Busan KCC Egis explained

The Busan KCC Egis (ko|부산 KCC 이지스) is a professional basketball club based in Busan, South Korea. The team competes in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) and has established a substantial fanbase in South Korea. Founded in 1997, the team was initially based in Daejeon and was later relocated to Jeonju and Busan, respectively.

History

The team was founded in March 1978 as the Hyundai Basketball Team, owned and sponsored by Hyundai.^[1] In 2001, the club, named Hyundai Gullivers at the time, relocated from Daejeon to Jeonju. In the same year, Kumgang Korea Chemical (now KCC) acquired the team after the financial difficulties of Hyundai Electronics.^[2]

After 22 years in Jeonju, the KCC Egis relocated to Busan in 2023, making the return of professional basketball to the city following the KT Sonicboom's departure two years prior.^[3] The decision to relocate was prompted by delays in the construction of a new arena in Jeonju, which had been promised six years earlier.^[4]

In May 2024, the Egis won their sixth KBL championship following a 4–1 win over the Suwon KT Sonicboom, becoming the first fifth-seeded team to win the title.^[5] Heo Ung was named Finals MVP.

Home arenas

• Chungmu Gymnasium (1997–2001)
• Jeonju Gymnasium (2001–2023)
• Busan Sajik Gymnasium (2023–present)^[6]

Players

Retired numbers

• 4 Choo Seung-gyun, SF, 1997–2012^[7]
• 11 Lee Sang-min, PG, 1997–2007^[8]

Team captains

• Jung Jae-kun (2001–2004)
• Cho Sung-won (2004–2005)
• Lee Sang-min (2005–2007)
• Choo Seung-gyun (2007–2012)
• Lim Jae-hyun (2012–2013)
• Shin Myung-ho (2013–2018)
• Ha Seung-jin (2018–2019)
• Lee Jung-hyun (2019–2022)
• Jung Chang-young (2022–present)^[9]

Coaches

• Shin Sun-woo (1997–2005)
• Heo Jae (2005–2015)
• Choo Seung-gyun (2015–2018)
• Stacey Augmon (2018–2019)
• Jeon Chang-jin (2019–2025)
• Lee Sang-min (2025–present)

Season-by-season record

Season	Division			Playoffs
1997	KBL	7th	7–14	Did not qualify
1997–98		bgcolor=gold	1st	31–14	bgcolor=gold	Champions
1998–99		bgcolor=gold	1st	33–12	bgcolor=gold	Champions
1999–2000		bgcolor=gold	1st	33–12	bgcolor=silver	Runners-up
2000–01		6th	20–25	First round
2001–02		3rd	30–24	Semifinals
2002–03		9th	20–34	Did not qualify
2003–04		bgcolor=silver	2nd	39–15	bgcolor=gold	Champions
2004–05		bgcolor=silver	2nd	34–20	bgcolor=silver	Runners-up
2005–06		5th	29–25	Semifinals
2006–07		10th	15–39	Did not qualify
2007–08		bgcolor=silver	2nd	33–21	Semifinals
2008–09		3rd	31–23	bgcolor=gold	Champions
2009–10		3rd	35–19	bgcolor=silver	Runners-up
2010–11		3rd	34–20	bgcolor=gold	Champions
2011–12		4th	31–23	First round
2012–13		10th	13–41	Did not qualify
2013–14		7th	20–34	Did not qualify
2014–15		9th	12–42	Did not qualify
2015–16		bgcolor=gold	1st	36–18	bgcolor=silver	Runners-up
2016–17		10th	17–37	Did not qualify
2017–18		3rd	35–19	Semifinals
2018–19		4th	28–26	Semifinals
2019–20		4th	23–19	Not held
2020–21		bgcolor=gold	1st	36–18	bgcolor=silver	Runners-up
2021–22		9th	21–33	Did not qualify
2022–23		6th	24–30	First round
2023–24		5th	30–24	bgcolor=gold	Champions
2024–25		9th	18–36	Did not qualify

Honours

Domestic

• Korean Basketball League championship

Winners (6): 1997–98, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2023–24

Runners-up (5): 1999–2000, 2004–05, 2009–10, 2015–16, 2020–21

• Korean Basketball League regular season

Winners (5): 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2015–16, 2020–21

Runners-up (3): 2003–04, 2004–05, 2007–08

• KBL Cup

Winners: 2023

International invitationals

• Merlion Cup

Third place: 2017

Notable players

Lee Sang-min

• Lee Sang-min joined the team in 1995 and was the key player in leading Daejeon Hyundai Dynat to the championship in the 1997–98 season, earning MVP award that year.^[10] He continued his success in the 1998–99 season, leading the team to another championship and winning MVP for the second consecutive year.^[11] As a point guard, he excelled not only in leadership and assists but also in scoring, and he was a player who combined height with strong defensive skills. Due to his remarkable performances, Lee earned significant recognition from the team, and his jersey number was retired by KCC.

Ha Seung-jin

• In the 2008 KBL Draft, Ha Seung-jin was selected as the first overall pick by Jeonju KCC Egis. He made an immediate impact, earning the Rookie of the Year award during the 2008–09 season. As the team's center, Ha was a significant contributor and was named in the KBL Best 5 in 2010, 2011, and 2016. Despite the team finishing third in the regular season during the 2010–11 season, Ha played a pivotal role in leading Jeonju KCC to the championship title. His performance earned him the Korean Basketball Playoff MVP title.^[12] During the 2015–16 season, he became a dominant presence under the basket, marking a second peak in his career. His performance was instrumental in leading the team to a first-place finish in the regular season and advancing to the finals. However, the team ultimately fell short in the championship series. In addition to his domestic achievements, he secured a silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games while representing the South Korea national team.^[13] Over the course of his eleven-year tenure with Jeonju KCC Egis, from 2008 to 2019, he established himself as a key figure before retiring.^[14]

Song Kyo-chang

• Song Kyo-chang is a prominent figure in South Korean basketball and gained recognition as the first high school player to be a lottery pick in the 2015 KBL draft.^[15] He joined the Jeonju KCC Egis and quickly became known as a franchise player. Although his debut season was modest, Song's consistent hard work earned him the Most Improved Player Award for the 2016–17 season.^[16] By the 2019–20 season, he developed his shooting, penetration, ball handling, and fast-break abilities, becoming a top-tier offensive player in the KBL and was named round MVP. ^[17] In the 2020–21 season, Song's stable individual performance contributed significantly to KCC's regular season championship, leading to his selection as the regular season MVP by a wide margin.^[18] Afterward, he secured a five-year contract extension with KCC, highlighting his indispensable role in the team's offense, defense, and rebounding.^[19] Song also made his debut for the South Korea national team in 2017, and at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup, he showcased strong defensive skills, effectively guarding agile opponents and excelling in help defense and rebounding, solidifying his role as a key defensive player for the national team.^[20]

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. News: 24 March 1978. 「현대」남자농구팀 창단 . 11 October 2024. The JoongAng. ko.
2. Web site: 금강고려화학, 현대전자 남자농구단 인수 . 12 October 2024. n.news.naver.com . ko. 26 February 2001.
3. News: 2023-08-30 . Pro-basketball team KCC Egis to move home from Jeonju to Busan . 2024-05-06 . The Korea Herald.
4. Web site: 31 August 2023 . KCC Egis leave Jeonju for Busan as stadium woes continue . 19 October 2023 . Korea JoongAng Daily.
5. Web site: 2024-05-06 . Busan KCC Egis crowned KBL champions, beating Sonicboom 4–1 . 2024-05-06 . Korea JoongAng Daily.
6. News: Seong . Soo-min . 22 October 2023 . 사직체육관 새 단장 마친 KCC, 열렬한 응원과 함께 새로운 여정 시작 . 22 October 2024. Rookie . ko.
7. News: Choi . Chang-hwan . 2012-10-10 . '추승균 전설된다' KCC, 홈 개막전서 4번 영구결번…역대 9호 . 2024-10-18 . Jumpball . ko.
8. News: Kim . Dong-chan . 2010-10-14 . 프로농구 KCC, 이상민 등번호 11번 영구 결번 . 2024-10-18 . . ko.
9. Web site: 선수단 히스토리 . Team history. Busan KCC Egis . 22 October 2024 . ko.
10. News: 1998-03-19 . <프로농구> 이상민, 만장일치로 MVP에 선정 . 22 October 2024 . . ko.
11. News: Jang . Ik-sang . 1999-03-15 . 이상민, 프로농구 2년연속 MVP 차지 . 22 October 2024. . ko.
12. News: Lee . Dong-chil . 2011-05-03 . 하승진, 스포츠토토 한국농구대상 MVP . 2024-10-21 . . ko.
13. News: Han . Sang-kyun . 2010-11-26 . -아시안게임-<농구> 한국, 중국에 져 은메달(종합) . 2024-10-21 . . ko.
14. News: Kim . Dong-hyun . 2019-05-14 . 하승진, 코트와 작별···불굴의 부상투혼 최장신 센터 . 2024-10-21 . Newsis . ko.
15. News: Kwak . Hyun . 2015-10-26 . [드래프트] '고졸 출신' 송교창, 3순위로 KCC에 지명 ]. 2024-11-01 . Jumpball . ko.
16. News: Kim . Ji-hyun . 2017-03-27 . 'KCC 미래' 송교창, 기량발전상.."더 노력하겠다" . 2024-11-01 . Starnews . ko.
17. News: Kim . Sung-jin . 2020-01-02 . 2019–2020 프로농구 3라운드 MVP에 KCC 송교창 . 2024-11-01 . The Herald Business . ko.
18. News: Jung . Ji-wook . 2021-03-31 . '5시즌만의 정규리그 우승' KCC, 전주에서 화려한 세리머니 . 2024-11-01 . Sports Donga . ko.
19. News: Choi . Man-sik . 2021-05-24 . FA '특급' 송교창, KCC와 5년 7억5천 재계약 . 2024-11-01 . Sports Chosun . ko.
20. News: Cha . Byung-seop . 2017-05-15 . 농구대표팀 '막내' 허훈·송교창 "태극마크 영광스럽다" . 2024-11-01 . Yonhap News Agency. ko.