His twelve-year playing career began during the last years of the amateur era and coincided with the establishment of the Korean Basketball League.
[1][2] He was considered short for his position as a forward-shooting guard swingman, prompting him to find ways to overcome his lack of height.
[5] At Hongik, he first met Lee Sang-min, who would be his Hyundai and Sangmu teammate and professional rival as both players and head coaches.
[4] Initially he thought of accepting the offer from Yonsei University, his father's alma mater, but opted for Myongji since he would be guaranteed playing time.
Cho's scoring prowess and Choo's physicality and shooting accuracy were backed up by Lee's playmaking and passing skills.
[11][12] Cho first gained the reputation as clutch performer; his form was inconsistent at times during the regular season but he would score during crucial moments of the fourth quarter and in the playoffs.
[4][13] He lived up to his reputation for rising to the occasion during the playoffs, averaging 22.2 points in 5 games, as LG reached the Championship finals for the first time in its history.
In a 2021 interview, Cho stated that the last five years of his career was spent dealing with chronic pain as the condition of his knee had deteriorated to the point where he had difficulty climbing stairs for a period of time.
LG had been on track to secure its position at sixth place, the final playoff spot, but lost it to Daegu KOGAS Pegasus after a tight race.