Korean Basketball!!!!!

Seoul, Korea is not a town for the introverted. There are so many things to do! One can find just about anything in the entertainment realm that you are interested, from sports to theatre, history or diverse cuisine. Seoul comes alive at night with it's thriving nightclubs, casino's & Nori-bangs (these are Karaoke style bars) that stay open all night. Karaoke is taken very seriously here. In the mall attached to my apartment building there is a Nori-bang, where people go to practice for a night out on the town. It has approximately 8 private booths where you can go & practice your songs. Even though, I havent been to a Nori-bang yet,....I look forward to going & having a great time. 'Cause most of you know, in America...Karaoke is one of my favorite things to do (despite the fact that I can't sing).

Korean Basketball League (KBL)

The KBL as it is referred to, is the professional Basketball league of South Korea. It consists of 10 teams from across the region. Most of the players are Korean, but there tends to be this funny trend on each team, where there are two (2) American players [usually AA's] that obviously are in complete control of the team. Since arriving in (If you don't believe me check out the team rosters). Seoul, this tends to be one of my favorite past times & I have even started some of my American friends going to the games. Although KBL games are quite different than the FABULOUS NBA, it is quite amusing at times.

In this league, there is a height maximum, yep.... no one over 6 feet 8 inches allowed. Some of you reading might think that this height restriction is due to the small statured Koreans, but I have not recognized that to be accurate. Despite the shortage of fat Koreans, they tend to come in many different shapes and heights. Actually, I have seen some really tall Korean guys & girls now that I think about it....so enough with the stereotypes...Koreans are not short people as a whole.

Back to the basketball....

The Game The rules of the game tend to be the same, after all, basketball is basketball. But, I have noticed, that NO ONE, I mean NO ONE dunks the ball? I am not sure if they have rules against such individualized behavior, so I'll have to do some research.

Initially, watching the game took a little bit of adjustment for me. There are commentators yelling, the crowd is yelling something else back & it's all in Korean...therefore, I am none the wiser. Even in regards to the score, I was confused for a bit cause it is in Korean, which I find really strange since the print on the players uniforms is in English. How am I supposed to translate??? The Fans The fans are really into the game!!! In Korea, it appears to be a little more family orientated than in the US. This may be due to the sheer expense of tickets for NBA tickets. Here in Korea, you can get a ticket for only 8,000Won (approximately $8.30 US). For floor seats, you only need to spend 30,000Won compared to the nearly $2000 you spend for NBA tickets. That difference alone, allows for this sport to be more family friendly. Additionally, at these games, you are free to bring your own snacks & vendors are lined up around the stadium selling beverages, chestnuts, & their homemade treats at very economical prices. I'm not sure if I would care to munch on octupus or dried fish while watching the game, but IF I WANTED I certainly have that option.

The games are complete with scantily clad cheerleaders & their own hype man. Team chants, yelling & the wave are common place at KBL basketball games. They have even incorporated video screens around the stadium, where they show commercials & team promos during time outs.

At one particular game, I was quite excited that they were playing Salt & Pepa's "Push IT" during which time, the cheerleaders were performing. I was really feeling that song, so I got up & began dancing along...since I was one of about 5 Americans in the audience (the other four were in my party), I was an immediate magnet to the camera. As the song continued, I continued to do my dance, all while the camera showed me on the big screen & the Korean people cheered me on (my mother would be so embarassed of me...sorry, Mom!). But I was there to have a good time,..right?

The Players Below you will find video footage, where the Seoul SK Knights are being introduced:

I have been greatly entertained while watching KBL basketball on many occasions. It should go without saying that the players are not as good as they are in the NBA. Due to that fact, they seem to work harder, and I must appreciate their effort, but at the same time...I know why this is the KBL and not the NBA. In this league I have noticed many talented athletes, whose game is limited to prowess in one particular area. For example, there are many great Korean shooters. I mean some of those guys can really get the ball in the basket, 3 pointers for days...no effort...SWISH! Meanwhile, the American players can't seem to shoot really well, but they can make things happen in the post, but you have to pray that the ball makes it into the basket?!? It makes the game really unique and kind of predictable in a sense. Well, you never really know who is gonna win, cause the talent is definitely well distributed across the league.

In one particular game, the Seoul SK Knights were playing the Busan Orion. The SK Knights were being anilluated. They were down 28 points at the end of the 3rd quarter. To say that the 4th quarter was exciting, is an understatement. I liken it to the Bad New Bears coming back and winning the victory. It was unreal how the SK Knights came back and won the game....You just gotta love this game, NBA or not!

K

This upcoming weekend is the KBL All-Star game, I certainly plan to attend! I'll let you guys know how it compares!