Goyang Day One, a team that has been creaking since its inception, has been dismissed from the Korean Basketball League in disgrace.

The KBL announced the club’s expulsion on Nov. 16, saying, “We have finally concluded that Day One has no intention or ability to operate the club normally.”

“Rather than resolving player salary arrears, Day One has been consistent in its false and irresponsible attitude, greatly undermining the trust and stability of the league,” the organization said.

“Since its launch last year, Day One, which has been causing financial problems and breaking its promises repeatedly, has promised to settle the unpaid player salaries for the fourth month within 15 days and prepare a plan for the future management of the club, but it has failed to do so once again,” he explained.스포츠토토

For now, Day One’s players are protected.

The KBL has decided to protect all 18 Day One players. The KBL will first pay the players’ salaries after June 1, and will later reimburse them in an appropriate manner. In consideration of the players’ difficult situation, emergency living funds will also be loaned to them.

Given Busan’s strong intention to host a men’s professional basketball team, the KBL plans to actively discuss follow-up measures, including the search for a new buyer, with the city.

[OSEN=Goyang, Reporter Choi Kyu-han] On the afternoon of the 25th, the founding ceremony of the ‘Goyang Carrot Jumpers’ was held at the Goyang Gymnasium in Gyeonggi-do, Gyeonggi-do. The ‘Goyang Carrot Jumpers’ is a professional basketball team operated by ‘Day One Sports’ led by CEO Heo Jae and coach Kim Seung-ki, a former national basketball player. The coaching staff and players, including coach Kim Seung-ki, pose in their new uniforms. 2022.08.25 / dreamer@osen.co.kr

If a suitable solution is not found in the end, the KBL will hold a special draft for all 18 Day One players on the 21st of next month (tentatively). If the special draft is held, the 10-team system of professional basketball that has been in place since its inception will change to a nine-team system from the 2023-2024 season.

If the 10-team system in men’s professional basketball is disrupted by Day One, it will be the same as erasing the path the KBL has been on. The KBL has put a lot of effort into maintaining 10 teams.

For now, the KBL has made it a priority to actively discuss the next steps, including finding a buyer for Day One, but if a new owner does not emerge, the league will have no choice but to change from a 10-team system to a 9-team system. That’s the worst case scenario.

The KBL said, “We will actively seek administrative and legal responsibilities commensurate with this situation from Park No-ha, CEO of Day One Sports, and Heo Jae, co-owner and general manager of sports, for damaging the league and disappointing fans.”

Day One Sports, which acquired the Orion basketball team last year and announced its start amidst great interest by touting “basketball president” Heo Jae as the head of the basketball team’s operations, said it would be “reborn as a popular club” and make profits.

[OSEN=Goyang, Choi Kyu-han Reporter]Heo Jae, CEO of Day One Sports, shares his ambitions for the organization. 2022.08.25 / dreamer@osen.co.kr

However, the opposite happened. As its parent company, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, suffered from financial difficulties, Day One naturally faltered. The team delayed the payment of the KBL membership fee several times and failed to pay the players’ wages on time. The team was eventually expelled from the league.

The incident shook the foundation of professional basketball, but no one was held accountable.

“Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Chairman Kim Yong-bin, who owns 100% of Daewoo Sports, and I dreamed of running a professional basketball team in a new way, but in the end, we gave up after just one season, and I would like to admit our failure. He disappeared, leaving behind the words, “I am resigning from my position as chief financial officer. He promised to resolve the wage arrears, but his actions so far don’t inspire confidence.

The players who believed in the club and put in a season’s worth of hard work were left in the lurch.