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Brothers Heo Hoon and Heo Ung join forces at Busan KCC Egis

Published: 25 Sep. 2025, 10:21 Updated: 25 Sep. 2025, 20:16

Busan KCC Egis's Heo Ung, left, and Heo Hoon pose during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at the team's training center in Yongin, Gyeonggi on July 14. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]

Brothers Heo Ung and Heo Hoon, sons of Korean basketball legend Hur Jae, will finally share the same jersey in the upcoming 2025-26 KBL season at Busan KCC Egis, where their father coached from 2005 to 2010.

The JoongAng Ilbo met the two Egis guards at the club’s training center in Yongin, Gyeonggi on July 14 ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Both brothers use a different a romanization of their surname than their father, Hur Jae. Heo Ung, 32, is the elder brother.

They bicker like longtime teammates. In May, Heo Hoon left Suwon KT Sonicboom and joined Egis as a free agent, putting the two brothers on the same pro team for the first time.

"I used to come to the Egis gym often when my father coached, so I felt comfortable right away," Heo Hoon said. "My brother already plays here, so I had no trouble settling in."

Heo Ung described their reunion on the same team as being just as natural.

"We always faced each other as pros, but we played together with the national team, so nothing feels awkward," Heo Ung said.

Egis has stacked talent beyond the brothers, including small forward Choi Jun-yong and power forward Song Kyo-chang, and fans are already calling the roster a “super team.”

The Busan club finished ninth out of 10 last season and lacked a point guard to lead the offense. Heo Hoon will now take on that role alongside shooting guard Heo Ung.

"My strength is shooting," Heo Ung said. "My brother knows that better than anyone, and his arrival will create real synergy."

Busan KCC Egis's Heo Ung, right, and Heo Hoon pose during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at the team's training center in Yongin, Gyeonggi on July 14. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]

Heo Hoon agreed, pointing out that their skills fit together more than they overlap.

“Even in a family, a look doesn’t tell you everything,” Heo Hoon said. “I will make the passes I do best, and Ung will take the shots he does best.”

Questions remain over whether a lineup of strong personalities can maintain cohesion.

“I know people worry about teamwork,” Heo Hoon said. “We have a lot of stars, but most of us have already achieved enough. Nobody will break chemistry for personal stats. We will sacrifice to bring out each other’s strengths. In the end, I need to play well. I've sharpened my game.”

Off the court, the brothers move as one, but on the court they turn into rivals. They even try to outlift each other by a pound (2.2 pounds) in the weight room.

"We compete to see who is stronger," Heo Hoon said. "I always try to lift more than my brother, and I needle him: 'Already tired? Is that all the energy you have?'"

The playful rivalry pushes both brothers to train harder.

"I feel more driven when I compete with Hoon," Heo Ung said. "I’m the older brother, so I can’t lose. Thanks to that, I built a more muscular body."

The brothers share a dream of winning a title together. Heo Hoon has a regular-season Most Valuable Player award, but he has yet to lift a championship trophy.

"I moved from Sonicboom to Egis to win," Heo Hoon said. "Egis won before, and I believe this team can win again. I'm only thinking about a double crown this season."

The 2025–26 KBL season tips off on Oct. 3, when Egis faces the Seoul Samsung Thunders.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]