'Will a Second Jung Sung-jo Emerge?' Three Amateur Basketball Powerhouses Declare Intentions for the 2026 KBL Draft

*This content was translated by AI.

Players who honed their skills on the amateur basketball stage are once again knocking on the door of the 'dream stage' of professional entry.

According to the Korea Basketball Association, Lee Ju-min and Lee Gun-hee (both of Jake Crew), along with Park Min-chan (SA), who compete in the '2026 KBA D3 Division League,' the top tier of South Korea's amateur basketball circuit, have officially submitted their applications for the '2026 KBL Rookie Draft' to be held on November 20.

In 2024, Jung Sung-jo (26, Seoul Samsung), a graduate of Sungkyunkwan University who had played in 3x3 and amateur leagues, successfully entered the professional ranks through the KBL rookie draft, sending ripples through the amateur basketball community. Jung's success was a symbolic event proving that the door to professional basketball is open even for players from non-elite or hobbyist backgrounds. This year, Lee Ju-min, Lee Gun-hee, and Park Min-chan, who have consistently demonstrated their abilities in the D3 Division League, are following in his footsteps to challenge for the title of 'Second Jung Sung-jo.'

The basketball sports club division program overseen by the Korea Basketball Association (KBA) is being promoted to expand the base of amateur sports and serve as a bridge between elite and amateur basketball. As of 2026, leagues are being stably operated across 14 provinces and metropolitan cities nationwide, targeting various demographics including general, women's/senior, and youth divisions.

In particular, the D3 Division League, the highest tier, has moved away from the traditional short-term tournament format to operate an 11-round full league system. It has established itself as a de facto semi-professional league by applying the same 'four quarters of 10 minutes each' rules as professional and elite basketball, managing individual statistics for all games, and providing internet live broadcasting.

A Korea Basketball Association official stated, "With a large influx of high-level players, the D3 Division League is successfully leaping to the semi-professional stage it aimed for," adding, "We hope that these three players' challenge in the KBL draft will serve as an opportunity to open new motivation and possibilities for many players competing on the D3 stage."

Attention in the basketball world is focused on whether Lee Ju-min, Lee Gun-hee, and Park Min-chan, who have proven their performance within a systematic full league framework, can write another 'amateur sports myth' following in Jung Sung-jo's footsteps.

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*This content was translated by AI.