"Jung-hyun got a real taste of my screens. Honestly, there's no screener like me," said Lee Seung-hyun.
"I think I'll miss Seung-hyun's screens, but I still have to beat him," said Lee Jung-hyun.
The KBL 2026-2027 opening media day, held on the 29th at the Woori WON Banking Hall in Blue Square in Seoul's Yongsan district, drew coaches from all 10 clubs and 20 representative players ahead of the season opener. The "golden teammates" who together won South Korea's first men's basketball gold medal in 12 years at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games just days earlier gathered in one place for the first time in a while — but they will now face each other as opponents on the court.
Lee Jung-hyun of the Goyang Sono and national team captain Lee Seung-hyun of the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis were the clear center of attention. The two said they had not even been in touch since the Asian Games ended, each immersed in their own club's training and preseason games. They traded friendly jokes but made no attempt to hide their competitive edge.
"A lot of people congratulate me on the street and I can feel the mood has changed, but what matters most is quietly doing my job where I am," Lee Jung-hyun said. "It feels strange to face players who were my teammates just days ago as enemies. It was awkward matching up against Moon Jung-hyun in the preseason games too." He then added firmly, "In the end, it's about winning. I'll miss Seung-hyun's screens, which helped me perform well with the national team, but I'm going to focus only on winning, regardless of the bonds we've built."
Lee Seung-hyun responded with his trademark relaxed smile. "Jung-hyun and Eddie are outstanding players, but now they're clearly the enemy. Jung-hyun is going to miss my screens a lot. He got a real taste of them," he said with a laugh. He continued, "When we gather again with the national team we'll come together quickly, but I've always experienced winning with my club, so I'll put Hyundai Mobis on top again this time."
When it came time to name title favorites, the coaches' votes converged on one team. Of the nine clubs other than DB, seven coaches picked the Wonju DB.
DB has assembled a formidable lineup this season, adding Layshon Hammonds to the pairing of Ethan Alvano, the top Asian-quota guard, and Henry Ellenson, in line with the newly introduced rule allowing two foreign players on the floor simultaneously in the second and third quarters. DB showed off its firepower by scoring more than 100 points in two consecutive preseason games, beating both the Seoul Samsung and the Seoul SK.
Son Chang-hwan, head coach of the Goyang Sono, who picked DB as the favorite, said, "Having played them in the preseason, DB's varied attacking routes were very difficult to handle." Jeon Hee-chul, head coach of the Seoul SK, said, "Beyond the player combinations, they have prepared their transition game and outside tactics perfectly. Coach Lee Kyu-sup comes across like a man who is seriously angry."
Taking the microphone amid the concentrated attention from his fellow coaches, new Wonju DB head coach Lee Kyu-sup smiled modestly and said, "I'll take it as encouragement for someone starting out as a head coach." He then declared confidently, "Just as the KCC received the most votes at media day last season and went on to win the title, I'll prepare so that I can be the one smiling at the end in front of the fans, together with good players."
The 2026-2027 professional basketball season, carrying the momentum of the Asian Games gold medal onto KBL courts, tips off on Oct. 3. The 10 clubs will play 54 regular-season games each over six rounds through April 11 next year, after which the top six teams will advance to the playoffs to compete for the trophy.
