"I believed that if I kept waiting, the opportunity would come." From an average of 47 seconds in the first division last season to his first broadcast interview in seven professional years... The "hidden hero" who helped Sonok break a five-game losing streak

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A meaningful moment arrived for Jo Seok-ho (24), guard for the Goyang Sonok, in his seventh year as a professional player. After a long wait, he is gradually securing playing time.

Sonok, led by head coach Son Chang-hwan, defeated Ulsan Hyundai Mobis 86-79 on the 10th in an away game at the Ulsan Dongcheon Gymnasium in the 2026~2027 season professional basketball regular league.

It was a valuable victory. Sonok escaped a five-game losing streak, improving their record to 5 wins and 9 losses for the season. However, they remained in ninth place. Meanwhile, Hyundai Mobis fell into a four-game losing streak, dropping to last place with a record of 3 wins and 10 losses.

For Sonok on this day, "ace" Lee Jung-hyun led the offense with 26 points and 6 assists. Foreign player Johnny O'Bryant also recorded a double-double with 29 points and 12 rebounds.

Jo Seok-ho's performance was also noteworthy. Jo played for 26 minutes and 31 seconds, recording 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. In particular, he made two of his three three-point shot attempts and committed only one turnover.

While Lee Jung-hyun led the team's offense, Jo Seok-ho contributed as a secondary ball handler. On defense, he moved actively and focused on stopping the opponent's attacks.

Jo Seok-ho participated in a post-game broadcast interview on this day. It was the first time he had experienced such a moment in his seven years as a professional.

Jo stated, "During the losing streak, our teammates worked hard, but the results were not good. We said today we must definitely break the streak, and it feels good that we won."

Regarding his role in this game, he explained, "I had to guard Hyundai Mobis's Park Mu-bin, so I studied a lot. As Lee Jung-hyun's secondary ball handler, I aimed to run the game without turnovers and conserve Jung-hyun-ssi's energy."

He added, "When Jung-hyun-ssi gets tired in the middle of the game, I try to talk to him about plays and such. It is fortunate that we won as a united team."

This season is even more special for Jo Seok-ho. Born in 2002, guard Jo Seok-ho entered the professional stage without attending university after graduating from Busan Central High School. He was selected by Goyang Orions with the fourth pick in the second round of the 2020 KBL Rookie Draft.

However, his professional career has not been easy. He appeared in only four regular league games during the 2021~2022 season, and after the 2022~2023 season, he completed his military service as a general active-duty soldier rather than with the Sangmu basketball team.

Even after being discharged, opportunities were hard to come by. In the previous 2025~2026 season, he appeared in only two first division regular league games. His average playing time per game was just 47 seconds. He did not record any points.

Instead, he quietly waited for his chance in the D-League. Last season, he played in 10 D-League games, averaging 6.5 points and 3.2 assists to build up his competitive feel.

Reflecting on the long period during which he did not get first division playing time, Jo said, "I thought that if I waited, the opportunity would come. While building my body in the D-League, I kept trying to raise my level."

Things are gradually changing this season. Jo has played an average of 14 minutes and 7 seconds in five regular league games, recording 5.4 points and 2 assists. Compared to last season, his playing time has increased significantly.

In particular, in the game against Suwon KT on the 1st, he scored a personal single-game high of 10 points. In this game against Hyundai Mobis as well, he recorded 8 points, including two three-pointers, contributing to the team's victory.

He also clearly stated his strengths. Jo said, "I think I am a player who can bring energy on defense. Although Jung-hyun-ssi is the main ball handler, when the defense focuses on him, I can capitalize on shooting chances," showing confidence.

He then expressed gratitude to coaches such as Park Chan-hee and Kim Kang-sun who have helped him. In particular, Jo said, "I shoot with Coach Kim Kang-sun every morning. Lee Geun-jun, Park Jong-ha, and I are consistently doing shooting drills, and this is leading to a good flow."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original