Kim Dan-bi, who is the world's '17th consecutive All-Star', is also agonizing over the period of retirement, but her skills are still 'eight-eight' [Busan site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Dan-bi (36, Asan Woori Bank Woori WON), who built the "17th consecutive All-Star" tower. He is old enough to think about saying goodbye, but his performance is still far from retirement.

Kim Dan-bi will play as a member of "Team Ponyble" (coach Park Jung-eun, coach Kim Wan-soo and Choi Yoon-ah) in the BNK Financial Group 2025-2026 Women's Professional Basketball All-Star Game at Sajik Indoor Gymnasium in Busan on the 4th.

In the results of the All-Star fan vote announced on the 18th of last month, Kim Dan-bi ranked second with a total of 19,874 votes. It is only 41 votes away from No. 1 Saki Ijima (34, Hana Bank, 19,915 votes), the smallest vote gap ever since the 2017-2018 season, when 100% of the fan vote began to be reflected in earnest.

Although Kim Dan-bi did not rank No. 1 in the 9th All-Star fan vote in his career, Kim Dan-bi has been selected as many as 17 consecutive All-Stars, including this year. A long time has passed since Park Jung-eun (49), BNK coach Choi Yoon-ah (41), Shinhan Bank coach Ha Sang-yoon (50), and others were active players in the 2009-2010 season when he was selected as the first All-Star.

Kim Dan-bi, who met with Star News at the W-Festival held the day before the All-Star Game, said, "It's already the 17th consecutive time. I think time goes by very quickly, and I wonder if it's already like this," he said. When he mentioned his teammate Lee Min-ji (20), who was selected for the first time this year, he laughed and said, "When I first entered, there were older sisters who had more than 10 times."

Kim Dan-bi said to the players, including Lee Min-ji, who are going to the All-Star Game for the first time this year, "I wasn't a fun player because I had a talent. He was a player who constantly tried to meet his fans and tried to repay them. I hope that the players will always smile and greet their fans with a grateful heart. Then it will be possible to go beyond the 17th inning to the 20th inning," he said.

In this year's All-Star Game, Kim Jong-un (39, Hana Bank), who ranks first in WKBL's career points (8,404 points) and appearances (603 games, 4 days or more), will participate for the last time before retirement. Kim Dan-bi, who shared a meal with the national team and Woori Bank, said, "I still don't feel real because I'm playing, but I think I'll have to do a retirement ceremony." I can do more just by looking at the physical, but I think there will be other hardships for my sister. I respect your choice," he said.

Kim Dan-bi herself cannot help but think about retiring as she is already in her late 30s. "It's been a little while since I thought about it," he said with a smile. "If that's the time, I'll tell you before the season and do my best at the end."

I can't help but think about practical reasons. Kim Dan-bi said, "I don't know if I'm alone, but since I'm married, there's something I need to think about the second generation. Just because I want to play alone doesn't mean I can play," he said. After watching the U-girl players who participated in the W-Festival, he joked, "Now I'm at the age of being a parent, not a player," and said, "I feel that little by little."

The skill is such that you don't have to worry about retirement. This season, Kim Dan-bi played an average of 34 minutes and 38 seconds in 14 games, scoring 17.5 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He ranked first in rebounds, second in scores, fourth in assists, and fourth in blocks (1.1). In particular, he was named MVP in the second round, and Woori Bank, which was tied for the lowest (1 win and 4 losses) in the first round, succeeded in returning to the middle at once with 4 wins and 1 loss in the second round.

Looking back on the first half, Kim Dan-bi said, "I think I'm going back and forth. I go to the worst, and I feel fortunate, and then I go back to the worst. It's a season that feels like riding a roller coaster," he said. Wi Sung-woo (55), manager of Woori Bank, also said, "It's the first season like this," and Kim Dan-bi said, "I've been first and last as a player. I don't think everything is everlasting, he said. "If we continue steadily, we will find the middle of us."

Last year, Woori Bank also suffered from the departure of Park Ji-hyun (26, Tokomanawa), Choi Yi-sam (32, Shinhan Bank), and Park Hye-jin (36, BNK), but rather won the regular league title. As a result, expectations were inevitably high this year. "It was a season where I poured everything I had," Kim Dan-bi said. "It was a season that attracted not 100% but up to 200%, and even the soul. That's why I feel pressured to do as much as I did last year," he confessed.

"It's not easy (to put it down). I don't know if the players do everything and step back a little, but I don't think I can do it yet because that's not the case," he said, showing his responsibility.

Still, there are players who can help Kim Dan-bi. In particular, Kang Gye-ri (33), Yoo Seung-hee (32), Park Hye-mi (31), and Han Um-ji (28), who played with Shinhan Bank, know Kim Dan-bi well and follow him as he wants. Kim Dan-bi smiled, saying, "I thought I'd never see you again, but I'll see you again."

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*This content was translated by AI.