Wonju DB’s eternal legend Kim Joo-seong presents his first championship in 6 years as a coach

Wonju DB, a professional basketball team, is a prestigious, traditional team representing the KBL. The team has won a total of 5 regular league titles (excluding a tie for 1st place in the 2019-2020 season, which ended early due to the COVID-19 incident), ranking second behind the team with the most wins, Ulsan Hyundai Mobis (7 times). DB’s greatest legend was always with him in those glorious moments. The main character is the current head coach, coach Kim Joo-seong. Coach Kim, who joined TG Sambo (predecessor of DB) as the first overall pick in the 2002 rookie draft, played as DB’s ‘one-club man’ until his retirement in 2018 and enjoyed honors such as winning the league five times and the championship three times. His uniform number ‘32’ also remained permanently retired.

When this legend left active duty, DB also fell away from the top. DB had no relationship with the championship since the 2017-2018 season, when Coach Kim retired. In the end, it hovered in the lower ranks, such as 8th place in the 2021-2022 season and 7th place in the 2022-2023 season. In the end, in order to rebuild the famous team, DB entrusted Manager Kim, who served as interim manager last season in the role of a firefighter, as the official head coach this season. They teamed up again with the legend of the club to recreate the glory of the past.

Coach Kim, who shared all the joys he had as a player, gave DB a championship gift in his first year as head coach. DB confirmed its league championship early by winning 107-103 after a close overtime game in the home game against Suwon KT in the 2023-2024 professional basketball season held at Wonju Sports Complex on the 14th. DB, which recorded 38 wins and 10 losses, widened the gap with second place Changwon LG (30 wins, 17 losses) by 7.5 games and won the championship trophy regardless of the results of the remaining games. DB’s 6th win in 6 years. Including the 2019-2020 season, this is the 7th league record for the club.

With this, Coach Kim became the fifth coach in history to lead the league in first place in his first year in office. The most recent example was when Seoul SK coach Jeon Hee-cheol won the championship in his first year at the helm in the 2021-2022 season.

Initially, DB was not of interest even before the opening of this season. SK, which recruited Oh Se-geun and formed a ‘MVP trio’ with Kim Sun-hyung and Jamil Warney, and Busan KCC, which formed a super team including Choi Jun-yong, Heo Woong, and Song Kyo-chang, were considered strong candidates for the championship. On the other hand, there were many predictions that DB, which ranked 7th last season, would remain in the middle rankings this season.

However, when the season began, DB dominated the league with overwhelming momentum, starting with 7 consecutive wins in the opening season. DB completed the ‘wire to wire’ championship by posting an overwhelming report card, including first place in average scoring (90.8 points) and first place in assists (20.9), never giving up the lead. Confirming first place in the league after 48 games is also the second-highest record in history, following DB (then East)’s 47 games in the 2011-2012 season.

This season, DB players showed off their peak skills. Didrick Lawson emerged as the best foreign player in the league, averaging 22.7 points and 10 rebounds, while domestic big men such as Kim Jong-gyu and Kang Sang-jae also played a role as pillars of the team. In addition, Ethan Albano led the attack with an average of 6.7 assists (1st in the league), and sixth men such as Park In-woong and Kim Young-hyun also performed like Altorans. Albano, Kim Jong-gyu, Kang Sang-jae, etc. are in a family fight for the league MVP position.

On this day, DB and KT had a fierce battle with a score of 96-96 until the fourth quarter, sending the game into overtime. DB, which was ahead 103-101 31 seconds before the end of overtime, won 107-103 with scores from Lawson and Jong-gyu Kim to seal the game, and burst into celebration in front of the home fans for the first time in 6 years. Lawson led the team to victory by scoring 47 points, the most of his career.

Now DB’s eyes turn to the championship trophy. DB, which went straight to the semifinal playoffs (PO), awaits the winner of the semifinal PO played by the 4th and 5th place teams in the league. DB’s last championship victory was during the 2007-2008 season, when Coach Kim played well and won the MVP during his time in the East. Attention is being paid to whether Coach Kim will present DB with a championship trophy.

Wonju = Reporter Jang Han-seo [email protected]

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