"Please try to show effort until the very end. The fans are all here—are you going to end the game like this?"
Seoul SK's head coach Jeon Hee-chul strongly rebuked his players during a game a few weeks ago, emphasizing sportsmanship. His voice carried determination as he stressed the "professionalism" of always giving one's best for the fans, regardless of the situation.
Days later, Coach Jeon contradicted his own words. In the regular season finale against Anyang KGC on the 8th, SK benched most of its starters and played without intensity, displaying baffling game management. With 13 seconds remaining in a tied game, the team inexplicably missed two free throws—one of which was an "airball" that didn't even touch the rim. Their offense, which managed only 8 points throughout the entire fourth quarter, also raised eyebrows.
SK ultimately lost by 2 points, finishing the regular season in fourth place and setting up a playoff matchup against fifth-place Sono in the Round of Six. Suspicions erupted that the team had "intentionally lost" to avoid facing troublesome opponent KCC and instead play Sono, against whom they held a favorable head-to-head record in the regular season.
As the controversy grew, the Korean Basketball League (KBL) convened its disciplinary committee and ruled that "SK engaged in insincere game management," imposing a 5 million won fine on Coach Jeon and issuing a warning to the SK organization. However, fans remain furious, calling it a "slap on the wrist." The dominant reaction on social media has been: "How is this any different from match-fixing?"
This controversy could also deal a massive blow to the "sports-loving company" image of parent company SK Telecom. SK Telecom has supported esports, K League football, men's and women's handball teams, the Korea Fencing Association, and national team athletes. The company has enhanced its brand image by playing the role of benefactor to unpopular sports. But this incident is serious enough to demolish all the goodwill built up over time, because it has completely trampled on sports' core values of fairness, respect, and responsibility.
I want to ask SK: Did you really lose that day? Or did you choose to lose? What answer will you give to fans about undermining the integrity of professional sports?
