Hanbyeol Kim
The retirement of Kim Han-byeol, who played for the women’s national basketball team, has been announced. At least she won’t be seen on her national stage next season.
According to the results of the third round of negotiations for the 2024 free agent (FA) announced by the Korea Women’s Basketball League (WKBL) on the 22nd, the status of Kim Han-byeol, who played for Busan BNK, was confirmed as a ‘retired player’.
According to the club, although retirement was announced, Kim Han-byeol has not decided to completely end his career as a player.
The club explained that, as Kim Han-byeol was unable to pay satisfactory compensation due to team circumstances, they decided to take a break for a season and discuss whether to join him again.
A BNK official said, “We are thinking of negotiating again if there is an intention to return after taking a year off,” and added, “(Now that the retirement announcement has been made), the structure is that if you want to play in the WKBL again, you have to negotiate with us first.” .
He added, “Although he is old, he is still an influential player as long as he takes good care of his body.”
BNK, which was at the bottom in the 2023-2024 season, simultaneously recruited free agents ‘Big Fish’ Hye-jin Park and Sonia Kim, and also re-signed guard Hye-ji Ahn, an internal free agent.
Kim Han-byeol played 372 regular league games for Yongin Samsung Life Insurance and BNK. He averaged 9.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while playing about 25 minutes.
Kim Han-byul, born in 1986, showed competitiveness in the 2022-2023 season alone, recording an average of 13 points and 9 rebounds in the regular league. However, last season saw his scoring average drop to 8.
Kim Han-byul, who has a Korean mother and an American father, joined the Korean women’s professional basketball team in 2009.
She began playing on domestic courts in her early 20s under the English name ‘Kimberly Robelson’. She acquired Korean nationality in 2011, and from the 2012-2013 season, she wore the Korean name Hanbyeol Kim on her uniform.
He participated as a member of the national team in the final qualifying round for the Tokyo Olympics held in Serbia in February 2020, helping Korea advance to the Olympic finals for the first time in 12 years since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The retirement of Kim Han-bi and Lee Hye-mi, who played for Samsung Life Insurance and Incheon Shinhan Bank along with Kim Han-byul, was also announced.
Lee Ha-eun’s second round of negotiations with Shinhan Bank broke down.
In order to play in professional basketball, Lee Ha-eun must find a team in the final negotiations that will be held from the 23rd to the 31st of next month. 섯다