KCC Becomes First Sixth-Seed to Win Pro Basketball Championship... Seventh Title Overall

Heo Hoon Named MVP with 15.2 Points and 9.8 Assists Per Game

Lee Sangmin Wins Championship as KCC Player, Assistant Coach, and Head Coach

Busan KCC has become the first-ever sixth-seeded team in the KBL regular season to win the championship series. With this victory, KCC has claimed its seventh championship title, tying with Ulsan Hyundai Mobis for the most KBL championships in league history.

On May 13 at Goyang Sono Arena, KCC defeated Goyang Sono 76-68 in Game 5 of the 2025-2026 LG Electronics Pro Basketball Championship Final. After taking Games 1 to 3 and dropping Game 4, KCC clinched the series by winning Game 5, finishing the finals with a 4-1 record.

KCC returned to the top after two years. Having made history as the first fifth-seed team to win a KBL title in the 2023-2024 season, KCC set a new milestone this season by becoming the first sixth-seeded team to win the championship.

On the 13th, at Goyang Sono Arena, professional basketball players from Busan KCC, who won the 2025-2026 KBL Playoffs Championship Final Game 5 against Goyang Sono Scygunners with a score of 76-68, are cheering while holding the trophy. Photo by Yonhap News.

Head coach Lee Sangmin achieved the rare feat of winning the championship as a player, coach, and head coach. In professional basketball, only three others — former Sono head coach Kim Seunggi, Seoul SK head coach Jeon Heechul, and Changwon LG head coach Cho Sanghyun — have won the title as a player, assistant coach, and head coach; Lee is now the fourth in history.

However, Coach Lee is the first to win championships with KCC as a player, assistant coach, and now as head coach. During the club's earlier Hyundai era, he won three championships as a player with KCC. In the 2023-2024 season, he led KCC to the title as an assistant coach, and in his first season as head coach, he lifted the trophy once again.

KCC's Heo Hoon was named the Playoffs Most Valuable Player (MVP). In five finals games, Heo Hoon averaged 15.2 points, 9.8 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game. Receiving 79 out of 98 votes from the press, Heo Hoon celebrated both his first championship and his first Playoffs MVP award. He also made history as the third member of his family, after his father, former coach Heo Jae, and his brother Heo Ung, to be named Playoffs MVP.

KCC suffered its first defeat of the finals in Game 4, appearing somewhat fatigued, but after a two-day break, they dominated from the start in Game 5.

Early in the first quarter, successful shots by Choi Junyong and Heo Hoon propelled KCC to a 9-0 lead. With two three-pointers from Heo Ung, KCC ended the first quarter ahead 25-12. Although Sono tried to rally with a three-pointer by Lim Dongseop, they struggled to break through KCC's strong defensive pressure. KCC limited Sono's field goal percentage to the 20% range in the first half and went into halftime with a commanding 42-23 lead.

Busan KCC's Heo Hoon, selected as the 2025-2026 KBL Playoffs Most Valuable Player (MVP), is cheering after finishing his net-cutting celebration. Photo by Yonhap News

In the third quarter, Sono began to close the gap with inside plays from Knight. However, their ace Lee Junghyun struggled to get his shot going, scoring just two points in the first half. He came alive at the end of the third quarter with four consecutive points.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Lee Junghyun made his first three-pointer of the game and went on to hit three three-pointers in the quarter, leading Sono's comeback effort. In the middle of the fourth, Sono scored seven straight points through Knight's free throws, a dunk from Kemba O, and another three-pointer from Lee, narrowing the deficit to 11 points. With 1:14 remaining, Lee hit his third three-pointer to cut the lead to eight. However, despite grabbing consecutive offensive rebounds on the next possession, missed three-point attempts by Lee Jaedo and Lim Dongseop prevented Sono from getting any closer.

KCC capped off their championship win with a powerful dunk by Shawn Long.

For KCC, Heo Ung scored 17 points, including five three-pointers, while Heo Hoon contributed 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Choi Junyong added 15 points and 6 rebounds, Song Gyochang had 14 points and 9 rebounds, and Shawn Long finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.

For Sono, Knight led the team with 26 points and 5 rebounds. Lee Junghyun recorded 15 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds, while Lim Dongseop scored 11 points and collected 5 rebounds.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.