Teen Basketball Prodigy: 8-Game Rise & Coach’s Praise

SK Daniel, 16 points in DB match… Most team records
The basketball court is rocked by the performance of a teenage player born in 2007.
“I will not settle, I will work hard and grow”

A major upset occurred in professional basketball when a teenage player scored 16 points and led the team to victory. The 3-point shot and free throw success rate is a whopping 100%. Both coaches and fans have high expectations for the emergence of a ‘basketball genius.’

In the 2025-26 professional basketball match between Seoul SK and Wonju DB held at Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Seoul on the 13th, SK achieved a pleasant victory by defeating DB, which had been on a 7-game winning streak, 93-65. It was a game in which SK dominated in all aspects and matched well enough that even SK coach Jeon Hee-cheol was satisfied.

In this game, SK showed off its ruthless offense, with Jamil Warney and Eddie Daniel scoring 16 points each, Nak-Hyun Kim and Young-Jun Ahn scoring 15 points each, and Alvin Tolentino scoring 12 points. The DB, which had the best combination of offense and defense in the recent league, was so overwhelming that it was impossible to do anything.

Warney, Nak-hyeon Kim, Young-jun Ahn, and Tolentino are the main players who usually score a lot of goals and lead SK to victory. However, Daniel, who was not inferior to his older brothers who were prominent in the game on this day, received more attention. Daniel was born in 2007 and is a rookie who debuted this season. On this day, he threw 2 3-point shots and made 2 free throws, and threw 6 2-point shots and made 4 of them. The goal success rate is a whopping 75%.

Daniel was brought in 4 minutes before the end of the first quarter and quickly scored 7 points, taking the lead in overtaking SK. The confident and confident rookie actively moved around the court regardless of whether he was inside or outside, and at the end of the third quarter, he scored 5 points in a row, breaking DB’s will to chase. It was an incredible performance considering that it had been less than a month since his debut and that this was his 8th appearance.

Daniel, who was born to a British father and a Korean mother, has been considered a top-level prospect and received attention since his days at Yongsan High School. Based on his overwhelming athletic ability and versatility, he debuted as a professional by being nominated by his hometown. In August of last year, he joined SK without going through the rookie draft through the related player system, which is the first case in the history of Korean professional basketball.

Daniel, who made his debut against Samsung in Seoul on the 20th of last month, did not attract much attention, averaging only 3 points and 2.3 rebounds. However, on this day, he exploded with potential and predicted great success in the future.

Director Jeon also gave great praise to Daniel. Coach Jeon praised him, saying, “He is a player with good handling, physical ability, and individual abilities. He is not inferior to his pro brothers in 1-on-1 matches.” Since he is still a young player, there is a lot to teach him, but coach Jeon boasted, “He has a very good absorption ability and has a taste for teaching,” and said he was worried about how to use Daniel.

Daniel is growing rapidly after coming to the pros and receiving professional training from coaches. He revealed that he himself is a ‘growing character’, saying, “When I became a pro, he taught me a lot so I could use my body better.” Since she is still young, expectations are that her potential is endless.

If you look at the way he plays with his older brothers and smiles brightly, he looks like a normal teenage boy, but he has a serious charm when it comes to basketball. Regarding the former coach’s praise, Daniel emphasized, “The areas where you can grow will depend on whether or not you put in effort,” and added, “If I settle here and don’t work hard, I think I’ll end up as a mediocre player, and I think I can grow even more if I work hard and work hard.”

Reporter Jaemin Ryu

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