It was a feast for the DBs. They swept the domestic and international player of the year, coach of the year, best five, and sixth man awards.
Wonju DB guard Lee Sun Albano (28-182 centimeters) was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2023-2024 Korean Basketball League (KBL) regular season at the Grand Ballroom of Grand Intercontinental Parnas in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on Monday. Albano received 50 of the 111 votes (45%) cast by the media, beating out teammate Kang Sang-jae (47) by three votes.
This is the first time a non-Korean player has been named the Most Valuable Player of the Korean Basketball League since its inception in 1997. The award follows the KBL’s decision to combine Asian and domestic players to compete for the honor. Albano, who hails from the Philippines, made his Korean League debut in the 2022-2023 season when he signed a two-year contract with Wonju as an 바카라사이트 Asian Quarter.
Albano played in all 54 regular-season games this season, averaging 15.9 points, 6.6 assists, and three steals per game to lead the division to the regular-season title. He ranks second in both scoring and assists among all domestic and Asian Quarterfinalists. In addition to her numbers, Albano is recognized for her ability to read the game in three dimensions and put the ball in the right place at the right time.
“I am very honored to receive this title,” Albano said on the podium after sharing a warm hug with Kang. I want to thank my teammates, my manager, my coaching staff, and my family,” he said. “I wouldn’t have gotten this award without Kang Sang-jae,” he told the media, “He’s the best captain I’ve ever had.”
Albano was also honored with a Best 5 award alongside his teammates, including Dedrick Lawson, who was named the International Player of the Year, and Kang Sang-jae, who battled it out for the National Player of the Year. Albano, Lawson and Kang were joined in the top five by Suwon KT’s Paris Bass and Goyang Sono’s Lee Jung-hyun. Park In-woong of Divi also earned the Sixth Man award.
“I didn’t work hard hoping for the result, but I think the result was good because I was faithful to the process,” said Kang Sang-jae on the podium after winning the top five, “I will show more improvement next season.”
The head coach award also came from the division. Divisional coach Kim Joo-sung, who led his team to the regular league title in his first year as a full-time manager, won the coach’s award with 106 out of 111 votes. “As a novice coach, I lacked a lot, but the players followed me well, so I was able to win the title and win the coach’s award,” Kim said.
The Rookie of the Year award went to Yoo Yoo-sang (23-LG), who set a new record for most three-pointers in a debut season (95 at season’s end). Yoo garnered 86 of the 111 votes cast, edging out Ulsan Hyundai Mobis‘ Mubin Park (25 votes) in a close race. Yoo also ranked first among all players with a 42.4 percent three-point shooting percentage this season, the third time a rookie has ever topped the list.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime award, and I’m honored and happy to receive it, but it’s also a responsibility,” Yoo said. “I want to do 120, 130 percent of what I’m supposed to do as a rookie in the rest of the playoffs and do better than last year.”
Also of note was SONO’s Lee Jung-hyun, who swept three of the six statistical categories (assists, steals, and three-pointers) in the 20-year-old record book this season, as well as the Player of the Game and Best Five awards. “I switched to point guard from last season, and I’m especially happy that I won the award in the assist category, which is a point guard’s virtue,” said Lee.
Paris Bass (KT) took the top spot in the scoring category with 25.4 points per game, while Asem Marei (LG) and Duvan Maxwell (KOGAS) took the top spots in the rebounding and blocking categories, respectively.