Heo Il-young
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| No. 11 – Changwon LG Sakers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Forward |
| League | Korean Basketball League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 5, 1985 |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 201 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Dong-a High School |
| College | Konkuk University |
| Playing career | 2009–present |
| Career history | |
| 2009–2021 | Daegu Orions / Goyang Orion Orions |
| 2012–2014 | → Sangmu (military service) |
| 2021–2024 | Seoul SK Knights |
| 2024– | Changwon LG Sakers |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Medals | |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 허일영 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 許日寧 |
| RR | Heo Ilyeong |
| MR | Hŏ Iryŏng |
Heo Il-young (born August 5, 1985) is a South Korean professional basketball player. He plays for Changwon LG Sakers in the Korean Basketball League and the South Korean national team.
A native of Busan, Heo grew up playing baseball in elementary school.[1] He was persuaded to switch sports in middle school due to his height and attended Dong-a High School, one of Busan's most notable high school basketball programs, where he was schoolmates with national teammate Kim Tae-sul.[2] As he was taller than most of his peers in high school, he played as a center, before converting into a forward in college.[3]
Career
College
Heo went on to Konkuk University. During his senior year, he led the unfancied team to the final of the National Basketball Festival, a winter tournament contested by college teams and KBL D-League reserve teams, and was the tournament's top scorer.[4][5][6]
Professional
Heo was the second overall pick of the 2009 KBL rookie draft and was chosen by Daegu Orions, which later moved to Goyang and became Goyang Orion Orions.[7][8] Although he came from a lesser-known college basketball program, he emerged as the Orions' brightest prospects and dubbed the team's "solver" due to him scoring decisive points in the fourth quarter of crucial games.[6] He finished his rookie season with an average of 10.5 points in 51 games.[9]
In May 2012, Heo enlisted for mandatory military service and was assigned to the Sangmu team after completing basic training.[10] He was discharged in January 2014.[11][12]
During the 2019–20, Heo was plagued by a recurring hamstring injury which sidelined him for more than half the season's games.[13] After the 2020-21 season ended, he became a free agent but chose not to renew with the Orions.[14] He signed a three-year contract with Seoul SK Knights ahead of the 2021-22 season.[15][16]
Following the conclusion of the 2023–24 KBL season, Heo Il-young entered free agency and signed a two-year contract with the Changwon LG Sakers on May 17, 2024. The agreement included an annual salary of ₩250 million for the first year.[17] With the retirement of Kim Kang-seon, his former Goyang captain, at the end of that season, Heo remained the sole active player from the 2009 KBL draft class. With his 1985-born counterparts all having retired over the past few seasons, he and Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus captain Ham Ji-hoon became the two oldest registered players in the KBL.
In the 2024–25 season, Heo played a pivotal role in the LG Sakers' playoff run. His leadership and clutch performances were instrumental in the team's success, culminating in a historic victory in the KBL Finals. The Sakers clinched their first championship title in franchise history by defeating the Seoul SK Knights in a seven-game series. Heo's outstanding contributions during the playoffs earned him the Playoffs MVP, his first individual award.[18] He became the first player to win the Championship with three different teams and the oldest recipient of the Playoffs MVP at age 39.[19][20]
National team
In 2014, Heo participated in both the World Cup and the Asian Games.[21][22] He was recalled for the 2018 Asian Games but missed out on the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
