Choi Jun-yong

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Choi Jun-yong
최준용

| image = 농구 선수 최준용.jpg

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|4|4}}

| birth_place = Daegu, South Korea

| nationality = South Korean

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 7

| weight_lb =

| high_school = Kyungbock High School

| college = Yonsei University

| draft_year = 2016

| draft_round = 1

| draft_pick = 2

| draft_league = KBL

| career_start = 2016

| position = Forward

| league = KBL

| team = Busan KCC Egis

| number = 2

| years1 = 2016–2023

| team1 = Seoul SK Knights

| years2 = 2023–present

| team2 = Busan KCC Egis

| highlights = * KBL Most Valuable Player (2022)

3× KBL champion (2018, 2022, 2024)

| medaltemplates = {{MedalCompetition|FIBA Asia Cup}}

}}

{{Infobox Korean name/auto

|title=Korean name

|hangul=%최준용

|hanja=崔俊龍

}}

Choi Jun-yong ({{Korean|hangul=최준용}}; born April 4, 1994) is a South Korean basketball player for Busan KCC Egis and the South Korean national team.[https://web.archive.org/web/20170823202952/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/rpp//q/Junyong_Choi/pid//_//players.html FIBA profile] He has previously also played for the Seoul SK Knights.

Career

=High school and college career=

Choi attended Kyungbock High School and was classmates with Lee Jong-hyun.{{cite news|title=[TONG] "우린 대학농구 절친이자 라이벌" 고대 이종현, 연대 최준용|url=https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/19442278#home|work=JoongAng Ilbo|date=20 January 2016|language=ko}} While at Kyungbock, he, Lee and their senior Moon Seong-gon, were dubbed the "Kyungbock Trio" by rival high school teams for their well-rounded offensive capabilities.{{cite news|title=[BK Star Search] 경복고등학교 문성곤|url=https://basketkorea.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=46918|publisher=BasketKorea.com|date=26 May 2011|language=ko}} Moon and Lee went on to Korea University while Choi was recruited by Yonsei University.

During his senior year, Choi captained Yonsei to a clean sweep of the U-League regular season title and championship and the MBC Cup, the first time since 2005 Yonsei has won it.{{cite news|title=203cm 이종현 어디로...유재학에게 물어봐|url=https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/20675616|work=JoongAng Ilbo|date=5 October 2016|language=ko}}{{cite news|title=-MBC배농구- 연세대, 단국대 꺾고 11년만에 우승|url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20160304116900007|work=Yonhap News Agency|date=4 March 2016|language=ko}} He was also named MVP of the MBC Cup tournament. At that time his teammates included future MVP Heo Hoon and future KBL Rookie of the Year Ahn Young-joon. He declared eligibility for the 2016 KBL draft.

=Professional=

Choi was considered one of the "big 3", along with Lee and Kang Sang-jae, of the 2016 KBL rookie draft and strong contenders for the first pick of the first round.{{cite news|title=KBL 신인 드래프트...'빅3' 이종현·최준용·강상재 "내가 최고 되겠다"|url=https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20161018500223|work=Seoul Shinmun|date=18 October 2016|language=ko}}{{cite news|title=

[KBL 신인드래프트] 황금 세대 '빅3'가 뜬다|url=https://www.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/201610181725794453|work=Hankook Ilbo|date=18 October 2016|language=ko}} He was drafted by Seoul SK Knights as the second pick.

After an uneventful rookie season, Choi began to grow into his role during the 2017-18 season and played a bigger role in Seoul SK Knights' second-place finish in the regular season and KBL Championship win. He averaged 9.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists.{{cite news|title=[KBL 팀별 MVP] 단점 개선하고, SK의 중심으로 성장하는 최준용|url=https://sports.v.daum.net/v/jifwiW1RzU?f=p|publisher=BasketKorea.com|date=31 March 2020|language=ko}} After a 2018-19 season mostly plagued by injury, he returned to the side but found himself having to battle with veteran Kim Sun-hyung for a spot in the starting 5.

On December 8, 2020, it was reported that Choi had been suspended for three games by his team after he accidentally leaked a nude photograph of his teammate on his social media. He and his team immediately posted an apology, explaining that the teammate involved was also a close friend and had accepted the apology and that Choi would serve the suspension with immediate effect.{{cite news|title=SK 최준용까지 SNS 부적절 사진 노출 논란... 3경기 출장정지 징계|url=https://www.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2020120809410001002|work=Hankook Ilbo|date=8 December 2020|language=ko}} The KBL further extended the suspension to five games and fined him 3 million won.{{cite news|title=KBL, 부적절 사진 SNS 노출한 SK 최준용에 5경기 출전정지 징계|url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20201209145600007|work=Yonhap News Agency|date=9 December 2020|language=ko}}

In the 2021–22 season, Choi won the KBL Most Valuable Player Award and won his second KBL championship.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-06 |title=KBL 국내 선수 MVP는 최준용 [MK포토] |url=https://mksports.co.kr/view/2022/310251/ |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=매일경제 |language=ko}}