As foreign player Janelle Stokes, a former NBA player, did not join in time, the agony of professional basketball Goyang Sono preparing for the new season deepened.메이저놀이터
Janelle Stokes was not found in the Sono team that left for Taipei, Taiwan, via Gimpo International Airport on Tuesday. Alan Williams was the only foreign player who accompanied the team.
Stokes, who had entered the country until this day and decided to leave for Taipei together, did not keep his promise.
It is known that the player needs more time ahead of joining the team.
However, it is frustrating for the club because it has already delayed the timing of joining several times and has not shown up until the last day of the agreement.
Stokes from the University of Tennessee in the United States is a big man who is 201 centimeters tall and weighs 115 kilograms.
He was the 35th pick in the 2014 NBA Rookie Draft and played in a total of 28 games through the Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets.
From 2017 to 2020, he played in Chinese professional basketball and left the court for a while for the film business.
The reason for delaying joining is also known to require time to organize private businesses.
As Alan Williams, who will play as the main gun, has a history of knee injuries, Sono expected Stokes, an NBA veteran and good at handling the ball, to ease his burden.
However, as the team’s joining itself became unclear, Sono was in a position to reconsider whether to accompany him in the 2024-2025 season.
Stokes is said to have said he would join the training camp immediately. However, the club is seriously considering whether it is right to include Stokes in its new season plan, which has broken its promise several times.
However, it is not easy to find a new foreign player with skills when the KBL Cup, a prelude to the 2024-2025 season, is just a month away.
Sono plans to boost its organizational power through practice games with professional teams in Taiwan, including Taoyuan Leopard and Fubang Braves, during the 10 days of off-season training until the 20th.
For now, Sono decided to carry out the set schedule regardless of Stokes’ joining.
Arriving at their accommodation in Taipei, the players immediately went to weight training to check their physical conditions.
Unlike Stokes, Williams, who joined early and worked with Korean players, both coach Kim Seung-ki and his players are all positive.
Williams, a 203cm tall center who played in 67 games through the NBA Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets, was recognized by the coaching staff in terms of personality as much as his skills.
A Sono official said, “He is trying to lighten up the team’s mood even in practice matches. He follows instructions well and seems to be making efforts to adapt to the new team.”