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프로농구 서울 SK 나이츠가 구단 역사상 최초의 정규시즌 우승을 앞두고 위한 초읽기에 들어갔다.
현재 여덟 경기를 남겨두고 있는 SK는 남은 경기에서 3경기만 승리하면 자력으로 우승을 확정 지을 수 있다.
비록 26일 경기에서 디펜딩 챔피언 안양 KGC에게 일격을 맞기는 했지만 2위 울산 모비스와는 5.5 경기, 3위 인천 전자랜드와는 무려 10.5경기 차이로 여유 있게 앞서 있어 이변이 없는 이상 무난히 정규시즌 우승을 확정 지을 전망이다.
SK는 안양에게 패하기 전까지 11연승을 달렸는데 이는 팀 역사상 최장기록이다. 또한 현재 홈 19연승을 달리고 있는데, 이는 KBL 역사상 최장기간에 걸쳐 작성된 것이다.
SK는 올 시즌 포인트 가드로 변신한 김선형과 득점능력이 뛰어난 외국인선수 애런 헤인즈를 필두로 해 KBL 1위인 한 경기 평균 77.1점을 득점하며 매서운 공격력을 뽐내고 있다.
강력한 신인왕 후보인 최부경, MVP출신에서 든든한 롤플레이어로 변신한 박상오 외에 주희정, 김민수 등 조연들의 활약도 눈부시다.
올 시즌 SK의 비상은 ‘돌풍’이라고 불릴 만큼 사람들을 놀라게 하고 있다.
성공적인 루키시즌을 보낸 가드 김선형의 존재, 박상오의 영입 등으로 탄탄한 전력을 구축했다고 평가되었지만 작년에도 7위에 그쳐 플레이오프 진출에 실패한 만큼, 우승을 다툴 것이라고 본 사람들은 적었기 때문이다.
SK 나이츠는 2000년대 초반, ‘국보급 센터’ 서장훈의 존재에 힘입어 한 차례 우승, 두 차례 결승전 진출 등 전성기를 보낸 이후 10년에 가까운 ‘암흑기’를 보내야 했다.
김효범, 주희정, 방성윤 등 매년 거물급 선수들을 영입해 ‘스타군단’으로 불렸으나 모래알 조직력, 그리고 줄부상 등 연이은 불운으로 2002년 서장훈의 이적 이후 단 한 차례 플레이오프에 진출하는데 그쳤다. 일각에서는 연이은 SK의 불운을 일컫어 ‘서장훈의 저주’라고 표현하기도 했다.
지난 시즌 감독대행으로 지도자 데뷔를 하고 올해 정식으로 부임한 문경은 감독은 이러한 SK의 문제점을 파악하고 수비와 조직력을 보강하는데 힘을 썼다.
선수시절, 스타와 조연역할을 모두 경험했던 문 감독은 선수들간의, 그리고 감독과의 소통을 중시했고 이러한 리더쉽을 바탕으로 끈끈한 조직력을 만드는데 성공했다.
가장 중요한 것이 “대화가 소통”이라고 말하는 문 감독은 “연승 분위기로 높아진 선수단의 자신감이 자만으로 넘어가지 않도록 조심해야 한다”라며 조심스럽게 자신감을 내비쳤다.
<관련 영문 기사>
SK Knights eyeing regular season title
By Yoon Min-sik
As the 2012-2013 season of the Korean Basketball League draws to a close, the Seoul SK Knights are eyeing their first-ever regular season title, being a heartbeat away from making the transition to a championship caliber team from a perennial doormat.
Before losing on Tuesday to Anyang KGC Kites 66-58, the Knights had cruised to 11 consecutive wins, the most in the team’s history. Their home-court winning streak of 19 is the longest in KBL history.
With a record of 38-8, Seoul has a commanding lead over Ulsan Mobis Phoebus, who are 5.5 games behind them. It is highly unlikely that Ulsan will dethrone Seoul, with only eight games left in the regular season.
If the Knights go on to win the regular season title, it will be their first-ever regular season championship. The KBL awards regular season champions and the playoff champions separately.
The Knights had enjoyed their heyday in the early 2000s, making it to the finals twice and winning a championship in 2000 over back-to-back defending champions Daejeon Hyundai, a forerunner of the Jeonju KCC Egis.
Their fortune took a downturn after former MVP center Seo Jang-hun, the centerpiece of their championship, was traded to their Seoul rival Samsung Thunders. The Knights have since made it to the playoffs once while Seo claimed another MVP and a title in the 2005-06 season with the Thunders.
While the Knights have had its share of talents, it repeatedly fell short due to lackluster team chemistry and injuries, namely early retirement of injury-plagued sharp shooting forward Bang Seong-yun. Some fans called their misfortune the “curse of Seo,” in reference to a string of bad luck that struck them after Seo left the team.
The Knights’ star-studded roster fell short time after time, despite high expectations at the beginning of each season.
After missing the playoffs yet again last year, the Knights are finally turning it around.
Powered by their lightning-fast point guard Kim Seon-hyeong and high-scoring forward Aaron Haynes, the Knights are leading all KBL teams with 77.1 points per game, reasonably high considering that KBL games are notoriously low paced and defense oriented.
Kim, who has made a successful transition from shooting guard to the leading guard spot, is considered one of the leading candidates for this year’s MVP.
While no Knight is leading any major categories in personal statistics, the team is buoyed by the all-around contribution of its players. This can be attributed to the team’s new culture of defense and tenacity, which was introduced by their youthful head coach Moon Gyeong-eun.
The 42-year-old coach, a former basketball star who wrapped up his career with the Knights, was appointed the acting head coach last season.
Upon taking helm he reportedly said, “On our team, there is a ruling party, opposition party, and the neutrals,” in an apparent dab at division within the team.
In an attempt to bring his players together, he made it mandatory for them to attend morning practice and breakfast. Moon said he struck up conversations with his players whenever they could, encouraging them to freely talk to him or with each other.
“Communication is the key. I advise them based on my own experience. At the end of my playing career, I’ve learned a lot riding the bench. The experience is paying off now,” he said.
With playoffs looming, Moon advised his players to look out for injury and overconfidence.
“We have to make sure the heightened confidence derived from regular does not become arrogance,” he said. (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
