‘Life is long and thin’ Gasworks’ Park Bongjin says his basketball career is just beginning

The 2023 MG Sama Village Gold KBL Cup will be held at Gunsan Wolmyeong Gymnasium from August 8-15. Every day during the Cup, JUMPBALL will highlight players who are expected to perform well in the new season under the title of ‘Gunsan’s Expectations’. The second protagonist is Park Bong-jin (29, 193 cm) of Daegu Korea Gas Corporation.

Park is the epitome of ‘life is short and long’. He joined the Ulsan Mobis (now Ulsan Hyundai Mobis) with the 10th pick in the third round of the 2015 KBL rookie draft after excelling in rebounding and dirty work at Sangmyung University. Usually, third-round rookies don’t find a place on the team and retire when their contracts expire.

Park’s work ethic led him to Incheon Electroland, the predecessor of GAS, in 2017, and in the 2018-2019 season, he averaged 7:28 minutes in 38 regular-season games. He became a free agent before the 2019-2020 season and signed a two-year contract to continue his career. In June 2020, he enlisted in the Navy, solving his military problem.

However, last season was a disappointment for Park. He struggled to compete and stayed mostly in the D-League. In the regular season, he only averaged 5:13 minutes per game in three games. Gasworks finished ninth with 18 wins and 36 losses, and coach Yoo Yoo-hoon, who brought him in, was fired after the season.

Park, who was once again eligible for free agency, was on the verge of retirement, but GAS decided to give him one more year. The team’s forward line was weakened by the departure of Jeong Hyo-geun to Anyang Jeonggwanjang. Park worked harder than anyone in the offseason to prepare for the new season.

His hard work paid off in the cup competition. In a Group B qualifier against Busan KCC on September 9, Park played 28 minutes and 37 seconds, recording 12 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. A whopping six of his eight rebounds were offensive rebounds, highlighting his strong rebounding ability.

Another thing that stands out is his three-point shooting. Out of his eight attempts, he made a whopping four three-pointers. His only points on the night came from three-pointers. This shows how much effort he put in, as his career three-point percentage was only 26.5%. Although it’s only one game, it’s certainly significant.

After the game, GASCO’s acting head coach Kang Hyuk said of Park, “I want him to be more aggressive with his shots. He played harder defense than I expected. He grabbed rebounds and made good outside shots when he had the chance. He didn’t play much last season, but he did a good job in the Cup, so I plan to use him a lot in the regular season.” 토토사이트

Park Bong-jin took another chance with his sincerity. Will he be able to show his true colors in the upcoming season, and will he be able to write a long-lasting third-round myth in the pros?