Kim Joo-seong Becomes Blocked-shot King

Leading TG Sambo to its first-ever championship in the regular season, Kim Joo-seong took the blocked-shot title. It was the first time that a Korean player has ever won a blocked-shot title..

Rookie of the Year last season, Kim Joo-seong also recorded a triple-double, the first of his career, with a game-high 11 blocked-shots, 21 points and 15 rebounds in the match against Electro Land in Bucheon on March 7, the last day of regular season 2003~04 pro basketball. The previous highest record was 10 by Hicks (Orions).

Winning the championship by beating Samsung by 93-92 in Wonju on the previous day, Kim grasped the favored title for foreign players in eight seasons with 2.43 blocks per game, defeating the mark of 2.34 set by Barset (KCC).

As the strongest candidate for MVP at the awards ceremony on March 9, Kim Joo-seong said, “I am so pleased to become the blocked-shot king as a Korean. To widen my sight and get timing made it possible.”

At the game, fourth-place Electro Land beat TG by a score of 130-118, breaking away its fifth straight loss. “Rambo shooter” Moon Kyoung-eun sank 22 3-pointers, but had to hand his defending title over to his two-year junior from Yonsei University, Woo Ji-won (Mobis).

Woo hit 21 3-pointers at the game against Chang-won LG to set a record of 197 3-pointers, beating Moon by three. But it brought strong blame that he had been supported by the opposing team, although Woo got the 3-point title first in his career. Woo tried 33 3-pointers, more than 29 tries by KCC and succeeded on 12 in the previous day. He also tried a game-high 42 3-pointers on the day. It is also was a new record as Moon and Woo hit eight 3-pointers in a quarter.

Moon scored a game-high 66 points, but soon gave up the record to Woo, who scored 70 points.

Electro Land’s White acquired a season high eighth triple-double with 18 points, 19 rebounds and 19 assists. The previous record was seventh by White and Dereks (TG). White achieved a triple-double in the second quarter with one minute 34 seconds remaining in the shortest-ever time. Jeong Hoon of TG also made a triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists on the day.

Completing its regular season, pro basketball now enters its post-season by starting the playoffs between fourth-place Electro Land and fifth-place Samsung, third-place Orions and fourth place LG.

Won-Hong Lee Jong-Seok Kim bluesky@donga.com kjs0123@donga.com