Kang Sang-jae, the top contributor," DB manager Kim Joo-sung said

DB beat Suwon KT 107-103 after extra time in the 2023-2024 professional basketball regular league home game held at Wonju Gymnasium in Gangwon Province on the 14th.    토토사이트

DB confirmed its No. 1 ranking in the regular league this season regardless of the results of the remaining six games.

Kim Joo-sung, who led his team to the regular league title for the first time in four years since the 2019-2020 season as an official manager of the DB this season, said, "I'm very happy. I was nervous, but the players worked hard until the end, so I secured the victory."

He then gave credit to the players, saying, "I'm a poor coach, and I'm grateful that the players played the season well so that I could learn well."

Coach Kim won the title as a player as a member of the 2011-2012 season's Dongbu Fortress, and 12 years later, he lifted the trophy as the manager of DB in the 2023-2024 season.

"When I was a player, I jumped up and down, but I couldn't do that now that I became a coach. If I win the combined championship, I will go first," Kim said. "When I was in Dongbu Fortress, I used to play defensive basketball, but I don't think I can tie my team's players to the 80-point level," he said. "I think this season's DB is stronger."

Coach Kim, who also won his fourth KBL wire-to-wire championship with a perfect race that never lost his first place throughout the season, cited Kang Sang-jae as his top contributor.

Coach Kim praised Kang Sang-jae as the captain, saying, "I think he led the seniors and juniors well as a middle-aged man," adding, "I am very proud as a coach because he is in full bloom with his original skills."

Coach Kim pointed to the game in which he lost to KT in the cup competition in October last year as the biggest turning point.

"I thought I had prepared hard in my own way, but I had such a disappointing performance at the Cup," Kim said. "I was angry at both the players and me. We had video meetings the next day for four to five hours, and had intense training for four days."

"He is such a great player that I can't even tell you how good he is," Kim said of Didric Lawson, who scored 47 points on the day. "Thanks to Lawson, I try to contribute in other areas even when I feel down," he said. "I can maintain my team to some extent. I have a great presence," in support of his foreign player MVP award.

Coach Kim said he will distribute the playing time of key players in the regular league.

"I will consult with the coaches to make a plan," Kim said. "Coaches Han Sang-min and Lee Kwang-jae sometimes raised their voices and had heated discussions. I think they pulled each other out in a fun way, not just by the coach himself."

Now coach Kim's eyes are on a unified victory.

"I've come all the way here thinking it's a crisis. No team has won easily," Kim said. "I don't know which team will make it to the playoffs because the competition for rankings is in the fog, but I'll be fully prepared. I'll watch the rest of the games carefully."

Meanwhile, KT manager Song Young-jin said, "The result seems to have been caused by lack of concentration and quick attack. I will do my best to compete in the rankings," but added, "Congratulations to coach Kim Joo-sung and the coaches. I think we produced good results and created a great team."