Jeon Tae-young (aged 30, Busan KCC Egis), who played in the first team match in 16 to 11 days, scored a goal for the first time in a long time, and also joined the team at the moment when he ended his team's 12-game losing streak. It was an unforgettable day for him.
Jeon Tae-young entered the court with 2:44 left before the end of the fourth quarter in the away game of the fifth round of the 2024-2025 KCC professional basketball against Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Pivers at Dongcheon Gymnasium in Ulsan on the 16th.
KCC already had a 94-66 victory, which didn't affect their victory or defeat. Still, Jeon scored as soon as he came in. Rookie Lee Chan-young stole Hyundai Mobis' Miguel Okzone's ball and passed it to Donovan Smith, who passed it right away. Jeon went over the court and scored two points with a fastball layup.
When Jeon Tae-young scored, the players, including captain Jung Chang-young, who was on the bench, were all happy on the broadcast screen. Since then, Jeon Tae-young has continued his attack opportunity by winning a rebound when Smith's shot failed to shake the net, and Lee Chan-young scored the 100th point after two attempts.
On the day, Jeon played a total of 2:44 to post two points and one rebound. It was a normal record, and the biggest issue of the game was KCC's escape from 12 consecutive losses. Still, the game meant a lot to Jeon.
Jeon Tae-young's first-team appearance came in 1,611 days since the match against DB (2:55 and 0 points) on Oct. 17, 2020, when he was with his former team Anyang KGC Ginseng Corporation (currently Jung Kwan-jang). In addition, his scoring record came on Dec. 21, 2019, after the match against E-Land (1:34 and 2 points).
Jeon Tae-young, who contacted Star News the next day, said, "I received a lot of congratulations. Still, I liked that the older brothers were the most happy." "It's been a long time, so I definitely felt energized," he said, expressing his joy. As for the scoring situation, he said, "I played with Smith a lot these days, so I felt like I would believe in something. So I told him louder to give me the ball."
"I was rather calm when I scored when I came in with the fact that I had already won the match," said Jeon. "I was so happy that I could not win for such a long time. I was even more happy to be able to break the losing streak."
A graduate of the high school-Dankook University, Jeon showed off her performance by winning the scoring award in college, and was drafted by the KGC as the 10th overall pick in the first round in the 2017 Rookie Draft. However, she did not make much of a standout among rookies who had been spotlighted for her "fake draft." Jeon, who played in only 20 first-team games in four seasons with the KGC, joined the army as an active-duty soldier in August 2021.
After being discharged from the military, Jeon joined his hometown team, Jeonju KCC, through a one-on-one trade with Kim Sang-gyu in June 2023. However, he moved to Busan ahead of the 2023-24 season, and Jeon has never been seen in the first division until the middle of this season. 스포츠토토
Although he showed good performance in the D-League, Jeon Tae-young did not have a chance in the "Super Team" KCC. "I was constantly preparing because there were D-League games," he said. "I thought it would be difficult to be given a big role, and I prepared a lot to come in and not feel different."
It was a difficult time, but Jeon continued his life silently. "I get along well with the players without causing any trouble. That's why all the seniors and juniors liked me when I scored my first goal," a KCC official said.
Jeon was then listed on the first team roster ahead of a match against Goyang Sono on April 26. The number of injured players including Choi Joon-yong, Song Kyo-chang, and Kim Dong-hyun was also hurt, as well as backup member Yeo Jun-hyung, which led to a shortage of available players. KCC manager Jeon Chang-jin said, "I uploaded the video because I showed good performance in the D-League." However, in the next five games, Jeon failed to play on the court. "It was a bummer, but I tried not to pay attention to such matters as losing consecutive games," he said.
While visiting Busan as an away team during the KGC, this year was the first time he came as a home team player. "I think KCC fans are very passionate. I would get goosebumps when they cheered for us," Jeon said. "We came to the first team in a bad mood, but the cheers were still loud. We were able to do it thanks to those cheers."
The team also lost consecutive games, and although he has been on the court for the first time in a long time, Jeon Tae-young tries not to get excited. "I will prepare for the next game calmly without worrying about the mood," he said.