"I had been a supporting role..."
The LG Sakers, who had never been at the top since their founding, finally ascended to the throne. Finishing the regular season in second place, LG secured victories without a single defeat against Hyundai Mobis in the semifinals and clinched their first championship title after a fierce battle against Seoul SK in the finals, winning 4-3.
On 17th, Changwon LG won against Seoul SK 62-58 in the seventh game of the 2024-2025 KCC professional basketball championship held at the Seoul Jamshil Students' Gymnasium.
With this victory, LG reached the championship finals for the first time since joining the Korean Basketball League (KBL) in the 1997-1998 season.
LG's best player, Heo Il-young, was selected as the MVP according to the voting results from the press. He received 32 out of 80 votes (28.8%), surpassing his teammates Carl Tamayo (23 votes) and Asem Marey (22 votes).
On that day, Heo Il-young scored 14 points, including 4 three-pointers, becoming the top scorer of the game. In particular, when SK was aggressively chasing, Heo Il-young made a crucial three-pointer, leading LG to their first championship victory.
Heo Il-young hit three-pointers whenever LG started to falter. The highlight came with 5 minutes and 36 seconds left in the game. Heo Il-young received a pass from Asem Marey at the top and successfully made an impressive outside shot, extending the lead to 10 points (55-45) and cooling off SK's pursuit.
Notably, Heo Il-young also achieved a landmark feat. He became the first player to win with three different teams. After winning with ORION (formerly known as Orion) in the 2015-2016 season and with SK in the 2021-2022 season, he secured another championship ring this season, asserting himself as the top veteran.
After the game, Heo Il-young remarked, "I had been a supporting role every time... I have experienced winning, but I was not the main character. However, I really wanted to win. I had a specific feeling. I had several more chances to shoot but held back. When the opposing defense didn't come close, I achieved a good result."
He continued, "I heard talks about 'the old guys' at SK, but I didn't want to leave the team. However, I received sudden news. I was clearly aware that there were unavoidable circumstances. When I came to LG, there were no special comments. I even wondered, 'Why did they bring me in?' I went to meet them and talked about various things. I kept discussing but ultimately had to change myself. I endured a lot of stress. Since I lived away from my family, the burden was also great."
Heo Il-young explained, "Living in Changwon wasn't easy. Living with younger teammates who are significantly younger isn't an easy task either. The coaches and staff helped a lot. I really wanted to argue with the coach during the season. There were many disagreements with the strong-willed coach. I completely set aside those feelings during the playoffs. I wanted to talk after everything was over. I wanted to prove myself on the court. Ultimately, it led to a good outcome."
He also joked, "Since Yang Hong-seok is coming back, there might not be a place for me..." before adding, "I still think I can compete for another 1-2 years." Heo Il-young mentioned, "The coach is always very concerned. Really a lot. So I told him not to worry. I said things are not the same as before. There are no awkward friends on our team. No one is swayed. Everyone does well on their own, so there’s no need to say much."
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