Kim Sun-hyung is absent from the final four of this year's East Asian Super League (EASL). However, Oh Jae-hyun is ready to become a new star.
The 2024 EASL Final 4, a stage to determine the best basketball club in East Asia, will be held in Cebu, Philippines, on the 8th.
KBL was proudly listed in the Final Four, with Anyang Jeonggwanjang, who ranked first and second in the 2022-23 season, and Seoul SK participating, reaching the semifinals side by side. And the Chiba Jets of B.League (Japan) and the New Taipei Kings of P.League+ (Taiwan) will participate.
Chung and SK won the EASL Champions Week championship in March last year, and are now powerhouses in East Asia. This time, they will meet in the semifinals.
China did not participate this year, but starting with South Korea, representative clubs from East Asian basketball powerhouses such as Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines are shining EASL. EASL is also thoroughly preparing for the Final 4, which starts with its first home and away and determines the last winning team, and is striving to find a way to attract fans.
EASL is trying to catch the attention of East Asian basketball fans, centering on Jeonggwanjang and representative star players from SK, Chiba, and New Taipei.
As previously planned, Park Ji-hoon will be serving as the head of the association, Kim Seon-hyeong for SK, Yuki Togashi for Chiba, and Jeremy Lin for New Taipei. However, only Kim Seon-hyeong cannot go to Cebu (Lynn, who had an injury in late January, returned to Cebu at the end of February. Accompanied by Lee's participation in this year's event has been confirmed, and whether he will participate or not is undecided).
Kim Sun-hyung suffered an ankle injury in a match against Changwon LG on Jan. 9. He was diagnosed with a four-week injury due to a torn outer ligament and has yet to return.
SK and Kim Sun-hyung were planning to return before the opening of the EASL Final Four. They were supposed to come back and warm up before the match against Hyundai Mobis in Ulsan on Saturday. Unfortunately, however, Kim cannot join the team.
"Under the current circumstances, we have decided to focus on rehabilitation rather than forcing (Kim) Sun-hyung and return to the Korea Gas Corporation on Wednesday," a SK source said. "The decision was made as we thought it would be too much in various areas, including flight time to and from Cebu and air pressure."
Kim's absence from the EASL Final Four is a big blow not only to SK but also to EASL. Kim is the best basketball star in East Asia. Notably, he won the hearts of fans with his signature colorful plays during the last EASL Championship week. He displayed rather overwhelming and powerful performance in matchups with small and fast foreign players.
An EASL official said, "I heard from SK that Kim Sun-hyung will not be able to participate in the competition. We feel sorry for him, too."
However, SK has a player who will attract fans' attention instead of Kim Sun-hyung. Oh Jae-hyun, a new star and top guard this season, is here, so there is no need to worry. He is completing Kim Sun-hyung's absence and proudly becoming the new face of SK. Although not as glamorous as Kim Sun-hyung, he has shown remarkable growth in defense, tremendous speed, and shooting, field of view and pass, which have recently been considered weaknesses.
EASL is also not less interested in Oh Jae-hyun. An official said, "I know that Oh Jae-hyun has been doing well recently. I'm paying attention to it."
Oh Jae-hyun has become very popular in KBL as well. The number of SK fans wearing uniforms with his number and name on them has increased. Rumor has it that the sales volume of basketball magazines featuring Oh Jae-hyun has also increased significantly. It is no exaggeration to say that he is the star who will be next to Kim Sun-hyung. And we need to see if he can become a star player in East Asian basketball through the EASL Final 4.
Meanwhile, the EASL welcomed the return of Lens Abando. The EASL Final 4 will be held in Cebu, but it is natural for the Korean team to participate in the EASL finals. It is a card that enables local fans in the Philippines to move to the stadium. 토토사이트
However, he injured his back again at his return match and is currently taking rest. He will likely be able to accompany him to Cebu, but it is unclear whether he will play or not.