Oh Se-geun (36, Anyang KGC Ginseng Corporation) is aiming for the fourth championship.
KGC won 100-86 against Hyundai Mobis in Ulsan on the 11th. KGC, who completed the first half schedule with the victory on this day, kept first place with 22 wins and 9 losses (0.710 win rate). 2nd place Changwon LG and the winner also reach 4 games.
KGC was the runner-up in the championship match last season. The outflow was greater than the power reinforcement after the season. Coach Kim Seung-gi, who led the team for seven seasons, left for the new team Goyang Carrot. Jeon Seong-hyun, who was the best shooter in the league, also moved to Carrot following coach Kim. Members who led the 2020-21 season playoff victory, including Lee Jae-do (LG), who transferred a year earlier, left KGC one by one.
There are still those who keep KGC. Veteran center Oh Se-geun has been defending KGC since 2011, when it was called ‘Ginseng Shinki’, along with Lee Jeong-hyeon (Seoul Samsung) Yang Hee-jong (KGC) Park Chan-hee (Wonju DB) Kim Tae-sul (SPOTV commentator).
Twelve years have passed since then, but Oh Se-geun’s skills are still the same. He has appeared in all 31 games this season and is averaging 13.2 points, 6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 26 minutes 59 seconds. In the game on the 11th, he led the victory with 16 points (2nd in the team), 6 rebounds and 6 assists. He skillfully defended the base of the goal as well as made a successful 3-point shot out of the perimeter. He finished the first half on a good pace, scoring double-digit points in the last five games in a row.
The last time KGC took first place in the regular league was in the 2016-17 season. 1st place in the regular league came into sight after 6 years. In a post-game interview with Hyundai Mobis, Oh Se-geun said, “The coach said that if you focus on defense and rebounding, the offense will naturally resolve. It seems to have matched well,” he said, expressing his feeling of victory that day.
With the victory on the 11th, KGC continued its ‘super strength’ with 13 wins and 3 losses in away matches this season. Oh Se-geun said, “There is no particular reason. The players take turns buying coffee, and the coach gives a half-line shot once after the game. The team is coming together to maintain a good atmosphere.”
Oh Se-geun reached 5800 points in his personal career that day. It is the 7th record in Korean professional basketball history and a record achieved by only 5 domestic players. He was a top-tier center averaging 15 points and 8.1 rebounds as a rookie. However, starting in the third year, his injuries got in the way. The ups and downs were great depending on the condition. When he was ‘Gun Se-geun (Healthy Se-geun Oh)’, the modifier ‘strongest’ followed him around.
Oh Se-geun is definitely healthy this season. In the first half, the cumulative travel time was 836 minutes and 14 seconds, ranking 20th in the league (4th in the team). Oh Se-geun said, “If he hadn’t been hurt a lot (during his pro career), a better record would have come out. I think I’m still at this level because I was injured,” he said, expressing regret, “I’ll try harder because I still have a lot of time left in my career as a player.” 안전놀이터
Oh Se-geun has won three championships in his career. When he competed in his fourth personal championship match last season, he expressed his desire to wear rings on all five fingers. Last season’s championship was given to Seoul SK, but this year, KGC is the first team to win the championship. Oh Se-geun expressed his determination, saying, “I am running in first place, so I want to advance to the championship match and win this year.”