Seoul Samsung Lee Jung-hyun (189cm, G) challenges the first record in KBL history.
Lee Jung-hyun was called by Busan KT (currently Suwon KT) with the second overall pick in the 2010 KBL Domestic Rookie Draft. However, KT gave the second place nomination right to KT&G (current Anyang KGC Ginseng Corporation) in a trade at the time. So Lee Jung-hyun’s destination became KT&G.
Lee Jung-hyun has been the main player of KGC Ginseng Corporation since his debut season. He formed a one-two punch with Park Chan-hee (now Wonju DB) and was evaluated as a future resource to lead KGC Ginseng Corporation. In the 2011-2012 season, he became a member of the first championship in the founding of KGC Ginseng Corporation.먹튀검증
After ball handlers such as Kim Tae-sul (SPOTV commentator) and Park Chan-hee left, the weight of Lee Jung-hyun increased. He served as the main ball handler and leading scorer. In the 6th game of the 2016-2017 season championship match, he scored the final goal, leading the first integrated championship of KGC Ginseng Corporation.
After that, Lee Jung-hyun, who became a free agent (FA), left KGC Ginseng Corporation. He wore a KCC uniform under the conditions of 920 million won (salary: 828 million won, incentive: 92 million won), the highest ever at the time. He also showed his performance at KCC. In the 2020-2021 season, he even experienced first place in the regular league and the championship match.
After the end of the 2021-2022 season, he became a free agent again. Lee Jung-hyun’s choice is Seoul Samsung. It was a condition of a three-year contract period and a total remuneration of 700 million won for the 2022-2023 season. That season, the field goal success rate (about 32.14%) and the 3-point shot success rate (about 27.56%) sank a lot, but he struggled as an ace.
Lee Jung-hyun has shown his value as a league-top resource for quite some time. Scoring at critical moments, the ability to save teammates, and even induction of fouls using timing and sense. This was the reason why he showed high competitiveness even if his athletic ability was not outstanding.
However, there is another reason why Lee Jung-hyun’s value is the highest. As many officials and fans know, it is consistency. After his professional debut, Lee Jung-hyun did not miss a single game until the 2022-2023 season. Except for his enlistment in the military and selection for the national team.
Lee Jung-hyun played 582 regular league games without a break. This is the highest number 1 in KBL history. He is close to 200 games behind Lee Jae-do (390 games), who is second all-time. Even if Lee Jae-do is active, Lee Jung-hyun’s record is difficult to break for the time being.
Besides, Lee Jung-hyun is an absolute player at Samsung. And he was not injured in the 2022-2023 season either. If there are no big surprises, he can achieve ‘600 regular league appearances’ in the 2023-2024 season. He will once again build a golden pagoda.
And Lee Jung-hyun has digested 17,045 minutes and 14 seconds since his debut. This is equivalent to the 10th place in KBL history. His personal career average playing time is 29 minutes and 17 seconds. Even if he only plays an average of 20 minutes in the 2023-2024 season, he can upgrade his playing time record. This is because Lee Jung-hyun’s current playing time and Mungyeong-eun, who are 8th in history, are not significantly different from the KBL game head coach’s record (17,436 minutes and 20 seconds).
Of course, as Samsung’s ace, we have to rebuild the team that was sluggish. Not an easy task. burden can be great. Because of the performances he showed in the 2022-2023 season, his value may be questioned.
However, no one doubts Lee’s durability and persistence. He is a player who can become a League Legend based on appearance-related metrics alone. He can also make a big milestone in the upcoming 2023-2024 season. It is the milestone of ‘the first regular league appearance in 600 consecutive games in KBL history’.