea when I get the time. It's just a different brand of going out. Rooms and Karaoke. We don't really do that back in the states. What are your favorite things to do in Korea that you can’t do in the States? If I'm out, I like that you can stay out late and they keep serving alcohol. I love to play “Go Stop.” I like the little yogurt shops out here. I like going to the swimming pool in the summer. Where is the best place to play pick up ball in Korea? Yonsei is great, Youido is good, but I usually go on base and play. Did you know the other 2nd generation Korean ballers (Rich Han and Bryan Kim) before you came to the KBL? How did you guys meet? I met Rich in Korea through a “kyopo” that plays for Mobis named Bryan Kim. At the time, me and Bryan had the same agent, and Bryan actually went to my university in the states (University of Portland). I saw him on his recruiting trip and always remembered him because he was full Korean and our college was D-I. Bryan and Rich had been doing rehab at the same place, so they got to know one another. And then later, we all ended up meeting at some bar. Thanks Dan for all your insight and time. There will definitely be a roster spot for you whenever you decide to come to NY and play in the Dream League. For now, you may have made some new fans here with the Dream League. |
