By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
Bang Sung-yoon is ready to trade a promising career in Korean basketball for a dream shot at the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The 26-year-old SK Knights forward said he may have played his last game for the Seoul-based franchise as he plans to join the Anaheim Arsenal of the D-League, the NBA's equivalent of a minor league farm system, next month.
``I have always dreamed about playing in the NBA, and considering my age, I can't wait any longer to make the challenge," Bang said in an interview with Yonhap News.
``I won't be coming back to Korea before the end of the D-League season, which begins in November," he said. ``When I first signed with the Knights, they promised to help me move to a U.S. team if I played here for three seasons.''
The Korean Basketball League (KBL) opens its new season on Nov. 1, while the D-League opener comes in the middle of the same month, which eliminates the possibility of Bang playing in both leagues.
In his three seasons for the Knights, Bang averaged 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists to established himself among the league's better offensive players.
It wouldn't be the first time Bang played in the U.S., as he averaged 12.5 points for the now-defunct Roanoke Dazzle during the 2004-2005 season when he led the D-League with 38 3-pointers made in 41 games.
Despite his passion to play in the top flight of world basketball, Bang is considered a long shot to follow former Portland Trail Blazer Ha Seung-jin as the second Korean to play in the NBA.
Bang certainly has a polished jump shot, and standing at 1.95 meters, has good size for the shooting guard position. However, his lack of ball-handling skills, speed and athleticism expose Bang as a one-trick pony and his history of injuries, surrounding a fragile left knee, could keep teams from investing in him.
``You have to respect Bang's spirit for challenge," said Jung Ji-tak, an official from the Knights' front office.
``We will certainly miss Bang's presence, but if he achieves his goal and comes back to Korea one day to play for us again, that means we have a former NBA player on our roster and that can't be too bad for our team.
``However, I think it would be better for him to return to the KBL if things don't go as well as he wished.''