Reigning champs Wonju DP Promy win KBL Cup preseason tournament

Reigning KBL champions Wonju DB Promy beat the Suwon KT Sonicboom 77-67 to win its first title in the league's preseason tournament.

Wonju DB Promy celebrate winning the 2024 KBL Cup at Jecheon Stadium in Jecheon, North Chungcheong on Sunday. [YONHAP]

Reigning KBL champions Wonju DB Promy beat the Suwon KT Sonicboom 77-67 in the KBL Cup final on Sunday to win the preseason tournament for the first time.

Wonju’s first KBL Cup victory at Jecheon Stadium in Jecheon, North Chungcheong, comes less than a week before the regular 2024-25 season tips off on Oct. 19, when the club starts a quest to defend its regular season title claimed with a wire-to-wire run.

Despite Wonju’s success last season, the club failed to win the KBL Championship, losing in the playoffs to eventual winners Busan KCC Egis.

Egis, who started the 2023-24 season on the back of the KBL Cup victory, went on to become the first team to reach the Championship as a fifth-place team and win the title.

But this year’s KBL Cup did not work in favor of Egis, which failed to reach the semifinals. The Busan side and the Sonicboom have busier schedules in the upcoming season due to their participation in the 2024-25 East Asia Super League (EASL). The EASL group stage schedule overlaps with the majority of the regular KBL season.

The Sonicboom already played one EASL game against the San Miguel Beermen on Oct. 2 and won the game, while Egis play its first tournament game against the Macau Black Bears on Nov. 6.

Before starting its EASL campaign, the Busan side will tune up again in the KBL, with their first game of the regular season against the Sonicboom on Oct. 19.

Defending champions Wonju will be in action also on opening day at home against the Seoul Samsung Thunders.

Wonju have seven regular season titles and three Championship titles under their name, with their last Championship victory in 2008. The 2024-25 season will last through April next year, followed by the playoffs and championship.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]