Busan KCC vs Changwon LG, 2026-2027 KCC professional basketball opening match

Defending champion Busan KCC and Changwon LG, who have strengthened their offense, will face off on the opening day of the 2026-2027 KCC professional basketball season.

The strengths of the two teams that will clash at Sajik Stadium in Busan at 2 p.m. on the 3rd are quite different from last season.

Key members Choi Jun-yong and Song Kyo-chang, who led KCC to victory in the championship, are not on the team roster this season.

Choi Jun-yong became an arbitrarily terminated player while trying to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and Song Kyo-chang transferred to Osaka Evesa, a Japanese professional basketball team.

There are no suitable players to fill their gaps, and Asian quota players have not yet been selected.

Louis King, who works with existing foreign player Sean Long, is a change made this season as he can play in the 2nd and 3rd quarters simultaneously.

LG, ranked first in the 2025-2026 regular season, is evaluated for its solid defense and upgraded offense.

The existing Assem Marey is still firmly guarding the goal, and new foreign player Archie Goodwin is adding strength in the attack.

The two teams faced each other once in an exhibition game held on the 25th of last month to explore their strengths.

LG won 88-82, but since it was an exhibition game, the result does not have much meaning. However, we were able to see the skills of the new foreign players.

LG's Goodwin showed off his diverse offensive ability by recording 18 points, 6 assists, and 8 rebounds.

KCC’s King performed well, scoring 32 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.

Goyang Sono, who overturned the evaluation of being weak last season and advanced to the championship game, is considered a strong candidate for the new season.

Sono is evaluated that rookie guard Lee Jeong-hyun's skills are improving day by day, and foreign players Scotty James and Johnny O'Bryant have good chemistry.

Korea Gas Corporation took a breather as Laguna, who was experiencing a tax-related dispute, was able to step on the court this season.

Due to a lawsuit between KCC, the former club, and Korea Gas Corporation, the current club, over who pays Laguna's comprehensive income tax, the KBL postponed Laguna's player registration ahead of this season.

However, last month, when the court upheld the request for a temporary injunction filed by Laguna and Korea Gas Corporation against KBL, Laguna was able to participate in the opening match.

At 4:30 pm on the 3rd, the match between Anyang CheongKwanJang and Ulsan Hyundai Mobis will be held at Anyang CheongKwanJang Arena.

Jeong Kwan-jang, who has a foreign player lineup of John Mooney and Rashawn Thomas, points out that guards Moon Yu-hyun and Byun Jun-hyung were unable to train much due to being selected for the Asian Games national team, which is pointed out as a weakness at the beginning of the season.

Hyundai Mobis re-recruited Gage Prim, who was with him until the 2024-2025 season, and paired him with NBA player Darius Bazley.