“Enjoy your meal, thank you, goodbye, goodbye.” This is the Korean language that Katie Timmerman (24, 173cm) learned.
Timmerman, a foreign nationality player, was called by Incheon Shinhan Bank as the second choice in the second round at the 2023-2024 WKBL new player selection held last month. In order to recruit Timmerman, Shinhan Bank traded Shim Soo-hyun to Busan BNK and received the drafting rights after the first round selection.
Timmerman, who grew up with an American father and a Korean mother,스포츠토토 averaged 9.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 122 games as a shooting guard at Concordia University (WNCAA Division 2). He made 1.5 3-pointers, a success rate of 34.5%. After the draft, he immediately joined Shinhan Bank. He is currently focusing on his rehabilitation and personal training from a minor hamstring injury.
Timmerman, whom we met on the 11th, said, “Before the draft, I was playing for the U.S. national handball team, so I wasn’t able to play much team basketball, but I trained individually. The last time he practiced team basketball was in March. Still, we are now more acclimated as a team and culturally than when we first started. “He is working hard to rehabilitate his injured hamstring and has improved a lot,” he said.
When asked how the basketball in Korea differs from the basketball he has played in the U.S., Timmerman said, “In the U.S., there is more individual skill and solo play. Korea seems to have a lot of plays that can help each other shine through organized basketball. Also, it’s very fast. “I want to show here that I have strengths in shooting and fighting,” he answered.
Among the WKBL, Shinhan Bank can be said to be the team with the best conditions for Timmerman to continue his career as a player. There is director Guna Dan, who spent his school days in Canada, and Sonia Kim, who has dual citizenship in Korea and Romania, so they can have conversations without going through an interpreter. This is an advantage in all aspects of basketball and life.
Timmerman said, “There were no problems with communication because there was an interpreter, but I was concerned about possible communication errors. Being able to communicate with the director in English makes it easier to understand what is being said. “The help I receive from Sonia Kim is also very great,” he said.
He then boasted of his passion for studying Korean. Timmerman said, “I learned a lot of Korean, such as (in Korean) enjoy your meal, thank you, goodbye, and goodbye. He wants to learn more Korean. “I want to increase my shooting probability on the court,” he said with a smile.