Wonju DB won 107-103 against Suwon KT in the sixth round of the 2023-2024 professional basketball competition held at Wonju Gymnasium on Wednesday after a close game in overtime. With the victory, the team ranked first in the regular league regardless of the outcome of the remaining games.
It is the seventh time in his career that DB has won a regular league title. Including his time as a full-time coach, he ranked first in the regular league in the 2003-2004 season, the 2004-2005 season, the 2007-2008 season, the 2011-2012 season, the 2017-2018 season, and the 2019-2020 season. He also secured the regular league title in 48 games, tying as the second highest in KBL history. Manager Kim Ju-seong became the fifth manager to rank No. 1 in the regular league in his first season after his official debut.
Wonju Gymnasium attracted 3,499 spectators. Though not all sold out, many fans joined the event to share the moment when DB ranked No. 1 in the regular league for the first time in four years. When the championship was confirmed, fans cheered and stayed until the championship ceremony was over.
When the regular league championship was confirmed, all DB players exited the court and enjoyed the joy. They wore T-shirts and hats to celebrate their victory. The regular league trophy was delivered to captain Kang Sang-jae, and the prize money of 100 million won was awarded to manager Kim Joo-sung.
The highlight of the victory ceremony was the rinse time. Starting with manager Kim Joo-sung, team owner Chung Jong-pyo, general manager Kwon Soon-cheol, DB Group Chairman Kim Nam-ho and captain Kang Sang-jae were also given the rinse time. Notably, Kang was also kicked with joy by his teammates.
Coach Kim Joo-sung, who was holding the microphone, said, “I think all the fans in Wonju, not me, made it happen. I really worked hard until I won the championship. I will do my best to win the championship, so please cheer me on. Thank you.” 토토사이트 추천
Captain Kang Sang-jae said, “The driving force behind this season’s win was the fans’ full support of the stadium. No one thought of him as a favorite before the season, but I thought I could win the title if I did my best as I aimed. If you fill up the stadium until the playoffs and cheer for me, I will repay you with a unified championship,” he thanked his fans.
Meanwhile, the faces who shared the DB’s old glory, including Han Soon-cheol and Kim Hyun-ho, former secretary-general, visited the gym and shone at the site. They enjoyed the joy of winning the championship by performing a victory ceremony and taking commemorative photos.