Choi Boo-gyeong (34, 200cm) was the player who played the most in the championship match. It was the captain’s fighting spirit to make up for the power inferiority.
Seoul SK lost 97-100 토스카지노after a close match that went to overtime in Game 7 of the 2022-2023 SKT Adot Professional Basketball Championship against Anyang KGC held at Anyang Gymnasium on the 7th. SK failed in V4 with a series record of 3 wins and 4 losses.
Along with Kim Seon-hyung and Jamil Warney, Choi Boo-kyung’s fighting spirit was also an indispensable series. Choi Bu-gyeong played full-time in the 6th game and played an average of 37 minutes and 18 seconds in 7 games. It was the most playing time of both teams. Second place was Oh Se-geun’s time of 35 minutes and 56 seconds. In addition, Choi Bu-gyeong’s contribution was 206.07, ranking 5th.
It was the third runner-up for SK after the 2001-2002 season and the 2012-2013 season, and the second runner-up for Choi Bu-kyung. Choi Bu-kyung took the championship stage in the 2012-2013 season when he was a rookie, but SK gave a sweep to Ulsan Mobis (now Hyundai Mobis).
Unlike the 2012-2013 season, when the difference in power was large, the 2022-2023 season showed competitiveness enough to aim for the championship despite Choi Jun-yong’s vacancy. In particular, in Game 6, where they were ahead with 3 wins and 2 losses, they took advantage by widening the gap to 15 points at the end of the 3rd quarter. Choi Bu-gyeong also said, “I think I saw a mirage. I wanted to see it, but it was over.”
Choi Bu-kyung said, “Thank you to the players who worked hard. It’s unfortunate that the journey ended in runner-up, but it must have been a good experience for the players. I think it will be the strength to overcome when faced with a similar situation in the future. Once again, I want to say thank you to the players who worked hard.”
Choi Bu-gyeong played on the court despite suffering from knee pain. In the 7th game, he faced the crisis of committing a fourth foul in the 3rd quarter, but digested all 10 minutes of the 4th quarter. Choi Bu-kyung’s championship game this season ended with a foul-out 2 minutes and 21 seconds before the end of overtime.
What was the driving force behind him running the court even in exhausting situations? Choi Boo-gyeong said, “I accepted that running was natural. He didn’t think about the next game, only the game he had to play right away. I now feel that basketball is fun and exciting, but I also felt that my body couldn’t keep up. Still, I want to say that I worked hard on my body that endured without major injuries.”
Although Choi remains a member of the runner-up team, his credit for leading his teammates by spending the most time as captain is to be commended. Even in the regular league, Bukyung Choi showed his offensive ability by recording the highest 7.2 points since the 2017-2018 season. With Kim Seon-hyeong and Choi Bu-kyung at the forefront, SK’s V4 re-challenge will begin soon.