Seo's retirement plan worries KBL
By Jung Min-ho
The Korean Basketball League (KBL) is facing a major task to unearth more talented players to maintain its popularity, as its hottest ticket, Seo Jang-hoon, announced he will retire next year.
The 37-year-old KT Sonicboom center said he plans to leave the game after the upcoming season that starts in the fall. During a press conference at KBL Center in Seoul, Monday, he opened his heart about his poor performances over the last season.
“I initially planned to retire after the last season when many misfortunes happened. However, I didn’t want to let the nightmarish memories of the season haunt me for the rest of my life,” Seo said. “I went through such a tough time. So, I really appreciate the team and the manager Jeon Chang-jin for the opportunity.”
It was also revealed in March that Seo and his wife, KBS presenter Oh Jung-yeon, are getting divorced. The high-profile couple wed in 2009 but there were soon reports of disharmony.
The news of the center’s retirement sounds alarm bells for the KBL, already suffering from a lack of superstars after Lee Sang-min, Moon Kyung-eun and Woo Ji-won retired two years ago. Seo has expressed concerns over the future of the KBL that is in need of an infusion of young blood.
“I think the two of the most noticeable players at this time of the league are Kim Seung-hyun and Kim Joo-sung. However, when I’m with them, people often ask me who they are. That shows how bad the situation is, regarding the fact that the old basketball stars like Lee Sang-min and Woo Ji-won drew fans wherever they went,” Seo said. “That is the current status of the KBL.”
The Sonicboom center added that KBL players should step up to promote the league, saying they have to get out of their comfort zone.
Along with other challenges such as the unexpected breakup of the Shinsegae Coolcat in the Women’s Korean Basketball League (WKBL) last month and the ET Land Elephants’ current bid to find a new owner, Korean basketball has entered a new era without the star draws it used to have.
The NBA in the United States also ran into a shortage of star power when Michael Jordan retired from the Washington Wizards in 2003. Shortly after, the NBA took serious steps to discover uncharted talent to maintain its popularity, which resulted in Kobe Bryant and LeBron James becoming the biggest stars of the next generation. The NBA continues to make efforts to find new faces. Most recently, the New York Knicks Jeremy Lin has gained a huge fame through successful marketing strategies.
Seo will leave an indelible mark on the KBL. He was the first player to score 10,000 points in the game against LG Sakers on Nov. 19. Considering his reputation, he showed lackluster performances last season with an average of 7.51 points and 2.9 rebounds in 35 games.