Kim Sang-sik took over the reins of KGC ahead of this season. After losing Lee Jae-do and Jeon Sung-hyun the previous season, not many people were paying attention to KGC, but Kim Sang-sik led the team to a turnaround with his calm leadership. From ‘acting coach’ to ‘championship coach’. Kim Sang-sik’s life as a coach has been a drama.
- This article was published in the June issue of .
A simple fate
During his playing days, Kim Sang-sik earned the nickname ‘Mobile Missile’ for his accurate shooting ability. As a member of the Gwangju Nasan Flamenco after his professional debut, Kim averaged 20.3 points in his first season, followed by 18.3 points the following year. He was later traded to Anyang SBS, where he wore the jersey until the 2002-2003 season before retiring.메이저사이트
From there, Kim’s coaching career began. After traveling to the United States for coaching training, Kim began his coaching career in earnest in the 2004-2005 season when he became the head coach of SBS under Kim Dong-gwang. After assisting Kim Dong-gwang, Kim became the acting head coach when Kim resigned during the 2006-2007 season. This was the beginning of Kim Sang-sik’s tedious ‘acting head coach career’.
With the appointment of Yoo Yoo-hoon as the official head coach, Kim Sang-sik returned to his position as head coach. After the season, he chose to resign and became the head coach of the Daegu Orions.
Fate was not kind to him this time. He became the acting head coach of the Orions when Lee Chung-hee, the head coach at the time, resigned due to poor performance. After managing the team for the remainder of the season, Kim Sang-sik was named the fifth head coach of the Orions, giving him his first opportunity as a full-time head coach instead of an acting head coach.
However, he was quickly relieved of his duties as the Orions continued to struggle. After a brief stint in the wilderness, Kim returned to the head coaching ranks when Kim Dong-gwang took the helm of Samsung in the 2012-2013 season.
And in the 2013-2014 season. When Kim resigned, Kim Sang-sik took over as acting head coach once again.
That’s not all. Even when he was coaching the national team under Heo Jae, he was once again called upon as a temporary firefighter when Heo resigned. After serving as an acting head coach for countless times, he was later appointed as the official head coach of the national team.
Kim Sang-sik’s leadership shines through
After his time as a national coach, Kim hoped to return to the professional ranks, but the opportunity didn’t come easily. Teams with vacant head coaching positions were busy appointing young leaders as if it were a competition.
“I thought my basketball career was over, so I talked to my family and went to Jeju Island to clear my mind, but after that time, the club gave me a chance. I thought it was the last time, so I thought I’d burn it down. I don’t know how I got here, but I’m here. I’m overwhelmed with mixed feelings, and I’m so grateful to the players and the club officials.”
This is what Kim Sang-sik said after the team beat SK in a hard-fought Game 7 to win the championship. According to this story, Kim Sang-sik wanted to make a new start in Jeju Island, with all his regrets about basketball behind him.
However, after the departure of Kim Seung-ki, KGC reached out to him for the head coaching position. The basketball connection between Kim and Kim Sang-sik, which was almost broken, was rekindled, and as we all know, it had a happy ending.
While his predecessor, Kim Seung-ki, used strong charisma to control the team, Kim Sang-sik used the opposite style of leadership to connect with the players. None of the players had ever seen him lose his temper, so he led with a sense of virtue.
His leadership finally blossomed with KGC’s fourth championship, and he made the most of what could have been his last chance. It can be said that the heyday of ‘Coach Kim Sang-sik’ is just beginning.