KBL 2016-2017 Season

[CKR13]

New season will open 22nd of October 2016 but the fixtures are to be determined. Goyang won the KBL championship last night and it seems like they are primed for more; hoping to repeat what the Daegu Orions did in 2001-2002.

Free agent cast for this summer is lead by Anyang KGC's Oh Se-Keun, Seoul SK's Kim Sun-Hyung and Goyang's Moon Tae-Jong.

[CKR13]

Seoul SK's Kim Sun-Hyung will be doing summer training in the United States to work on his shooting, conditioning and rehabilitate his ailing shoulder. Basing on his correspondence to Yonhap, Kim regretted what happened last season and is working hard to improve his image and overall skill level. Kim said that he will sit down and talk about free agency when he returns in late April.

[CKR13]

Foreign player tryouts will be held in Las Vegas for the fifth consecutive year. May 1 - 17, 2016.

http://news.mt.co.kr/mtview.php?no=2016040111185892065&type=1&MSPN

[CKR13]

After several weeks of news that there was a slight chance that KCC Egis will relocate to Suwon, today the team released a press release confirming that they will stay in their current local.

Good decision as local support has been strong this year.

[CKR13]

Bang Sung-Yoon is attempting another comeback with the Seoul SK Knights.

http://m.koreadaily.com/news/read.asp?art_id=4212439&referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com.ph%2F

In this article, Head coach Moon Kyeung-Eun applauds his decision but admits that there are factors to be overcame:

1. Bang's health
2. Off-court issues
3. Roster needs

Bang retired after the 2011-2012 season due to a season ending injury on his MCL. He attempted a comeback in 2013 and 2014 but was not registered in the KBL. Seoul SK is a stockpiled veteran team with the likes of Min-Soo, Sandrin brothers and Hee-Jung. If Bang is really healthy, he can still shoot despite his lack of lift. That one on one skill is no longer there but he can still shoot, something that SK could use if healthy.

[CKR13]

The 2016 KBL Free Agents List

http://mbn.mk.co.kr/pages/news/newsView.php?news_seq_no=2868864

Yang Dong-Geun of Ulsan is expected to sign a new three year contract with Ulsan.

[CKR13]

Moon Tae-Jong made it known publicly that he wants to play one more season with the Goyang Orions. Most likely Goyang will sign him to a smaller one year deal before he retires.

[CKR13]

Foreign player consignment for the 2016-2017 season:

1Q = 1
2Q = 2
3Q = 2
4Q = 1

Serpentine:

R1 = 1-2-2-1
R2 = 2-2-1-1
R3 = 2-1-2-1

[CKR13]

Yang Dong-Geun got a three year max deal in re-signing with Mobis. Management promised to go younger in order to make the team challenging again. Yang's contract will expire 2019 and the following year, Yoo Jae-Hak's contract.

Kim Sun-Hyung got a five year deal with his max re-signing with Seoul SK. Kim's contract runs until 2021 summer.

Goyang re-signed two wingers who were vital to their championship last season: shooter Heo il-Young and Moon Tae-Jong whom expressed one more season before retiring.

[CKR13]

Changwon LG Sakers will have a two game exhibition game against collegiate powerhouse Korea University lead by Lee Jong-Hyun. Management will get Kim Jong-Kyu to play alongside an LG team mainly without its veterans. In place are the project players and a couple of tryout players.

[sickgal]

Changwon LG Sakers will have a two game exhibition game against collegiate powerhouse Korea University lead by Lee Jong-Hyun. Management will get Kim Jong-Kyu to play alongside an LG team mainly without its veterans. In place are the project players and a couple of tryout players.

Hi! Has the game taken place?

[CKR13]

Hi! Has the game taken place?

Yes it did. Highlights: http://tvcast.naver.com/v/920614

We'll be seeing more of their match ups in the near future.

[sickgal]

Yes it did. Highlights: http://tvcast.naver.com/v/920614

We'll be seeing more of their match ups in the near future.

Thanks for sharing the link. Appreciate It!

[sickgal]

Come across an article in Korean language which says Kim Tae Sool is traded to Samsung... Is it a speculation or it's been confirmed ?

[DarknessFalls]

Interesting story about Korean-American, Benjamin Kil.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/benjamin-kil-korean-basketball-league-second-chance-dream-n561976

Benjamin Kil spends six to eight hours a day in the gym, lifting weights, working on his cardio, and doing footwork drills under the supervision of NBA and NCAA trainers. When he finally gets home at night, the training doesn't stop. In addition to his work in the weight room, Kil spends his evenings learning to speak Korean in hopes of playing in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) — one of the premier overseas leagues and a destination for former college stars and NBA players.

When Kil enters the KBL 2016 foreign player draft in Las Vegas in July, it'll be his second attempt to revive the dreams he had put on the back burner years ago.

"Basketball didn't just come back into my life for no reason," he told NBC News. "I'm truly blessed and ready for the opportunities ahead. Playing basketball in my parent's home country will be something that I will be very proud of."

Kil has wanted to be a basketball player his entire life. In 2011, he led his high school team to the best record in school history and was later recruited to play for the Division I NCAA team at the University of Detroit-Mercy as well as at Division III Adrian College. He has also played on a top-five nationally ranked team in the Amateur Athletic Union and was scouted as a prospect by several teams in the NBA Development League.

But when he got to Detroit, Kil was told that he would not play, instead filling the bench behind Ray McCallum, Jr., now a guard in the NBA. Feeling discouraged, Kil decided to leave his spot on the roster his freshman year, focusing instead on studying for a career in business. He said being a target of racial jokes during games in high school and college also played a role in his decision to stop pursuing basketball.

"It honestly made me feel like I wasn't good enough," Kil said. "I think I was emotionally worn out from feeling discouraged and feeling like there was no support besides my family. All I wanted to do was play basketball. I just kind of shut down and stopped there."


After college, Kil worked in sales at Denso, one of Japan's largest automotive suppliers. But despite his success, Kil said he could not completely remove the sport from his life. He continued to play recreationally, and had support from his former trainers and an agent who wanted to sign Kil to his agency.

"Athletically, Ben tests off the charts," Randy Young, an assistant strength trainer at Eastern Michigan University, told NBC News. "Having worked with hundreds of Division I athletes and professional athletes, Ben is right near the top in regards to his athletic potential. He would not have and has not had trouble competing at the highest level possible."

"His athletic ability is a God given gift, and I recognized it in him at an early age," Will Vance, Kil's former high school coach and a current NBA trainer, told NBC News. "I have not seen a kid in the eighth grade as athletic as Ben."

While Kil has never formally played college basketball, his willingness to give up everything for a NBA dream still keeps him going.

In July, Kil will not be competing against Korean-born players, but against players from the United States and pros in European leagues. Former stars, including Ron Howard, former guard at Marquette University; Ira Clark, former star at the University of Texas; Ricardo Ratliffe, former Missouri forward; and former Los Angeles Lakers guard Smush Parker are among some of the American stars who have participated in the KBL draft. Kil is currently looking to become naturalized to be eligible for selection and continuing his pursuit of playing professional basketball.

"I would love to play and represent my heritage, it's something I've learned to be proud of especially being a Korean-American basketball player living in the states," Kil said. "I hope that one of the teams will take a chance on me that I know they won't regret."