Kim Dan-bi (33, Woori Bank) held the regular league championship trophy in her arms after 11 years.
Kim Dan-bi, who debuted as a pro in the 2007-2008 season, won the regular league championship 5 times (2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012) as a member of Shinhan Bank. In the same year, he reached the top in the championship match and also experienced five combined championships. However, there was no relationship with the trophy after that.
This is why Kim Dan-bi, who안전놀이터 was a Shinhan Bank franchise, made the difficult decision to transfer to Woori Bank after becoming a free transfer player (FA). Kim Dan-bi, who confirmed the regular league championship by winning the 2022-2023 Shinhan Bank SOL regular league round 5 match against BNK Some held at the Sajik Indoor Gymnasium in Busan on the 13th, said, “The reason I moved to Woori Bank is to become the main player and win the championship. because that was the goal. Now I’m one step closer to that goal,” he said with a bright smile.
From his 1st year to his 5th year as a pro, he won the championship cup with his seniors at Shinhan Bank, which was the strongest team at the time, but this championship was even more special. Danbi Kim said, “The situation is different from then and now. If then, as his youngest sister, he followed his older sisters, now, as his eldest sister, he had to lead his juniors. Because of that, I had a lot of pressure,” he confessed.
When Kim Dan-bi, the face representing Korean women’s basketball at the moment, transferred to Woori Bank, an atmosphere was created in which Woori Bank’s victory, which was called the ‘1st round’ and was called a strong championship candidate every season, was taken for granted.
However, Kim Dan-bi said, “The difficult thing about basketball is that no matter how good the players are, it takes a long time to match them because the habits and passing timing are different. We are still working on that part. There is a saying that you can know just by looking at your eyes, but I haven’t reached that stage yet.”
At the same time, Kim Dan-bi said, “There is nothing natural in the world. We said we would win, of course, but we also prepared diligently. The opponent team is also working hard to beat us, so winning the regular league today is a goal achieved by all players as one.”
Veteran Kim Jong-un (36) helped Kim Dan-bi, who had a lot of pressure after the transfer, to adapt. Danbi Kim said, “(Kim) Jung was the most worried about her older sister. Her older sister also transferred to Woori Bank as a free agent (she was in the last 2017-2018 season), so she helped a lot from the side. Because Jung had her older sister, I was able to fit into this team.”
Kim Dan-bi leads the team to a combined championship and aims for the season MVP (distinguished player).
“I’ve never been awarded the MVP of the season,” he said. There are many players who have never received MVP and retire. “Anyway, I came to the team called Woori Bank through a big decision. I made a change because I had a goal (to win). It is true that I am greedy because I prepared hard together with the players. However, it seems that not all MVPs are earned by doing well alone. It is an award given because the players ran together and the results were good. Only words are MVP, but I think it is an award received with all players.”
To win the MVP, you have to lift the championship cup to increase your chances. Danbi Kim said, “We are not over yet. Coach Sung-Woo Lee said that we only like today and let’s run toward a bigger goal. I wish the winning trophy now was the championship trophy. I want to be the last team to laugh that much. From this moment on, I will only think of that one thing and run.”