"We will shed the stigma of being dead last," Kim Sang-sik's promise, and Samsung has already changed... 'Five consecutive last-place finishes' ends after 3,636 days with a two-game winning streak to open the season

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"Getting rid of the stigma of being dead last is our top priority."

That was the first thing Head Coach Kim Sang-sik said after taking the helm at Seoul Samsung in July. Samsung, which had suffered the ignominy of finishing last for five consecutive seasons, is showing a different look from the start of the new season.

Samsung defeated Anyang Jung Kwan Jang 66-58 in a home game in the 2026~2027 KCC Pro Basketball League held at Seoul Jamsil Student Gymnasium on the 9th.

It is a two-game winning streak to open the season. Samsung won its first two games of the season for the first time in 3,636 days, recording a 2-0 record. The team has also risen to sole first place.

This is an especially welcome start for Samsung, which had struggled from the beginning of the season in recent years.

Samsung was once considered a prestigious powerhouse representing the KBL, but it finished last for five consecutive seasons. It even bore the ignominy of being the first team in domestic professional sports history to finish last for five straight years.

The card chosen for a turnaround was Head Coach Kim Sang-sik, a "championship-winning coach."

In an interview with StarNews upon his arrival in July, Head Coach Kim said, "Because Samsung has been dead last for five years, we need to achieve good results quickly," emphasizing that "getting rid of the stigma of being dead last is our top priority."

The season has only just begun. However, looking at just the first two games, the "change in atmosphere" emphasized by Head Coach Kim is gradually emerging.

After defeating Suwon KT on the road in the opener, Samsung did not waver easily against Jung Kwan Jang either.

The game remained tight until the end of the third quarter, with Samsung leading 48-47. However, Samsung dominated the opponent 18-11 in the final fourth quarter to secure the victory.

Following the previous game against KT, focus shone again at crucial moments. Samsung, which had often collapsed late in games until last season, is instead showing strong finishing power in its first two games of the new season.

In particular, the performance of second-year player Lee Gyu-tae stood out in the game against Jung Kwan Jang.

Lee played 22 minutes and 14 seconds, scoring a team-high 18 points. He accounted for more points than foreign players Kerem Kanter (10 points) and Chris McCullar (6 points).

His accuracy was also excellent. He made all three of his two-point attempts and sank three of his four three-point shots. He also made all three of his free throws, boasting high efficiency.

Lee, who stands 199 cm tall, is a forward whose strengths are spacing and outside shooting.

He was selected by Samsung with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2025 KBL Rookie Draft. In his rookie season, he averaged 5.9 points, 1.76 rebounds, and 0.47 assists. His three-point percentage was 38.52%.

While there were signs of potential, there were also regrets. Despite a height close to 2 meters, his style leaned toward the perimeter rather than post play, and it took time to translate his strengths into overall game impact.

However, things were different in the second game of the new season. His scoring power exploded in the game against Jung Kwan Jang.

It was a game that showed the growth potential of Lee Gyu-tae that Samsung had been waiting for.

Along with this, Veteran Han Ho-bin contributed 11 points, and Justin Gutong recorded 9 points.

While foreign players like Kanter and McCullar played a large role in the opener against KT, it was also significant that domestic players contributed evenly in the game against Jung Kwan Jang.

The fact that victory was created by multiple players fulfilling their roles rather than relying on a single player could become a strength for Samsung going forward.

It is only two games so far. However, it is clearly different from the starts repeated over the past few years.

The first step toward "escaping the stigma of being dead last," as spoken by Head Coach Kim Sang-sik, began smoothly.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original