The Masters of the Arc
Kyle Korver and Al Horford.
The aura these two gave off was different from that of ordinary players.
Of course, it wasn’t the overwhelming presence of superstars like LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. But to anyone who truly understood basketball, they were instantly recognizable as special.
Kyle Korver in particular. The master of the three-pointer who held the NBA single-season record with a 53.6% three-point percentage.
He stood at the absolute peak of three-point shooting in a different way than Stephen Curry.
And that very master of the three-ball had come to serve as my personal training partner.
Before the session even began, I poured out my fandom without holding back.
“It’s great to meet you, Korver! You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this.”
“Nice to meet you too. Let’s have a great season together.”
“No, that’s not what I mean!”
I showed him every single piece of training data I had saved on my tablet and notebook. I came clean that I had modeled my jump shot after him.
Korver looked skeptical.
“You really modeled yourself after me? You’re not just saying that because we’re on the same team, right?”
“Why would I do that? Look at this.”
I played his highlight videos one by one, sharing my thoughts on each play and explaining in exhaustive detail how I had applied those same principles to my own game.
Only then did Korver break into a hearty laugh.
“It’s real. A player who actually looks up to me as a role model got picked ninth overall in the first round? That makes me happy.”
“There are probably plenty of others. After all, you’re basically the textbook for three-point shooting.”
“Thanks. So does this make me your mentor now?”
“Pretty much!”
“Hahaha!”
The first impression was excellent. Korver seemed to take a liking to me as well, smiling warmly the whole time.
We were chatting pleasantly when Al Horford, who had been left out, quietly slipped into the conversation.
“What about me? Don’t I get anything?”
“Huh?”
“Weren’t you a fan of mine too? And did you know I tweeted a welcome message when you got drafted?”
“I did hear about that. But I don’t really use social media.”
“Hmm… I see. So, do you know anything about me? Say something, anything.”
“Well… um…”
Of course I knew things.
An All-Star center who had made the NBA Third Team.
But I had no idea how to phrase it properly. He was clearly a high-level player, yet unlike Korver, he didn’t have one signature trait that immediately stood out.
As I struggled to find the right words, Horford let out a small chuckle.
“I’m just messing with you. Still, with that kind of attitude, you’ll have no trouble fitting in with the team. Your English seems fine, and you’re pretty good at getting along with people.”
Horford tossed me a basketball with a quick flick of his wrist and continued.
“I hope you stick around for a long time. As you know, the NBA isn’t exactly kind to rookies. Even first-rounders disappear without a trace in two years if they can’t prove themselves.”
“…”
“That’s why we’re here. Let’s get started right away.”
“Yes!”
The reason Horford and Korver had come to coach me was the newly changed three-point line.
Staff from the Atlanta Hawks who had followed them drew an extra three-point line on the court with tape.
The top of the arc was extended by about fifty centimeters, and the corners by roughly thirty.
Pointing at the new line, Horford explained.
“The extension of this line doesn’t just mean it’s harder to make threes. Most offensive sets are built around the three-point line, so it affects every single play.”
For example, in a pick-and-roll.
If the big man setting the screen rolled to the basket, the increased distance in the NBA gave defenders a fraction more time to provide help defense or pressure the ball handler.
In other words, the longer three-point line didn’t only impact perimeter shooting; it gave the defense an overall advantage.
“So it’s easier to defend?”
“That depends on how you look at it. The NBA’s defensive three-second rule makes rim attacks easier compared to FIBA rules, and a wider perimeter also expands the high-post area. Players strong with mid-range jumpers actually benefit from it. Let’s just try it and see.”
Horford took on the role of screener while Korver played defense.
“It’d be better to do this four-on-four, but we’re short a man…”
Horford scanned the Korean national team players, looking for someone to join. Every single one of them perked up, watching him with eager eyes, clearly hoping to be called.
Among them, a player named Heo Seung-won started walking over as if volunteering. But before he could reach us, I waved my hand quickly.
“Subin! Come here! Hurry, hurry, hurry!”
Subin came sprinting over at my signal.
Heo Seung-won stopped awkwardly in the middle and scrunched up his face.
Horford nodded and said, “Alright. Kyle and I will play defense. You two attack.”
And so the two-on-two session began.
As Horford had said, most set offenses in the NBA started outside the three-point line. Building plays inside the arc removed the three-point option, lowered offensive efficiency, and made things easier for the defense.
‘It really does feel like the attack positions have shifted slightly farther out now that the line is longer.’
I received a handoff screen from Subin, took the ball, and immediately changed my defensive matchup to Horford.
Without hesitating, I drove straight at him.
Thump. Bang! I blew past Horford’s side with pure speed.
Screech! Horford tried to stay with me but quickly gave up. His body wasn’t fully conditioned yet, so he chose not to overexert himself.
When I finished with a layup and came back, he clapped.
“You’re faster than I expected.”
“Thank you. But it’s still sloppy, right?”
“Hmm… Your ball handling and dribbling skills need more work. Most NBA starters probably wouldn’t struggle against your dribble. That doesn’t mean you’re bad. There are just so many insane ball handlers in this league. Besides, driving off the dribble isn’t really your specialty anyway, is it?”
“That’s right. What I’m good at is Bully Ball. Getting tight, using strength to create openings, and finishing through contact.”
“Oh-ho. That’s an interesting specialty. If you’re confident, want to try it on me?”
“I’d love to.”
At that moment, Horford’s expression changed.
Thud! Thud! As I leaned into him with my shoulder and kept threatening to drive left and right, Horford could no longer stay relaxed.
More importantly, at 206 centimeters, Horford was considered an undersized big man. While he had good speed and flexibility for a center, his raw power was noticeably weaker than the massive bodies I had faced in Europe.
‘In terms of pure strength, he might be similar to Julius Randle, or maybe a little weaker.’
Because of that, my Bully Ball began to push him back. I exploited the gap with a spin move and finished with another layup.
“Whew! What do you think?”
“…”
Horford’s face showed clear surprise.
He rubbed his sore chest and spoke with deep meaning.
“…So this is why you were picked ninth overall in the first round?”
Korver, who had been watching, also looked quite impressed.
“Al, you weren’t taking it easy, were you?”
“Of course not. His conditioning isn’t even close to game shape yet… Even at full strength, that attack would be hard to stop completely without help defense. It’s really impressive.”
Horford passed me the ball again, saying let’s go one more time. Once again, I powered through him and scored.
Horford nodded.
“Your hunting ability is outstanding. This should definitely work in the NBA. Just the fact that you can draw help defense makes it a valuable offensive option. As long as you don’t foolishly run into someone like LeBron, it’ll be plenty efficient. You should be proud of it.”
“Th-thank you.”
“Alright, let’s keep going!”
Horford’s eyes now burned with genuine motivation.
Earlier he had seemed like he was just humoring a young player. Now he clearly saw me as a teammate who could help the team succeed.
After about an hour of two-on-two, Korver’s shooting clinic began.
Shooting threes in front of older brother Korver was, how should I put it… incredibly nerve-wracking. My heart was pounding so hard I was worried I might get scolded.
Fortunately, Korver wasn’t the strict type. He was more like an angel.
“Very good.” “Really nice.” “Excellent.” He kept offering praise and avoided unnecessary interference.
Only when he sensed I wanted feedback would he offer a small correction.
“When you run out at a 45-degree angle, catch the ball, and go up for the shot, your left hand is floating too much.”
“Floating…?”
“It’s not properly supporting the ball. That puts too much stress on your shooting hand and throws off your balance. Right now your center of gravity is shifting to the right. That’s why your left shoulder is opening up as you rise.”
With that, Korver made tiny adjustments to my footwork.
“If you step like this, your left shoulder will stay closed. Try it.”
“Yes!”
The catch-and-shoot I took after the correction swished cleanly through the net.
‘Ugh…! This is insane. Absolutely insane!’
A masterclass in three-point shooting from the master himself.
This was something you couldn’t buy with money.
I wanted Subin to receive some instruction too, and true to his angelic nature, Korver didn’t mind at all. He watched Subin’s shots as well.
Swish! Swish! Today the sound of the ball passing through the net felt especially pleasant.
Korver gave us both thumbs up.
“Not bad at all. With this level of three-point ability, the team coaches will be satisfied.”
“…!”
The passing grade handed down by older brother Korver made me feel like I could fly.
…However.
I couldn’t maintain that feeling during the next drill.
Free throws.
“Hmm…”
Korver made a slightly displeased face while watching my free throws.
It didn’t look like the form of someone who claimed to model himself after him.
‘He’s not wrong…’
My career free-throw percentage in Europe was 72%. To someone like Korver, whose career mark sat at 88%, it must have looked quite lacking.
I waited nervously like a student awaiting a graded assignment.
Finally, Korver spoke.
“Why do you hit the rim so often?”
“Ah, well…”
I explained that when shooting free throws, I aimed at the back rim and shot with a slightly shorter arc.
“That’s why it often rattles in off the back rim.”
“I see… That is one way to do it.”
Korver seemed to be debating whether it was okay to interfere. After all, another player’s routine was something you shouldn’t touch lightly.
“If you have any advice, please give it to me. That’s exactly what I want.”
“Are you sure? It might not only have positive effects. In the worst case, your free throws could get worse.”
“I’ll keep correcting it. If there’s a better path, I want to take it.”
“Alright.”
Korver nodded and continued.
“What you’re doing now is basically a temporary fix. It’s the kind of thing players who struggle with free throws use to bump their percentage up five to seven percent. The problem is that even at its best, that method rarely gets you past 75%, and in clutch situations the percentage drops even further.”
Korver drove the point home.
“If you want to shoot 80% or higher from the line and make both shots in clutch moments, that method won’t work. You need a clear, personal image of your free throw that goes straight through the center of the rim.”
Otherwise, I would probably top out between 70 and 75 percent.
Korver said that wasn’t a bad free-throw percentage, but I wasn’t so sure.
That was about the same as LeBron James’s career mark, and nobody ever said LeBron was a good free-throw shooter.
“I’ll definitely build that image.”
“Good. I’ll keep helping you throughout the season. Let’s create it together.”
“Thank you, Master Korver.”
When I jokingly called him “Master Korver,” he let out a helpless laugh.
“Haha, don’t call me that. It’s embarrassing.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Korver is fine. Cobb works too… Kyle is okay. Call me whatever you want.”
“Got it. Then I’ll try again, Kyle.”
Korver then began teaching me every single detail of his free-throw technique from start to finish.
Seeing such dedication lit a fire in me as well.
‘At this point, I can’t half-ass it.’
I now had a clear goal for my first season.
Forget Rookie of the Year or making the All-Rookie First Team.
I wanted to shoot 80% or better from the free-throw line.
.
.
.
On the way back to our lodging somewhere in Incheon after training, my roommate Subin was unusually talkative.
“Hyung, did you see that? Everyone was glancing at us with such envy. Senior Heo Seung-won especially looked like he was dying inside.”
Tap tap tap tap! I kept typing rapidly on my phone as I answered.
“That’s only natural. It wasn’t just any players. It was Korver and Horford.”
“Exactly. And the fact that both of them taught us so sincerely without seeming annoyed made the seniors insanely jealous. After training they kept asking me what advice we got.”
“What did you tell them?”
“I gave them a vague answer. They said next time something like this happens, we should call them too. They know you won’t call them, hyung.”
Subin seemed completely enchanted by how kind Korver and Horford had been. Since he lacked social skills himself, he greatly admired players like them.
“I’m jealous of you, hyung. You get to train and play games with players like that now.”
“Yeah.”
I had recently learned that besides Denver, Houston had also been interested in drafting me.
If I had ended up in Houston, things probably wouldn’t have been like this.
‘I hear James Harden has a cold personality…’
Of course, that was just a rumor. Still, it was clear that Atlanta’s team atmosphere was on the warmer side.
The head coach was kind too.
“Sigh… I want to play in Atlanta too…”
“Keep working hard. I heard that once you’ve been in the league a while, you’re allowed to bring in outside training partners during preseason. If the chance comes up, I’ll call you during the offseason so we can train together.”
“Okay. Thanks, hyung.”
Tap tap tap tap! I sent another message.
Subin, who had been about to go shower, raised an eyebrow.
“Talking to your girlfriend again?”
“No, someone from Atlanta. I was thanking them for sending Korver and Horford. We talked about the schedule for the next game. I said I wanted to play before those two leave the country if possible. It’d be good for them to see me in a real game.”
“…! So what did they say?”
I showed him the screen.
“Permission granted.”
My national team debut game had been confirmed.
Second game of the group stage round of 16.
It would be against the Philippines.