“DB’s revival is our task.”

Professional basketball coach Wonju DB Kim Joo-seong (44), whom I met in Kawasaki Prefecture, Japan, a training camp, showed signs of fatigue around his eyes. DB’s living legend took on the important responsibility of reviving his former glory by taking off the acting manager tag. His contract period is 3 years. Fans hope that the collapsed DB Mountain Fortress will come back to life.

On the 12th, Coach Kim met with a reporter ahead of a practice game with the Ibaraki Robots of the Japanese B League and said, “Every day is a war because I think I can’t disappoint the fans,” adding, “I have a lot of shortcomings as a novice coach, but I trust the players and look forward to the opening game.” He said.

■Important responsibility given to a living legend… Save DB

Coach Kim, who was born in Busan, has spent so many years in Wonju that it is not surprising to say that his hometown is Wonju. That’s because he debuted in Wonju TG Sambo, DB’s predecessor, as the first overall pick in the 2002 rookie draft, and has played for only one team ever since until his retirement in 2018.

DB’s golden age exactly coincides with the time when Coach Kim was on the court. Contributing to winning the championship since his first year of debut, he experienced six regular league wins and three championship wins. He also had the honor of winning the regular league and playoff MVP awards twice each.

Director Kim, who recalled his active days, said, “There were no tears shed at his retirement ceremony. He ran to his heart’s content so that he had no regrets. “I am just beginning my career as a leader, but I hope that I will have the same mindset at the end,” he said.

The environment surrounding DB is never easy. We need to revive the collapsed DB following the footsteps of former coach Lee Sang-beom, who resigned due to poor performance and health issues. DB has been going downhill (9th → 8th → 7th) ever since it finished first in the regular league in the 2019-2020 season when the season was suspended due to COVID-19. Jinnah’s record of 25 games as acting coach during the season was only 11 wins and 14 losses.

Coach Kim said, “For any team, there are good times and bad times,” and “I go with the belief that we can go up again with the players. “I will start the first year with spring basketball and try to be at the top again,” he said emphatically.

A rookie head coach’s enthusiastic first start depends on how he spends the off-season. There should be no gaps from player composition to training and strategy preparation.

Director Kim said, “Now I understand why all the directors have tired faces,” adding, “He is the director because he takes responsibility for even the smallest details. “I even had to make decisions about the players’ accommodations,” he said. He explains that he is able to endure because of the support from head coach Han Sang-min and coach Lee Gwang-jae, who started as a power analyst and have accumulated various experiences in the field.

Coach Kim said, “As I am just starting out as a leader, I am listening not only to the coaches but also to the players. “I hope that this will be a season where I learn and the players learn as well (again),” he emphasized.

■DB Sanseong Season 3 preview… Trust Kim Jong-gyu

Coach Kim’s dream of basketball is becoming a reality day by day depending on the amount of sweat the players shed. It’s nice to see DB’s unique triple tower slowly showing signs of revival. What is important is the performance of captain Sang-jae Kang and national team center center Kim Jong-gyu, who rose from the bottom.먹튀검증

Coach Kim said, “(Kang) Sang-jae’s skills have improved to the point where he can aim for MVP this year, and it is time for (Kim) Jong-gyu to look upward. “I will personally help them when they return from the Hangzhou Asian Games,” he said. “Both players will become free agents (FA) next year.” “The motivation is clear,” he emphasized.

What makes Coach Kim even more confident is the addition of Didrick Lawson, an experienced KBL player. Lawson, who led the spring basketball advance of Goyang Day One (now Sono), which was disbanded due to issues such as non-payment of wages, joined the team, solving the lack of a ball handler and providing more room for under-the-goal operations.

Coach Kim said, “Originally, we were looking for a traditional center, but when we heard that Lawson was on the market, we went without hesitation. “He was different from the first training,” he said with a laugh.

If Garrison Brooks, another foreign player, melts in quickly, he could become a dark horse that will threaten spring basketball. It is now possible to mix big lineups and small lineups. If veteran Doo Kyung-min, who is in rehabilitation, returns healthy, DB’s performance is expected to return to normal.

Coach Kim said he would like to leave one final promise to the fans. “When DB was going through its glory days, DB Fortress was completed twice. This time I want to create a third DB acid. Then, we will be able to look beyond the top 6. “We will return as a DB that fans can be proud of.”