INDONEWSIAN.COM – Kim Jeong-eun (38, Photo) of Bucheon Hana Bank set a new milestone as the all-time leader in appearances in women’s professional basketball, reaching her 601st game after 20 years of relentless play.
The WKBL (Women’s Korean Basketball League)’s veteran star was substituted into the home game against Asan Woori Bank on the 21st with 4 minutes and 12 seconds remaining in the first quarter. This marked her 601st appearance on the court. Kim, who debuted on December 21, 2005, in a Shinsegae uniform, surpassed the previous record of 600 games held by Im Young-hee, a Woori Bank coach, exactly 20 years after her debut. Among active players, Bae Hye-yoon (Samsung Life Insurance) ranks fifth with 567 games, and Kim Dan-bi (Woori Bank) is seventh with 556 games.
Kim contributed 8 points (3 rebounds, 2 assists) in 18 minutes on the 21st, helping her team secure a 61-53 victory. Park So-hee led the attack with 20 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Hana Bank escaped a two-game losing streak and maintained its sole lead (8 wins, 3 losses).
Kim has already surpassed the all-time record for playing time (18,476 minutes) set by Byun Hyeon-ha (current BNK coach) during the 2023-2024 season, extending it to 19,584 minutes. Last season, she broke Jeong Seon-min’s (current Hana Bank coach) all-time scoring record (8,140 points) and now has 8,394 points.
Kim boasts a glittering career, including Rookie of the Year (2006), four Scoring Leader titles, two Championship titles, and one Championship MVP (2018). She changed her mind about retiring after last season and signed a one-year extension.
“I’m grateful that my teammates wanted to win even more because of me. Today, I can finally rest easy and celebrate,” Kim said. “This is my last season, so I’ve been reflecting a lot on my career. Every moment felt precious. There are only 19 regular-season games left, and I want to give my all.” ***
