a beautiful loser
The eventful 2022-2023먹튀검증 season of professional basketball Carrot has come to an end. In the semi-final playoffs (PO, 3 out of 5), he met KGC Ginseng Corporation, which ranked first in the regular season, and struggled, but was eliminated with 1 win and 3 losses.
Carrot, which Day One Sports acquired and refounded after acquiring Orion ahead of this season, announced its start with a dream of good fortune. However, problems outside of the game, which had been a concern even before the foundation, arose. As the financial difficulties of the parent company Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Construction became serious, the red light came on for the operation of the club.
The players and coaching staff went through the season without receiving proper salaries. In addition, the special membership fee, which is not required to join KBL, was not paid on time, and it faced the risk of being disqualified from entering the PO. It was a moment when the blood and sweat of the players who had won spring basketball tickets with their improved skills under the guidance of new coach Kim Seung-gi almost disappeared.
Fortunately, the remaining balance was paid within the deadline, avoiding a dishonorable skit. That’s how Carrot arrived at spring basketball after twists and turns. And the players wrote a drama from the first page. In the 6th PO, he met 4th place Hyundai Mobis and made a miraculous upset.
After splitting the 1st and 2nd games, they lost the 3rd game at home and were driven to the edge of the cliff. However, he did not give up and overturned the series by winning the 4th and 5th games in a row. Lee Jung-hyun and Didric Lawson did their part, and Jeon Seong-hyun’s fighting spirit shone as he endured injuries and energized the team.
Even in the semifinals, Carrot did not collapse helplessly. Despite losing the first game with the largest score difference (56 points) since the inception of professional basketball, they made a spirited counterattack in the second game. Game 3 was eventually lost, but in the first quarter, 0-15 showed the potential to drive the opponent. It ended with elimination, but this is why everyone applauds Carrot.
Ginseng Corporation’s talk was chilling. Manager Kim Sang-sik said, “I am the manager of the opposing team, but I am very impressed. Both the Carrot team and coach Kim Seung-gi showed their fighting spirit to the end,” he raised his thumb. The Ginseng Corporation players, including Byun Jun-hyung and Moon Seong-gon, all agreed and said, “It’s not an easy team.”
Now Carrot disappears into history. The naming sponsorship with Carrot Insurance ended early. The name was only maintained because KBL did not give final approval. You have to find a new parent company as well as a name. Their future is full of uncertainty, but the touching story Carrot gave this spring has long stayed in the hearts of fans.