Im Dong-il (22), who tried for the KBL draft, appeared on a 3x3 basketball court.
'NH Nonghyup Bank 2025-2026 KXO 3x3 Hongcheon STOP' was held on the 20th at the Hongcheon County National Sports Center in Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province. The tournament took place over two days across four divisions: U15, U18, men's open division and KXO STOP.
The event, hosted by KXO (chairman Park Geon-yeon), was supported by Hongcheon County (county governor Shin Young-jae) and the Hongcheon County Sports Council (chairman Shin Eun-seop). Starting with KXO 3x3 Hongcheon STOP 1 in February, KXO held six domestic tournaments and three international tournaments this year, and completed its 2025 schedule with this Hongcheon STOP.
In the KXO STOP semifinals, Hongcheon defeated PRISM 21-13 to advance to the final. Hongcheon will compete for the title against Japan's Sagamihara.
Hongcheon's 214 cm tall center Im Dong-il (22) stood out. Im, who played elite basketball up to Chung-Ang University, tried for the 2025 KBL draft but was not selected. His overwhelming height is attractive, but he could not overcome a long hiatus from training.
In 3x3 basketball, where there are few 2 m players, a height of 214 cm was overwhelming. Im caught high balls while standing and scored without jumping. However, he showed weaknesses in mobility and stamina, which are essential in 3x3.
After the game, Im Dong-il said, "I played 3x3 basketball for the first time yesterday. I only briefly practiced 2-on-2 plays before going into the game. It feels like a completely different discipline from 5x5 basketball. Still, I think it went more smoothly than yesterday," expressing his happiness.
Not being drafted in the KBL draft was a shock. Im Dong-il said, "To be honest, I had some expectations, but I was not picked. I was in shock for about a week. I had rested from training for about four weeks when I received a direct message asking if I would try 3x3 basketball. It sounded fun, so I joined the Hongcheon team," he explained.
The 3x3 basketball he actually experienced was different. Im said, "It was hard. I didn't really know the rules and it seems to use different muscles. I was physically exhausted so I kept being substituted. The players all seem to have good shooting and stamina," he admitted.
Im Dong-il is considering his future as a player. He said, "I have not completely given up on 5x5 basketball yet. I'm contemplating whether to try for the KBL again next year, transfer to another university, or play 3x3 basketball," he said.
It is true that experiencing 3x3 basketball in Hongcheon has opened another option for Im Dong-il. I hope he continues to have a successful career as a player.
[OSEN]