Monster Teenager
High School Star Lim Projected as Next Big Thing in Korean Hoops
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Cleveland Cavaliers franchise player LeBron James started drawing nationwide attention when he was playing basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.
As a 17-year-old kid, he appeared in SLAM and other notable sports magazines, such as Sports Illustrated and ESPN Magazine.
Such widespread attention is common for promising high school players in the United States, as Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Greg Oden of the Portland Trail Blazers drew similar coverage in their high school days.
But unlike America, it is very difficult for a high school baller to gain nationwide interest in South Korea, where a few pro sports gain almost all of the popularity.
However, Keisung High School junior shooting guard Lim Jong-il is a rare exception, as he has taken center stage.
What has drawn attention from the Korean media, which is usually stingy in its amateur sports coverage, is Lim's explosiveness in scoring. The 18-year-old, who stands 1.91 meters tall, averaged a staggering 41.5 points per game at a local basketball competition in Seoul, which came to an end last week.
More brilliantly, the guard put up 60 points, including six 3-pointers, and grabbed 12 rebounds against basketball powerhouse Songdo High School in a March 11 game.
And at a tournament last month in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, Lim poured in more than 40 points in every game.
``Lim has already evolved to the level of college basketball,'' Lim's coach Kim Jong-hoon said. ``As his height is still growing, many colleges have strived to recruit him.''
For a relatively tall guard in Korean basketball, he has a good rhythm in shooting, so college basketball programs at Korea, Yonsei and Chung-Ang universities have shown interest in him.
Like Rafer Alston of the Houston Rockets, who jumped to the National Basketball Association (NBA) after establishing himself as a streetball legend, Lim developed his ability by playing street hoops.
His flamboyant skills made him a celebrity on a streetball Web site, and he made a name for himself through a 3-on-3 basketball challenge.
After entering Keisung High School, he improved his basketball fundamentals from his coach drilling him in shooting and dribbling.
In addition to his skill, Lim's size advantage has made defenders helpless.
Thanks to Lim's outstanding performances, his school has posted good records, reaching semifinals at tournaments three times, including this month's event, and quarterfinals once in two years.
``Offensive-minded basketball helps me score more points,'' Lim said.
``Although I have a short career in basketball and am poor at dribbling, I will try to overcome it to make South Korea's under-19 basketball team.''