"I told him to keep smiling even when I scold him": Head coach Kim Sang-sik's affectionate approach to developing Lee Gyu-tae... The promising Samsung player who has transformed in his second year [Wonju on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"I told him to keep smiling even when I scold him."

This was the special instruction that Seoul Samsung head coach Kim Sang-sik gave to "second-year" promising player Lee Gyu-tae (24). As Lee has shown remarkable growth this season, Coach Kim also revealed his unique affection for his protégé. While sometimes scolding him sharply, he is making sure the player does not lose confidence.

Samsung, led by head coach Kim Sang-sik, suffered a 76-84 comeback loss in their away matchup against Wonju DB at the Wonju DB Promia Arena on the 7th in the 2026~2027 KCC Pro Basketball League.

With this result, Samsung has recorded 10 wins and 2 losses. Although they suffered a disappointing defeat to DB, they are still leading the league alone.

This season, Samsung is causing a surprising storm. They achieved a record nine-game winning streak at the start of the season, the first in KBL history, writing a new chapter. Additionally, by securing 10 wins in just 11 games, they tied the KBL record for the fewest games to reach 10 wins.

This is an even more impressive achievement considering that Samsung had been stuck in the lower ranks of the standings until last season.

The players' growth has also contributed to this upward trend. In particular, the performance of "second-year" tall shooter Lee Gyu-tae stands out.

Lee Gyu-tae, born in 2002, is a forward standing 200 cm tall. After making his professional debut wearing the Samsung uniform last season, he has taken on an even more important role this season.

Indeed, a clear difference is seen in the statistics. Last season, Lee appeared in 38 games, averaging 15 minutes and 43 seconds of playing time while recording 5.9 points and 1.8 rebounds. His three-point shooting percentage was 38.5%.

However, this season, both his playing time and scoring have increased significantly. In 12 games, he is averaging 26 minutes and 20 seconds of playing time while recording 9.5 points and 3.3 rebounds. He has also raised his three-point shooting percentage to 44.7%. With his 200 cm height combined with accurate perimeter shooting, he has established himself as a key offensive resource for Samsung.

Head coach Kim Sang-sik is placing great expectations on Lee Gyu-tae's growth. However, he does not offer unconditional praise alone. While sometimes scolding him strongly, he gave a special instruction to ensure the player does not lose confidence.

That was "smile even when I scold you." Speaking about Lee before the game against DB, Coach Kim said, "I definitely thought he had shooting ability as a tall shooter," adding, "However, his physicality is a bit lacking. Since I keep having him practice, it seems like he is in the process of improving right now."

He continued, "If that part improves further, he can become an even better player. He is definitely a good player," expressing his expectations.

He also introduced his special affection for Lee Gyu-tae. Coach Kim said, "I recently told Lee something as a joke. It seems like he gets a little scared when I yell," and added with a smile, "So I told him that from now on, no matter what I say, he must answer 'Okay' while smiling."

He then explained, "When I speak up to help him do well, because he is still young, it seems like he gets a bit discouraged. So I told him that I am doing this for his sake, so he should not be discouraged and should act as if nothing happened by saying 'Okay, okay' and getting back to work. That way, he can perform even better."

Coach Kim emphasized, "The purpose of scolding is not the scolding itself, but my desire for him to do well."

As he is still in his second year as a professional, he may make mistakes, but these words carried the hope that instead of becoming discouraged each time, he would maintain confidence and play his own game.

In fact, Lee Gyu-tae put on an impressive performance in the game against DB as well. He played 25 minutes that day, recording 14 points and 2 rebounds, including two three-pointers. In particular, he scored 10 points in just the first quarter, leading the team's offense.

His perimeter shooting was also accurate. He made both of his three-point attempts and hit 6 out of 8 total field goals, recording a high success rate of 75%.

However, there were still regrets. Lee Gyu-tae's scoring was concentrated in the first quarter, and he managed to add only four more points afterward.

After the game, head coach Kim Sang-sik revealed that he gave Lee Gyu-tae some harsh words. Separate from his performance in scoring, he pointed out moments where his focus was lacking at crucial times.

Coach Kim explained, "I said a lot to Lee Gyu-tae. There were scenes where he could not protect the ball at very important moments, so I told him to focus."

This shows just how much Coach Kim wants Lee Gyu-tae to grow further. He believes that even when performing well, players must demonstrate higher levels of concentration at crucial moments.

It is not just Lee Gyu-tae. This season, Coach Kim has been delivering stronger messages to the entire Samsung roster than before. Even after their nine-game winning streak was snapped, he deliberately raised his voice rather than comforting the team.

Coach Kim stated, "If we are not careful, we could collapse again. That is because that is what this team did for the past five years," adding, "So I intentionally spoke a bit more strongly."

He then emphasized, "Because if we lose focus for even a moment, we can collapse at any time, I keep speaking strongly."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original