Jun Tae-poong Ineligible for Rookie Prize
By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter
Jun Tae-poong may be the most highly anticipated first-year player in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) this upcoming season, but even if he dazzles as expected, he won't be eligible for the rookie of the year award.
The KCC Egis guard, along with Lee Seung-joon of the Samsung Thunder, is among four ethnic Koreans who won't be eligible for the award in their debut years now that the KBL has decided to exclude players who have played professionally abroad.
Import players were already ineligible.
The KBL had been mulling the issue after players were taken in the first ever KBL ethnic Korean draft in February. The decision, meant to address the fairness of the selection criteria, had been expected.
However, the criteria that allows only players without any pro experience to challenge for the award, does not apply to Korean-born players.
Last season's rookie of the year, Ha Seung-jin of the Egis, had played in the NBA and the NBA development league in the United States. Bang Sung-yoon of the SK Knights and Lee Dong-joon of the Daegu Orions were also permitted as rookies.
"They participated in the rookie draft, so they were considered rookies. The reason we blocked some professional league-experienced players is to be fair," the KBL official told The Korea Times.
"Just imagine, if an ethnic Korean, who played in a foreign professional league for more than 10 years, changed his nationality and joined the KBL. Is it a fair for him to compete against college graduates for a rookie of the year award?"
Among the five ethnic Korean players, Jun, Lee and Moon Tae-young of the LG Sakers are ineligible for the award. Won Ha-joon of the KT&G Kites is unsure about his eligibility because his name was on a team list in the Mexican league. The KBL has been investigating whether he actually saw floor time in Mexico. The fifth ethnic Korean, Park Tae-yang of KT SonicBoom is the lone player that will be able to vie for the trophy.