LG Kwanhee Lee
“We are all professionals, and things can happen between professionals. The trade was concluded because our respective interests coincided, so I have no special feelings toward the LG club.”
Lee Kwan-hee, who is leaving professional basketball team Changwon LG, said clearly in a phone call with Yonhap News on the 4th that he had no feelings of disappointment or regret about the club.
On this day, Lee Kwan-hee changed teams with Wonju DB Doo Kyung-min. Lee Kwan-hee, who played as a key player in LG for four seasons, now wears the DB uniform.
Lee Kwan-hee reflected, “It may seem good to see my relationship with director Cho Sang-hyun, but in fact, it must have been difficult for the director to get along with me. It wasn’t easy for me to get along with the director either.”
He then smiled and said, “They contacted me to ask me to have a meal next week, but I’m busy so I don’t know if I’ll be able to eat.”
LG, led by coach Cho Sang-hyun, was a team that ranked first in the fewest points conceded (76.9 points) last season, ranked second in the regular league, and advanced to the semifinals of the playoffs (PO) thanks to its unique sticky defense.
However, Director Cho chose a fundamental change. LG, which sent Lee Jae-do to Goyang Sono and received Jeon Seong-hyeon, also changed Lee Kwan-hee and Doo Gyeong-min.
The last scene Lee Kwan-hee saw at LG was the sobbing of Justin Gutang and other colleagues. LG was ahead by 16 points in the first half of the final 5th game of the PO final of the 2023-2024 season, but ended the season with a false come-from-behind defeat.
It was the fans who visited Changwon Gymnasium that comforted the players who could not shake off their disappointment at the time. Fans waiting outside the stadium talked to Gutang and Assem Marey and gave them encouragement.
Lee Kwan-hee, who was on the bench in the final moments of the game, said, “I remember the moment when I had no choice but to watch the team lose from outside the court. I gained many fans while I was here during my heyday, and I want to say that I am so sorry for leaving like this.” said.
He added, “Unprepared separation from friends hurts. But if there is a separation, there is a meeting, and if there is a meeting, there is a separation. I am making up my mind to be calm,” and added, “Right now, all I can think about is that I have to do well in DB.”
DB, which brought in Lee Kwan-hee, was the winning team in the regular league last season. In the new season, we aim to win the championship.
They maintained their strength by retaining the regular league MVPs Lee Seon Albano, Kang Sangjae, and Kim Jonggyu.
Lee Kwan-hee laughed, saying, “Albano said he enjoyed watching Netflix during the season.” He garnered a lot of attention by appearing in Season 3 of Netflix’s original dating program ‘Solo Hell’.
Lee Kwan-hee said, “I need a player like Albano on the team so I can be motivated to do well as a player. It will be difficult for me to be as good as Albano, but it will be difficult for Albano to beat me in a one-on-one match. I hope we can help each other by practicing a lot.” .
Lee Kwan-hee, who said, “I never thought I would wear a green uniform,” laughed and said, “I’m not that strange and scary person, so I hope DB will look at me favorably.”
Unlike Lee Kwan-hee, who found meaning in saying goodbye to LG, Doo Kyung-min said that a ‘new beginning’ was meaningful.
Doo Kyung-min, who was considered the best offensive guard in the league, including winning MVP in the 2017-2018 season, only played in 11 regular league games last season due to injuries and disagreements with the coach.
Doo Kyung-min, who is seeking a comeback at LG, said, “The trade was made because our interests were aligned. I also had something to accomplish, and fortunately, I ended up working with a good coach. I hope we have a good season.”
Doo Kyung-min said that Coach Cho had a great influence on his choice of LG.
He said, “We shared everything honestly with each other on a personal level. He talked honestly about the areas he could fit in with me,” and added, “I did not request a trade because of playing time issues. The biggest thing for me was playing for a team that wanted me.”
He added, “You may misunderstand the reason for requesting a trade. I will talk about it (about DB) later when I have the opportunity, but that wasn’t what I was thinking about this time.”
Doo Gyeong-min, who suffered from knee pain, is said to have overcome the injury thanks to not playing properly last season.
Doo Kyung-min said, “I’m in very good physical condition. In fact, I have to say that I had a gap of over a year. So I’m worried (whether I will regain my skills). I think training this off-season will be really important for me.” said.
He added, “I think the reason LG brought me in was to challenge for the championship. I think I’ll have to work hard to make that happen,” and added, “There will definitely be trial and error. But if you make the process well, the results will be good.” 고스톱