“I’m drunk right now, ‘drunken joke’.”
Forward Choi Joon-yong, who helped the Busan KCC to the top of the professional basketball league in his first season with the ‘super team’, is happily drunk on ‘championship champagne’.
“It feels good to win the championship, but I don’t think it’s as good as I expected,” Choi said after KCC clinched the title with an 88-70 victory in Game 5 of the 2023-2024 Korean Professional Basketball League championship at KT Arena in Suwon on Friday to take the series 4-1.
Choi, who made his debut with Seoul SK in 2016 and played a key role in the team’s 2021-2022 season, including being named the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), became a free agent ahead of this season and changed teams for the first time in a KCC uniform.
After averaging 14 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in the regular season, he had some ups and downs in the playoffs, but his 24 points and eight rebounds in Game 4 of the championship on March 3, and 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in Game 5 later in the day, helped KCC secure the victory.
“When I came to KCC, we were expected to be a ‘super team’ with (Song) Kyo-chang coming back, (Heo) Ungi, (Lee) Seung-hyun, and (Ra) Gun-ah coming together, and we didn’t show it in the regular season, but I was confident that we could win,” Choi said.
“I’ve never been one to feel pressure, but there was a sense that I had to fulfill the expectations of the players who were expecting from me, who were hungry to win, who wanted to win,” he said, “but it was a ‘confident pressure’. I never doubted the team,” he said, adding that he was confident throughout.
“I did have doubts about myself,” he said, “but I had people around me to keep me mentally grounded.”
Choi also thanked the fans, saying that it was probably the most loved season of his basketball career.
“I came here thinking it was ‘Jeonju KCC,’ but it was ‘long distance’ because it was changed to Busan, but it was also very rewarding. I’m grateful to all the fans in Jeonju and Busan,” he said, adding, “I was criticized a lot, but thanks to all the fans, I was able to achieve good 카지노 results.”
Choi, who is known for his strong personality and outspoken remarks, also spoke candidly about KCC coach Jeon Chang-jin, with whom he played one season.
“I had a hard time with you, and you had a hard time with me,” he said. It must have been stressful and difficult for him, but he achieved the results he wanted, so I hope he can relax and play golf, which he loves, and have a good rest.”
“It’s been a fun season here, both in life and basketball,” said Choi, who summarized the season by saying, “I will try to win the remaining four years of my contract.”