‘6 consecutive wins in professional basketball’ coach Kang Hyuk “exceeded my expectations” ｜Dong-A Ilbo

Gas Gong takes the lead in the early stages.
“Belangel, who increased his speed, performed well in offense and defense
“The Sixth Man’s dedicated play is a great help.”

“I am smiling a lot as I see the players performing beyond expectations.”

Korea Gas Corporation director Kang Hyuk (48, photo) said this in a phone interview with the Dong-A Ilbo. This is because Korea Gas Corporation is taking first place among 10 teams by creating a sensation with 6 consecutive wins in the early part of the 2024-2025 professional basketball season. As of the 7th, Korea Gas Corporation has played 7 out of 9 games in the first round of this season, with 6 wins (1 loss).

Korea Gas Corporation failed to advance to the playoffs (PO), finishing 7th in the regular league last season. Ahead of the opening of this season, no expert evaluated Korea Gas Corporation as a top power company. Coach Kang, who is in his second season as the head coach of Korea Gas Corporation, said, “I thought that if our team played best in the first round, we would get about 5 wins, but I feel good that we got off to a better start than that.”

Korea Gas Corporation ranks first in team scoring with an average of 83.6 points per game. The number of successful 3-point shots per game is 11.9 (40.1% success rate), the highest among all clubs. Forward Andrew Nicholson (Canada), who played for NBA teams such as Orlando, is leading the attack with an average of 21.3 points, the most in the team. Director Kang said, “Nicholson is playing the role of a problem solver. “As other players followed Nicholson’s strict diet management and strength training, the team’s performance improved,” he said.

Sam Josef Belangel (Philippines), an Asian quarter player, said he focused on strength training during the off-season instead of eating chocolate, which he loved. Belangel, who is in his third season at Korea Gas Corporation, is recording his best personal performance on the Korean stage with an average of 15.3 points and 6.1 assists. Coach Kang said, “Belangel, whose speed has improved, is doing a good job in both offense and defense.”

Korea Gas Corporation also has good ‘bench power’. The sixth men’s scoring average is 40 points per game, ranking first among the 10 teams. Coach Kang started out as a reserve during his days as a player and rose to become a starter. He received the Sixth Man Award from Samsung in his second year as a professional, and was selected as PO Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading Samsung to the championship in 2006. Coach Kang expressed his satisfaction, saying, “The dedicated play of the sixth men who know hunger is a great addition to the team.”

Korea Gas Corporation is recording the lowest number of goals in the league, giving up an average of 67.7 points per game. The tactic of deploying three guards, including Belangel, Seong-woo Jeong, and Nak-hyeon Kim, in the game zone at the same time to put strong pressure on the opponent from the front is working. The tough defense of quick-footed guards causes the opponent to make mistakes. Coach Kang said, “Because it is a tactic that requires a lot of stamina, we trained intensely in the off-season.”

During his 12 seasons as a player, Coach Kang never missed a PO appearance. He said, “I want to be promoted to PO as a director. “In order to show the fans even one more game of basketball that is as enjoyable as it is now, we must advance to the PO,” he said. Korea Gas Corporation will play a home game against Sono, tied for second place, in Daegu on the 8th.