Baby Hulk steadfast against outsider matchups despite being “a little more relaxed”
Baby Hulk Ha Yoon-ki (24, 203.5 cm) was solid even in a matchup of outsiders.
Suwon KT defeated Goyang Sono 101-65, a 36-point blowout, in the first round of the 2023-2024 Korean Professional Basketball League at the Suwon KT Sonic Boom Arena on Nov. 6. It was a valuable win for the team as it was their second straight victory after three straight losses. Ha Yoon-ki led the way in the big win with 21 points on the night, including a 100% shooting percentage from the field (7-for-7). Showing that he can hold his own in a matchup against outsiders, Ha also showed off his Baby Hulk powers with a dunk during the game.
The victory was even more precious as the team was desperate to get their first home win after losing two straight at home. When asked about the victory, Song expressed her joy, saying, “First of all, it feels so good to get the first win at home, and it feels very good that the defense we prepared worked well.”
Due to the difficulty in matching up with their opponents, Sono played with an unusual lineup that included four short Korean players. “I thought that even if the opponent’s No. 4 (power forward) blocked me, there would be help defense or a mercenary to block me, so I played while thinking about the basics,” he reflected. On the difficulty of matching up with foreigners, he said, “It was hard at first, but now I’m getting used to it. It’s okay, except that I’m losing a lot of fights and losing a lot of stamina. The mercenaries on the team help me out,” he said, giving credit to his teammates.
KT is still playing the season without Moon Sung-gon and Heo Hoon. While everyone is excited for Heo Hoon’s return, Ha Yoon-ki is also looking forward to his return. “First of all, when I play with (Heo) Hoon, he feeds me and scores by himself, and it’s really comfortable, so I feel like I’ll be able to play more comfortably when he comes back,” he said.
When asked about his improvement and consistency this season after winning the Player of the Year award last season, he gave credit to his teammates 토토사이트 throughout the interview, saying, “I feel like I’m a little bit more relaxed,” and “My teammates look out for me a lot, so I feel comfortable.”