A close teammate, a championship, and a dream of going to the U.S. were the deciding factors in his decision.
Choi Jun-yong joins KCC in Jeonju. KCC officially announced the signing of Choi Jun-yong on July 21. The terms are a five-year contract with a total compensation of 600 million won (420 million won in salary and 180 million won in incentives).
Heo Woong, Lee Seung-hyun, and Ragan-ah, plus Choi Jun-yong. In addition, Song Kyo-chang will return from Sangmu at the beginning of next season. KCC now has four national team starters in each position at the same time.
Choi Jun-yong was the biggest signing of the free agency (FA) market. He is a 2 meter tall forward with a point guard’s passing sense and game-reading ability. He can score and defend above average if he puts his mind to it.
Born in 1994, he’s just entering his prime. However, his unpredictable personality and mental issues make him tricky to handle.
His team, Seoul SK, grabbed another free agent, Oh Se-geun. Realistically, it was hard to hold on to Choi Jun-yong.
Seoul Samsung and Wonju DB, who finished 10th and 7th respectively last season, approached Choi, especially Samsung’s head coach Eun Hee-seok, who had coached Choi in the past when he was head coach at Yonsei. Even before the free agency market opened, many were predicting that Choi would join Samsung.
In the end, Choi decided on KCC. First, he had Heo Woong, who played with him at Yonsei, and Ragan-ah, his best friend on the national team.
He also saw a high chance of winning the championship. Samsung and DB can’t even be assured of making the playoffs next season if Choi Jun-yong goes. At his signing press conference on the 22nd, Choi said, “I want to be a basketball king, so I chose KCC. I will make KCC the king,” he said. 메이저사이트
The direct reason is to go to the United States. “I chose KCC because of my dream. I always wanted to go to the U.S. KCC respected my dreams. The words ‘help me achieve my dreams’ played a big role.”
In terms of strength, KCC, along with SK, are the favorites to win the title. However, there are many variables.
KCC was strong last season, too, but a rotating roster of injuries saw them finish sixth in the regular season and narrowly miss the playoffs.
As mentioned earlier, Choi Jun-yong is not an easy player to handle. It’s a double-edged sword.
The coaches who have taught him and the people around him have all expressed their difficulties. The jury is still out on whether KCC will perform as expected.