Seok-pan, CEO of KB, Kim Wan-soo wanted to show his improvement...I'm sorry
Sep 07, 2025
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Cheongju KB Stars lost 73-78 in the semifinals of the '2025 Park Shin-ja Cup' against Fujitsu Red Wave (Japan) at Sajik Gymnasium in Busan on the 6th. He bowed his head at the threshold of advancing to the finals.
After the game, coach Kim said, "(Among Korean teams), only KB made it to the finals. Even on behalf of Korea, I wanted to go to the finals and show that I've improved my basketball, but I'm sorry I couldn't. Injuries left three players. More than three to four key players were missing. It was a difficult game in the beginning, but I followed it. It would have been a good experience for the players. Young players have improved a lot. I felt it again through this competition. Kang Yi-seul 'You've improved a lot even though you're old', and Heo Ye-eun 'You've improved a lot' (laughs). I think the main players have also improved a lot. There is still one game left, but I think it will remain in a good way."
KB aimed to regain the top spot for the first time in four years following 2021. The sense of responsibility was even greater as he was the only Korean team to reach the semifinals. There were injury variables. 'Ace'Park Ji-soo injured his shoulder at the FIBA Women's Basketball Asia Cup and is concentrating on rehabilitation. During the competition, Lee Chae-eun, Lee Yun-mi, and Na Yoon-jung were left due to injuries one after another.
On this day, KB was pushed by 21 points at one point in the game. But he pulled the reins of the chase until the end. At the end of the fourth quarter, they followed by a three-point gap. However, he did not get over the last hurdle.
Coach Kim said, `I feel like the players are getting better as they play in the competition. What's unfortunate is that there's an injured player. I think it will be better if we develop our defense, offense, confidence, and will as we are now. They are professional players. I think it will be better if the technical part is combined. I think the team's atmosphere will be better during the season."
KB is expected to gain stronger power when injured players such as Park Ji-soo return. This is why some people consider KB as a 'super team'. Director Kim said, `I'm trying to get rid of the pressure. They're all good players, but even if they're together, the super team can't do it without teamwork. The most important thing for a leader is to bring chemistry together. I think that should be done first. He said, "I only look at the present rather than the burden and think about the future later.'
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
