"A staggering 77.8%": In his first season as head coach, he has received unanimous support as a championship contender: "It seems to be a gesture of encouragement and support..." [On-site at Hannam-dong]

*This content was translated by AI.

It is a staggering 77.8%. Lee Gyu-seop, who has newly taken the helm of the Wonju DB Promies, has firmly established himself as a strong championship contender, receiving overwhelming support from fellow head coaches in his debut season as an official head coach.

The head coaches of the 10th KBL teams named their championship contenders at the 2026-2027 KBL Opening Media Day held on the 29th at the Our WON Banking Hall in Blue Square, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

In a vote excluding their own team, DB received votes from as many as 7 out of the 9th other head coaches, achieving an overwhelming support rate of 77.8% and becoming the "public enemy."

Head coach Lee Gyu-seop served as acting head coach for Seoul Samsung in 2022, but this season is his first time facing an opening as a full-fledged head coach. Having accumulated coaching expertise over many years as a coach and head coach at Samsung and Busan KCC, Coach Lee has been designated as the number one target of caution among league head coaches from his first year in the role.

The evaluations from the head coaches were unanimous. Kim Sang-sik, head coach of Samsung, said, "As you all have seen, they seem to be the strongest." Following this, Son Chang-hwan, head coach of Goyang Sono, commented, "Watching DB's diverse offensive routes in the exhibition games, I felt they would be difficult to handle." Jeon Hee-cheol, head coach of SK, also expressed caution, stating, "They have prepared thoroughly without missing anything, from player combinations and transitions to perimeter play tactics. It feels like Lee Gyu-seop has come out with a strong resolve."

Jo Sang-hyun, head coach of LG, Lee Sang-min, head coach of KCC, and Moon Kyung-eun, head coach of KT, all agreed on DB's formidable power. Yoo Do-hoon, head coach of Cheongju Posco (referred to as Jeong Gwan-jang in source), who cast multiple votes, also pointed to DB, noting, "In a situation where the foreign player system has changed, they have top-tier players lined up, making their performance stand out the most."

Head coach Lee Gyu-seop, who received an overwhelming number of votes, said, "As I am taking my first step as a full-fledged head coach, I will accept the votes as a gesture of encouragement and support from senior and fellow coaches," while also declaring his ambitious goal: "Just as KCC was designated a championship contender last season and went on to win the championship finals, we will do our best to reach the highest place so that fans can smile broadly."

On the other hand, Kang Hyuk, head coach of Korea Gas Corporation, and Lee Gyu-seop himself named LG as a championship contender, while Yang Dong-geun, head coach of Hyundai Mobis, and Yoo Do-hoon named Sono.

Behind the head coaches' choice of DB lies the destructive firepower and highly polished foreign player lineup demonstrated in the exhibition games. In their first exhibition game, when DB crushed Samsung 101-83, Henry Ellenson (33 points, 12 rebounds) and Raison Hammonds (24 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists) completely dominated the paint.

In the subsequent second game, the formidable one-two punch of Ellenson (26 points, 16 rebounds) and Hammonds (24 points), combined with the perfect coordination of Asian quota player Lee Sun Albano (22 points, 12 assists), overwhelmed the opponent.

The fact that both Hammonds, who joined after starting with KT in 2024 and passing through Hyundai Mobis, and Ellenson, who served as the ace last season, are proven assets requiring no adaptation to the KBL stage is also cited as a powerful weapon under the rule allowing two foreign players on the court in the second and third quarters.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.