"Tears burst → Silence for 40 seconds." SK manager Jeon Hee-chul said, "Players this season are really..." [KBL PO Media Day Site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Jeon Hee-chul (53), head coach of Seoul SK, finally blurred his words and wiped away hot tears. He poured out his emotions that made him speechless for about 40 seconds in response to a single question.

KBL hosted the 2025-2026 LG Electronics Professional Basketball Playoff (PO) Media Day held at the KBL Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 10th.

After Media Day, the coaches and representative players of each club conducted interviews with reporters. Coach Jeon Hee-chul and Eddie Daniel (19), a promising player born in 2007, were interviewed together.

Coach Jeon Hee-chul, who usually has a roaring personality, suddenly burst into tears during a Q&A session with reporters. When asked about the smooth season process by the reporters, he could not hide his overwhelming emotions.

SK's Kim Nak-hyun, who was ambitiously recruited as the main guard this season, has not played in good condition due to injuries throughout the regular season, and Ahn Young-joon, the core of the team, is in such a bad calf condition that he cannot even guarantee whether he will play in this PO. On top of that, even option 1 Jamil Warney has to play with a bone bruise injury.

Coach Jeon Hee-chul said, "Honestly, the end of this season is not refreshing, but our players are really... this season." "There were also a lot of injuries in the squad. In addition, there were a number of problems in the middle of the season. It was a season with so many variables, but the players held up well. I thank you so much as a coach," he said, then bowed his head and shed tears for about 40 seconds.

Daniel, who watched it from the side, said, "Coach Jeon Hee-chul treats me really well. Even when I first came to the professional league and had a big age difference with my older brothers, the director always took care of me carefully," he said, becoming solemn with director Jeon Hee-chul's sincerity.

However, coach Jeon Hee-chul was at the center of controversy in the last game of the regular league this season. SK was in a situation where third or fourth place was confirmed depending on the final match result with Anyang Jeonggwanjang. According to the six-tier playoff (PO) regulations, the third place will face the sixth place and the fourth place will face the fifth place to decide to advance to the semifinals, and SK was suspected of losing the match on purpose.

He was also suspicious at the end of the match between SK and the Junggwanjang. Two free throws turned away from the rim 13 seconds before the end of the game, and in the ensuing defense situation, he easily allowed two points in the final, and in the last attack situation, he shot late and was blocked by the opponent's block.

As a result, SK will face sixth-ranked Goyang Sono in the PO as the fourth place is confirmed. Controversy over the intentional defeat to avoid the fifth-place Busan KCCC deserved to rise. As a result, KBL decided to hold a financial committee meeting on the game between SK and the chairman of the articles of association from 3 p.m. today.

In response, coach Jeon Hee-chul told reporters, "We are sorry that our team is at the center of the controversy. "I will sincerely explain it to the Financial Services Commission," he said. "I think (the controversy over the intentional defeat) will affect the team a little bit. I, as a director, have to take full responsibility. The players bowed their heads, saying, "I just want to focus on PO."

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*This content was translated by AI.