KCC Basketball: 7-Game Win Streak, Comebacks & New Injury Update

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KCC Song Gyo-chang. /Photo = Provided by KBL

‘Cheongunmanma’ returns to Busan KCC Aegis, which is continuing its winning streak. The injured are preparing to return one by one.

KCC coach Lee Sang-min said, “(Song) Kyo-chang and (Lee) Ho-hyun will come to Busan on Saturday (27th)” ahead of the 2025-2026 LG Electronics professional basketball 3rd round home game against the Seoul Samsung Thunders held at Sajik Indoor Stadium in Busan on the 24th.

KCC has been on the rise since the second half of the second round. KCC, which is only playing in Busan in December, is recording 6 consecutive wins, starting with the DB match (80-77) on the 6th. Thanks to this, the rankings have also improved and are now 0.5 games behind second place CheongKwanJang. You can even look at the competition for the lead.

It is especially meaningful because it was achieved even in a situation where injuries continued to occur. Song Kyo-chang and Choi Jun-yong suffered left ankle ligament rupture and left knee injury, respectively, in the home game against Sono on the 20th of last month. Choi Jun-yong returned from the Jeonggwanjang match on the 14th, but the injury recurred after just one game. In addition, guard Lee Ho-hyun also failed to recover from a back injury, and even Jang Jae-seok, who was playing well, was diagnosed with a right ankle sprain.

Nevertheless, KCC played ‘gum basketball’ properly. Veteran Jang Jae-seok filled the void left by Song Kyo-chang and Choi Jun-yong and showed no signs of losing power. In addition, Dong-Hyun Kim also added strength by having good outside shots in attack, following his originally good defense. In addition, William Navarro of the Asia Quarter, who has had few opportunities to play, has been playing very well recently to the point where he cannot be without.

Here, players returning from injury are waiting. Jang Jae-seok was the first to join the team. He came down to Busan ahead of the Samsung game on the 24th. However, I was cautious about participating in the game that day. Coach Lee Sang-min said, “When we had a meeting in the morning, Jang Jae-seok said that it would be about 5 minutes, but if you overdo it, you can rest more,” and added, “Because it is a long race, I will not try to overdo it.”

KCC Jang Jae-seok. /Photo = Provided by KBL

KCC Lee Ho-hyeon. /Photo = Provided by KBL

Song Kyo-chang and Lee Ho-hyun will return ahead of the match against Hyundai Mobis on the 28th. Coach Lee said, “It’s not easy to play right away,” but “I’m trying to match the basketball performance (DB match on the 31st).” Regarding Song Gyo-chang, who was first diagnosed at 6 weeks old, he said, “It may happen sooner or later, but it varies from person to person.”

However, Choi Jun-yong is likely to return somewhat later than them. Coach Lee said, “I am undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. I need to focus on my recovery and not rush to return. If I return as hard as I did before, I could rest for a long time.”

KCC defeated Samsung 98-91 in the game on the 24th. Sean Long (26 points, 10 rebounds) and Heo Hoon (17 points, 13 rebounds) had double-doubles, and rookie Yoon Yoon-chan also showed good performance in offense and defense, scoring 14 points and 3 rebounds. Accordingly, KCC was able to win while sparing Jang Jae-seok.

However, there were additional injuries in today’s game. Heo Woong injured his heel, which had been painful, while landing after attempting a layup. Accordingly, Heo Woong only ran for 17 minutes and 28 seconds that day. Coach Lee Sang-min said, “I’m very worried about the next game,” and expressed his hope, “Some people say it’s not Busan KCC, but injured KCC. I hope a healthy KCC returns in the new year.”