[Interview] 'Championship-winning coach' Kim Sang-sik: "Escaping five consecutive last-place finishes is the top priority"... A thrilling declaration from Seoul Samsung

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Sang-sik (58), the 'unified championship-winning coach,' has taken charge of rebuilding Seoul Samsung, which has finished last for five consecutive years. His first priority is to shed the stigma of being in last place and lay the foundation for a leap forward with fast-paced, thrilling basketball.

In a phone interview with StarNews on the 16th, Coach Kim Sang-sik said, "I am truly grateful to Samsung, which gave me this opportunity. I know what needs to be done. The team's performance has been poor for several years." He added, "We must create a foundation together with the players to quickly change the atmosphere and climb upward. I carry that sense of responsibility."

Samsung officially announced on this day that it had appointed Kim Sang-sik as its new head coach. The Samsung organization explained, "Coach Kim Sang-sik is a leader equipped with basketball philosophy and tactical execution skills accumulated through his long playing career and extensive coaching experience. He has earned deep trust both inside and outside the organization."

Born in 1968, Coach Kim graduated from Yangjeong High School and Korea University before joining Industrial Bank of Korea in 1991 to begin his career in industrial basketball. After retiring, he built his coaching career starting as senior coach at Anyang SBS-KT&G, followed by roles as senior coach and head coach at Daegu Orions, and senior coach at Seoul Samsung.

From 2018 to 2021, he led the South Korean men's national basketball team. He also achieved significant results. In his first season as the 10th head coach of Anyang KGC Ginseng Corporation (now Jung Kwan Jang) in 2022, he secured both the regular league and championship finals titles, achieving a unified championship.

Now, the task given to Coach Kim is to rebuild Samsung, a traditional powerhouse. Although Samsung is known as a historic flagship team representing the KBL, it has finished last for five consecutive seasons recently. It also bears the dishonor of being the first in domestic professional sports history to finish last for five straight years.

Previously, current Busan KCC coach Lee Sang-min and Coach Eun Hee-seok stepped down due to poor performance, while Coach Kim Hyo-beom, who was evaluated as a young leader, could not turn things around and resigned at the end of last season.

Coach Kim emphasized, "Since Samsung has finished last for five years, we must achieve good results in a short period." He stated, "Escaping the stigma of being in last place is the most urgent priority," adding, "After that, we must strive to climb toward even higher goals at an even faster pace."

When asked about the goal of reaching the playoffs, he adopted a cautious stance. Coach Kim said, "Of course, I have ambitions," but added, "Right now, changing the team atmosphere and quickly establishing our identity is most important."

The basketball style Coach Kim pursues for Samsung is fast-paced and thrilling play. Having watched Samsung as a coach of opposing teams until now, he said, "Now that I am the Samsung head coach, I intend to discard any preconceptions." He explained, "While I have some understanding of the current players' strengths and weaknesses, from the perspective of instilling a new identity and strengthening teamwork, I believe it is right to start fresh as if looking at them with a blank slate."

He continued, "Although Samsung has been in the lower ranks for a long time, we must quickly create our own team identity," adding, "Implementing fast-paced, thrilling basketball comes first."

However, the delayed preparation for the new season is undoubtedly a burden. Coach Kim admitted, "It is true that we are quite late." Nevertheless, he said, "Although there isn't much time left, this is also something I must overcome and build upon," adding, "I will do my best for the team."

On this day, Coach Kim joined the player roster to exchange first greetings and check their physical condition. He explained, "Since the players have been training without a head coach until now, we first proceeded with the existing training routines as they were to confirm their physical condition." He added, "Now that I have officially joined the team today, I have not yet fully grasped the overall situation. I am observing the players' training and checking them one by one."

He further emphasized, "Including training, the entire team must quickly return to a normal track."

Finally, he also conveyed a message to Samsung fans. Coach Kim said, "Once again, I am grateful to Samsung for giving me this opportunity," adding, "Even when I was coaching an opposing team, I often saw Samsung fans cheering with great enthusiasm."

He added, "I will show you our best as quickly as possible to meet your expectations. We ask for your continued support."

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*This content was translated by AI.