Wonju DB Promi won 107-103 against Suwon KT Sonic Boom in the 2023-2024 professional basketball regular league held at Wonju Gymnasium on the 14th.
DB lifted the regular league trophy again for the first time in five years. It is a wire-to-wire victory that has never come down from the top spot.
To that extent, DB’s regular league was perfect. At the center was Captain Kang Sang-jae. As a captain for the first time this season, Kang completed 120 percent of his duties.
Kang Sang-jae said, “The reason why I was able to win was because all the team members played more than 100% of their roles in their respective positions. In a way, no one talked about us as the favorite before the season, but I think we showed a performance close to the super team, so I was able to achieve the result of winning.”
After achieving severe weight loss ahead of this season, Kang successfully transitioned to a small forward. As a result, he has become a more perfect player in offense and defense.
Kang Sang-jae said, “Even before the start of the off-season, I thought that DB’s performance was up to me. I was in a position where I had to deal with the change of position, so I made a big change while losing nearly 10 kilograms and it was effective. It’s not close to perfection, but I think I was able to achieve the result of winning because I showed some activity and performance in position 3.”
The KBL award ceremony, which will be held after the end of the regular season, has already made DB players stand out as candidates for the award have been mentioned. Kang is the most likely MVP candidate of the regular season along with teammate Ethan Albano.
“I don’t think it’s an award that anyone can win unless they are the winning team,” Kang said. “I had a great opportunity during my career, and Albano did a great job, but of course, I have no choice but to be greedy because I am a professional player. I really want to get one.” he did not hide his greed.
Kang Sang-jae, one of the future players of Korean basketball, was called one of the “Big Three” along with Jonghyun Lee and Choi Jun-yong at the time of the draft. It took quite a long time for him to fully display his talent.
“It is true that I also doubted myself while preparing for the offseason. I thought it was my last chance in basketball life, and I believed in the coach and prepared well, but I was able to achieve good results. There were players who did well enough in their respective positions, not me. This season was up to me. I think I will be able to become more perfect players from now on.”