"A very precious player." Lee Kang-won's flame rising once again, his time is not over
"A very precious player." Lee Kang-won's flame rising once again, his time is not over
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Has he finally finished his long breath? Lee Kang-won's early season is unusual.
In the 2013-2014 V-League Men's Rookie Draft, there was Apogit, a top prospect in the uniform of LIG Insurance (currently KB Insurance). He was highly anticipated for his lackluster physicality and hot attack, and in fact, he played as the ace of LIG Insurance in the midst of strong teams and made his name widely known.
As he moved to Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance and Woori Card, he began to lose his presence little by little. He had a hard time as young players stormed up and apogit became the exclusive property of outsiders. His name seemed to be gradually fading from fans' minds after playing in only eight sets throughout the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. As if he had completed his long breath, he began to prove his worth once again in the 2024-25 seasons. The hero is Woori Card's Lee Kang-won.
Lee Kang-won played in a total of seven games and 21 sets this season, including the first round match of the Dodram 2024-2025 V-League between Woori Card and OK Savings Bank on the 12th. He has already had more than twice as many opportunities to play in the last two seasons combined. The content of the game is also impressive. When he is deployed as a double switch, he shows his consistent offense and sincere reading when he is deployed as a one-point blocker, which is a short moment, but he is playing his role.
Lee displayed impressive presence in the upcoming match as well. After successful open attack at 10-14 in the third set as a double switch, he blocked Song Hee-chae's quick open to boost morale. Lee added another offensive point and exited the court after completing his role. In addition to the third set, Lee did his best in every set court.
Mauricio Paes, who visited the interview room after winning the match 3-1 (26-24, 30-28, 24-26, 26-24), also gave Lee Kang-won rave reviews. "Lee Kang-won is a much more important player for the team than others outside judging him. He is making great efforts out of sight, and this part is an example for other players as well. He is even playing the role of a captain. He knows how to be satisfied with a single play on the court and helps his team by demonstrating his 100% no matter how long he plays. He is a valuable player, and he has proved his value well in recent matches. He is a really important player," Paes said, giving a high praise to Lee.
Lee Kang-won's Altoran-like performance is all the more remarkable in that it is not common. This is because among the players who played well in their heyday but lost their position as they got older and more competitors, there are more cases where they collapse in the passage of time than there are cases where they rebound in search of other strengths.
However, this was not the case for Lee. He proved his worth by doing his best under the new coach, and he once again created his team's territory by taking advantage of the precious opportunities he gained. As the coach said, Lee is taking steps that can be an example for many players. 먹튀검증
The beginning as a first-round prospect and the heyday as a native powerhouse leading the team are now past glory, but Lee Kang-won's career has begun to spark up again. We look forward to his second heyday, which he will continue to open for the rest of the season.