South Korea · Variety · 2020
Handsome Tigers
Binge Brief
- 12 episodes on SBS, Fridays from 10 January to 27 March 2020
- First win: 75 to 72 over A.T.P., broadcast on 28 February 2020
- Cha Eun Woo wore No. 97; Lee Sang-yoon, No. 7, was captain
- Seo Jang-hoon received the SBS Honorary Employee Award at the 2020 SBS Entertainment Awards, partly for this show
Synopsis
Handsome Tigers (진짜 농구 핸섬타이거즈, literally Real Basketball, Handsome Tigers) was an SBS Friday-night show about a celebrity basketball team that played real amateur opposition. The former basketball star Seo Jang-hoon was head coach and Joy of Red Velvet was team manager. Twelve episodes aired from 10 January to 27 March 2020 in the 11:10 pm slot, produced by Ahn Jae-cheol.
The roster: captain Lee Sang-yoon (No. 7), the team's ace Moon Su-inn (No. 10), Cha Eun Woo (No. 97), Kim Seung-hyun, Seo Ji-seok, Julien Kang, Shorry J, Kang Kyung-joon, Lee Tae-sun and Yoo Seon-ho, with Kang In-soo and Jeon Ji-hoon also on the final roster. At the press conference on 9 January 2020 Seo said he had kept out anyone who came up through elite sport, because former athletes did not fit what the show was trying to do.
The first match ended in a 66 to 88 defeat by Whimoon Middle School. Practice games followed against a street team, the Goyang City Hall side and a company team, and in February the Tigers entered SBS's national amateur championship. The first win came against A.T.P., a workplace team of teachers from the Gyeonggi education office, 75 to 72, in the episode of 28 February. After that came a loss to Korea University's ZOO, a training camp in Sokcho and a game against the Owls. The last episode gathered the squad after the season, and captain Lee Sang-yoon cried at something Seo told them.
Cha Eun Woo did not score in the opening game, and the second episode showed Seo giving him one-on-one shooting lessons; the same week he was named MVP of an internal practice game. Against ZOO on 6 March he hit three-pointers.
Why it still gets watched
It is short and has a shape: one team, one season, from a heavy first defeat to a first win and a tournament, so it can be watched end to end in a weekend. For Cha Eun Woo it was also a bridge between jobs: three weeks after the last episode he joined Master in the House.
Handsome Tigers cast
Filming locations
Four of the eight recorded matches were played at Kyung Hee University's gym. The others were at Yonsei University, Goyang Gymnasium, West Suwon Chilbo Gymnasium and Bucheon Gymnasium. The training camp in episode 10 was held in Sokcho, Gangwon Province.
Themes and messages
The Korean title opens with 진짜 농구, real basketball, and the show kept to it. Every opponent was a real team, scores were kept, and the Tigers lost their first four recorded matches before beating A.T.P.
Interesting facts
- Warm water and group chats. At the 9 January 2020 press conference Cha said training was physically hard but he was glad to think about nothing except basketball, and that teammates sent each other photos of themselves loosening their muscles in warm water between other jobs.
- A strict coach. At the same event he said Seo Jang-hoon was stern in practice and that this showed how seriously Seo takes the game.
- A visit from Son Ji-chang. Son Ji-chang, billed by SBS as a basketball icon, dropped in on the team during the A.T.P. game episode (28 February 2020).
Episodes
| Ep | Title | Air date | Status | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seo Jang-hoon introduced his team and its goal of an amateur title, and the first game was against Whimoon Middle School. | 2020-01-10 | Aired | |
| 2 | After a scoreless debut Cha Eun Woo got one-on-one coaching from Seo, and the squad split in two for an internal practice game. | 2020-01-17 | Aired | |
| 3 | Kang Kyung-joon played with his son, then the team took on a street side of foreign players in a rough practice game. | 2020-01-24 | Aired | |
| 4 | New players arrived through tryouts, and the team played the Goyang City Hall side. | 2020-01-31 | Aired | |
| 5 | Seo brought in new tactics, and ace Moon Su-inn was forced off injured with the championship coming up. | 2020-02-07 | Aired | |
| 6 | SBS announced the draw for its national amateur championship, and the team played a company side. | 2020-02-14 | Aired | |
| 7 | The first preliminary game began, against A.T.P., a workplace team of Gyeonggi education office teachers. | 2020-02-21 | Aired | |
| 8 | The A.T.P. game swung back and forth to the end and the Tigers won 75 to 72; Son Ji-chang came to visit. | 2020-02-28 | Aired | |
| 9 | Second preliminary game, against Korea University's ZOO, with Moon Su-inn and Cha Eun Woo shooting from outside. | 2020-03-06 | Aired | |
| 10 | Training camp in Sokcho: a quiz run by manager Joy, beach basketball, a cooking contest and a half-court shooting challenge. | 2020-03-13 | Aired | |
| 11 | The Tigers played the Owls, one of the strongest amateur clubs in the field. | 2020-03-20 | Aired | |
| 12 | With the games over, the team gathered to talk, and captain Lee Sang-yoon cried at what Seo told them. | 2020-03-27 | Aired |
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | SBS Entertainment Awards | Special Award: SBS Honorary Employee Award (also for My Little Old Boy and Same Bed, Different Dreams 2) | Seo Jang-hoon | Won |
Frequently asked questions
How many episodes does Handsome Tigers have?
Handsome Tigers has 12 episodes, broadcast by SBS on Fridays from 10 January to 27 March 2020.
Who coached Handsome Tigers?
Former basketball star Seo Jang-hoon coached Handsome Tigers, with Joy of Red Velvet as the team manager.
What number did Cha Eun Woo wear on Handsome Tigers?
Cha Eun Woo wore No. 97 for Handsome Tigers.
Did Handsome Tigers ever win a game?
Yes. Handsome Tigers beat A.T.P., a workplace team of Gyeonggi education office teachers, 75 to 72 in the SBS amateur championship, shown in the episode of 28 February 2020. It was the team's first win.
Who else played for Handsome Tigers?
Besides Cha Eun Woo, the Handsome Tigers players were Lee Sang-yoon (captain), Moon Su-inn, Kim Seung-hyun, Seo Ji-seok, Julien Kang, Shorry J, Kang Kyung-joon, Lee Tae-sun, Yoo Seon-ho, Kang In-soo and Jeon Ji-hoon.
Where can I watch Handsome Tigers?
Outside Korea, TMDB's provider data (checked 3 October 2026) lists Handsome Tigers on Kocowa in most countries it covers; availability changes by country.
If you liked this show
Matched on genre, country and era. Closest first.
