Ending his illustrious professional basketball career, Seo Jang-hoon said Thursday he is leaving the game because he could no longer bear the burden of his own competitive fire.

The 38-year-old center hung up his sneakers after a 15-year career for six different teams in the Korean Basketball League.

Over his career, the 207-centimeter-tall center averaged 19.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He is the league’s all-time leader with 13,231 points and 5,235 rebounds.

Seo retired with the Busan-based KT Sonic Boom. He left the court with a bang, scoring a season-high 33 points in his final game on Tuesday.

At the press conference, Seo recalled the basketball court that he’d discovered as a child was a “comfortable sanctuary,” but the ever-growing pressure of competition changed it into a much different place.

“Even when I wasn’t so good, I was always happy just to be on the court,” Seo said. “But I started drawing a lot of attention, and that turned the feeling of happiness into a heavy burden. I was under constant pressure to win, and I would stay up at night, worried that I might do something wrong.”

Seo began playing under the national spotlight as a teenager, then one of the country’s biggest high-school prospects.

Later as a freshman at Yonsei University in Seoul, Seo led the school to the championship at the 1993-1994 Grand Basketball Festival, the premier amateur tournament before the KBL was launched in 1997.

Seo led the tournament in rebounding and was named the MVP.

Dubbed the “National Treasure,” Seo also dominated the pro ranks. He won the league MVP twice and was selected to the first-team KBL All-Star eight times.

Despite the glowing resume, which also included two championship rings, Seo said he walks away with a lot of regrets and said he never deserved such a flattering nickname.

“I’d like to thank all the basketball fans for putting up with me for a long time,” he said.

“I tried as hard as anyone but I don’t think I had enough talent. After every game, win or lose, I always felt I could’ve done more.”

Seo was also known for his short fuse on the court, often clashing with referees over foul calls. That made Seo a polarizing figure among fans, and he apologized for his ill-tempered behavior.

“I played every game thinking there would be so much trouble if I lost,” Seo said.

“I was obsessed with winning, and I felt winning was the best way to serve the fans. I apologize if my behavior made fans feel uncomfortable.”

Seo quipped that the media had been the “biggest rival” of his career and he often let bad press affect his on-court performance.

But he said he isn’t concerned about his legacy.

“I don’t think I can force people to remember me one way or the other,” he said.

“If they remember me fondly, it’s fine. If not, there’s nothing I can do about it.” (Yonhap News)