*This content was translated by AI.
A wind of change is blowing through Seoul Samsung, which has finished last in the KBL for five consecutive seasons. Newly appointed head coach Kim Sang-sik is methodically reshaping the team, starting with stabilizing the players' morale.
In a phone interview with StarNews on the 7th, Coach Kim said, "The players are working very hard. If there are shortcomings, they make great efforts to improve them." He added, "I am also having many conversations with the players and pointing out areas that need improvement to guide the team's atmosphere effectively."
Earlier, Samsung officially announced the appointment of Coach Kim Sang-sik on the 16th of last month. After parting ways with former coach Kim Hyo-beom in April, Samsung found a new head coach after about three months.
Preparing for the season is not an easy situation. Coach Kim took charge at a somewhat late stage, and there were also departures from the roster. National team center Lee Won-seok and sixth man guard Park Seung-jae recently enlisted in the military (Army). Additionally, 'ace' Lee Dae-sung must focus on long-term rehabilitation. Coach Kim explained the current situation by saying, "We have not added any players; instead, three players have left."
Conversely, the eyes of the remaining players have changed even more. For players who previously had few opportunities to play, this is also a chance to earn the new coach's trust and leap into starting roles.
Coach Kim acknowledged that the internal competition within the Samsung squad has become even fiercer. He stated, "I have not been with Samsung for a month yet. Right now, I am in the stage of understanding the players, identifying their strengths to maximize them, and working hard to correct any weaknesses."
He continued, "With a new coach arriving, the team atmosphere must have changed as well. The players likely feel they need to perform well enough to catch my eye."
He added, "That is why players who had limited playing time in the past are now making great efforts to seize opportunities. Rather than singling out one player as working especially hard, I would say everyone is working diligently right now," he praised.
This change is even more welcome given Samsung's recent situation.
Samsung has been mired in deep slump for a long time. Although it is a traditional powerhouse representing the KBL, it has finished last in the regular season 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.
Several head coaches have tried to rebuild Samsung's legacy over the years, but results were not favorable. Current Busan KCC coach Lee Sang-min and former coach Eun Hee-seok stepped down amid poor performance, and Kim Hyo-beom, who was once hailed as a promising young coach, also resigned after the last season without achieving a turnaround.
Now Coach Kim has taken over the baton. From the moment he arrived, Coach Kim emphasized realistic goals rather than flashy promises. The first priority is to break the chain of finishing last for the past five years.
The players share the same sense of urgency. Coach Kim said, "There are players who joined midway and others who have been here from the start, but I think they all share the same mindset as me. Since we finished last for so long, the players likely feel that things cannot continue like this anymore. I feel the same way."
He further emphasized, "Although various circumstances make this not an easy situation, both I and the players are quite motivated to overcome this challenge together."
After retiring as a player, Coach Kim built his coaching career starting as senior coach at Anyang SBS-KT&G, then serving as senior coach and head coach at Daegu Orions, and later as senior coach at Seoul Samsung.
Notably, he led the South Korean men's national basketball team from 2018 to 2021. He also has experience reaching the top. After being appointed as the 10th head coach of Anyang KGC Ginseng Corporation (now Jung Kwan Jang) in 2022, he achieved a championship sweep by winning both the regular season and the championship finals in his first season.
The chemistry with the coaching staff is also expected to be strong. On the 23rd of last month, coach Cho Sung-min, a former national team shooter who has worked closely with Coach Kim for a long time, joined Samsung. Coach Lee Jeong-seok, who played for Samsung during his playing days, will also assist Coach Kim.
Regarding coach Cho Sung-min, Coach Kim said, "When I was appointed at Jung Kwan Jang, we won the championship and the EASL title together. He is a coach who knows me well." He added, "We can understand each other just by looking into each other's eyes; he knows what I want, and I know how Cho Sung-min thinks, so our chemistry is excellent."
He also has a long-standing connection with coach Lee Jeong-seok. Coach Kim stated, "Although we have never served together as head coach and assistant coach, when I was a coach at KT&G, he was a player. We were also teammates when I was senior coach at Samsung." He expressed satisfaction by saying, "We are not strangers to each other."
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*This content was translated by AI.
