Slavery in Pro-Basketball?

What will the future hold for Bang Sung-yoon (22, Yonsei University, 195cm) who is making his debut in an American basketball league?

Bang is a new draftee of the Roanoke Dazzle of the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), a minor league of America’s National Basketball Association (NBA). He, however, is obligated to participate in the rookie draft in the Korean league in February 2005 because according to the Article 89 of the Korean Basketball League (KBL) covenant, any players graduating from four-year universities are deemed to have registered automatically for participation in the draft. The teams lined up to right of nomination for Bang are the teams ranked seventh through 10th last season: SK, KTF, SBS, and Mobis. All of these teams are keenly tuned to every move Bang makes in efforts to retain the rare shooting star.

If Bang refuses to sign a contract with one of these teams after being selected, he will not be allowed to play in the KBL for five years. He may become a stray player of the court.

There is a solution. Whichever team gets a hold of Bang can grant him some time to play overseas. Some teams have already expressed their willingness to support Bang in his entry into the overseas league since he has already won an exemption from his military duties by winning a gold medal at the Asian games. Yonsei University proposed a measure to have Bang play in the NBDL for a couple years and to bring him back to the Korean league if he does not make it to the NBA during the granted time. As in the case of Jung Sung-min of KBStar, who played back in the Korean league after some seasons in America’s Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Bang could stretch himself to play in both leagues. Some teams, however, are opposed to this idea and want him to choose one or the other–to stay or to go–stirring up controversy.

Meanwhile, the Korean Basketball Association and Yonsei University officially concluded that they are willing to exempt him from the national team and excuse him from having to play at the Basketball Fest to allow him to make his debut in the NBDL.

Jong-Seok Kim kjs0123@donga.com