KBL is a league in which foreign players cannot be left out. There were also many foreign players who penetrated the era. Starting with Jonny McDowell in the early days of professional basketball, Aaron Haynes and Rod Benson, who played until recently, are also indispensable figures.
Although not comparable to McDowell and Haynes,안전놀이터 Rod Benson also played for quite a while in Korea. He played for 7 seasons from the 2010-2011 season to the 2017-2018 season. He won two championships in Korea, and left Wonju to play in Changwon and Ulsan. Benson, who spent two seasons in Wonju Dongbu (now Wonju DB) from
Ulsan through Changwon, could not renew his contract.
He wanted to stay at Wonju more than anyone else, but all players, including Benson, had to go through the draft due to institutional changes.
Benson, who entered the draft, was called by Changwon LG with the second overall pick in the 2012 KBL foreign player draft. It was because his performance in the East was great and he was a player who adapted to the KBL. Because he maintained his skills well, Benson’s value remained high.
Benson’s role on the team was also important. This is because LG’s domestic player base was thin. There were Kim Young-hwan (currently Suwon KT), Jeong Chang-young (currently Jeonju KCC), Park Rae-hun and Song Chang-moo, but LG’s domestic player base was behind compared to other clubs.
Benson did his part as the pillar of the team. Although he did not receive help from Kim Joo-seong (current Wonju DB manager) and Yun Ho-young like he did in his Eastern days, he showed an unchanging presence in the paint zone.
As Benson lived up to his name, LG was also able to do well. Even before the start of the season, it was considered to be in the mid-lower ranks, but by the middle of the season, it showed more than expected performance in 5th place. But there were no more good news. As the game went on, it showed its limits. I was pushed down to 8th place. The difference between the 6th place and the game was not small. The playoffs weren’t easy.
LG made a decision during the season. Traded with Benson as a medium. LG traded Benson to Ulsan Mobis (now Ulsan Hyundai Mobis) and received Curtis Withers from Mobis. And after the end of the 2012-2013 season, Kim Si-rae (now Seoul Samsung), who played for Mobis, was recruited. Instead of sending a core force called Benson, they brought future resources.
It was Benson’s first trade since his KBL debut. However, after Benson set up a nest in Ulsan, Mobis’ power rose sharply. This is because Benson’s dominance under the goal has been added to existing resources such as Yang Dong-geun (currently Hyundai Mobis coach), Moon Tae-young, Ham Ji-hoon and Kim Shi-rae, and Ricardo Ratliff (currently Laguna).
Although the team changed during the season, Benson’s performance remained the same. He didn’t get as many offensive opportunities as he did during his LG days and had to compete with Ratliffe, but he boasted outstanding skills in defense and rebounding. Benson melted into Mobis like that.
Mobis finished the regular season in second place with 41 wins and 13 losses. However, Mobis went straight to the playoffs in the quarterfinals. And he showed his power in the playoffs. In the first game against Incheon Etland (now Daegu Korea Gas Corporation), it won 82-63. Ratliffe’s performance (27 points and 12 rebounds) was great, and Mobis’ defense tied E-Land to only 9 points in the 4th quarter.
Mobis easily cooked E-Land in the second game. Benson and Moon Tae-young led the team’s attack with 20 points each, and Mobis widened the score early. They reported a clean win at 93-58. Mobis, who won both games at home by a large margin, scored 90 points in the third game. 3 wins against E-Land. He easily rose to the championship match.
Mobis rose to the championship match in three years following the 2009-2010 season. The opponent was Seoul SK. SK was the team that established the tie record for the most wins in the regular league with 44 wins at the time. Against Mobis, it was strong with 4 wins and 2 losses.
Mobis was at a disadvantage. However, the championship match was different. Moon Tae-young got into foul trouble and Mobis struggled against SK Tall Forest, but Mobis led the atmosphere with defense. I blocked Haynes. And Benson neutralized the SK forward line with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Yang Dong-geun’s decisive 3-point shot was added to this, and Mobis won one victory after a close match.
In the 2nd match, they also had a sweaty match. While the low scoring pattern continued, Mobis beat SK 60-58. Mobis captured both games held in enemy territory. Mobis, which raised the mood, took a step closer to winning.
Mobis, who won the first two games, tied Haynes, the opponent’s main gun, more firmly in the third game. It made Haynes’ shot attempt itself uncomfortable. Haines’ score was tied at 7 points. SK’s 3-point shot success rate was also controlled to less than 10% (1/16).
Mobis, who caught up to the 3rd game, crossed the 9th division ridge of championship. Game 4 was also hopeful, as he clearly broke the expectation of the opponent’s attack in Game 3. Yang Dong-geun scored 29 points, including 5 3-pointers, in the 4th game, and Mobis won 77-55 that day. He won the championship easily.
Benson’s credit was great. In addition to a double-double in Game 1, he boasted wide defensive range throughout the series. This combined with Mobis’ excellent defensive organization, and Benson, who had no ties to winning the KBL, lifted the KBL championship trophy for the first time in Mobis.
Again in Wonju,
Si-rae Kim left for LG after the 2012-2013 season, but Mobis was still a candidate for the championship. This is because the three domestic players, Yang Dong-geun, Moon Tae-young, and Ham Ji-hoon, are still alive, and the foreign players, Benson and Ratliffe, stand out by far. Mobis also won the championship in the 2013-2014 season. Benson was also part of two consecutive championship teams.
However, Benson made a discord with Mobis in preparation for the 2014-2015 season. I couldn’t avoid being released in the offseason. He has since traveled to many countries. I couldn’t settle down in one place.
In the summer of 2015, I went out again with the KBL foreign player draft. Dongbu designated Benson with the ninth overall pick, and Benson returned to his home team. Because Kim Joo-sung and Yun Ho-young, who built Wonju Fortress together, still endured, Benson raised many expectations,
but Benson’s power was not as strong as before. His defensive activity was greatly reduced, and his mid-range shot using the backboard, which was a proprietary patent, also avoided the rim. Benson, whose performance declined, kept the bench in the 1st and 4th quarters, when a foreign player had to step out alone.
Kim Joo-sung and Yun Ho-young, who should have a synergistic effect with Benson, could not escape the flow of time. This is because Kim Joo-seong joined the ranks of veterans, and Yun Ho-young was not free from injuries both big and small. The East showed lethargy in the playoffs in the 2015-2016 season, and Benson, who returned to the East, did not produce good results.
However, Dongbu held Benson’s hand once more. While the performance of those who went to the draft for foreign players was not the same as before, the renewal of the contract with Benson was a great help in maintaining the power of the East. Also, Benson has been with his teammates longer than any other foreign player. Benson himself was desperate.
Benson, who had many positive elements, succeeded in making a comeback. In the first game of the 2016-2017 season against Busan KT (currently Suwon KT), he demonstrated his power with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
As Benson showed his power, Dongbu’s performance also revived. The return of Kim Joo-sung and Yun Ho-young from injury was also a good thing. Heo Woong (currently Jeonju KCC) and Doo Kyung-min’s outskirts firepower was added. Dongbu was able to have a good season with a decent composition.
However, when the two foreign players came out, the hands and feet did not match well. Benson and McInnes were not breathing properly. Because both are strong players only in the paint zone. Although Dongbu made the playoffs, it did not rise to a high place like the 2015-2016 season.
Dongbu changed its team name after the 2016-2017 season. The changed team name is DB. And DB signed a contract with director Lee Sang-beom. Deonte Burton and Benson were the foreign players. Burton was the main player, Benson mostly off the bench. With a lot of league experience, he led Burton and young domestic players well.
DB has achieved more than expected in the 2017-2018 season. DB, who finished first in the regular league, also advanced to the championship match. However, DB lost to SK from Game 3 to Game 6. In the end, it ended up being the runner-up.
Benson didn’t show a great performance either. After the end of the 2017-2018 season, KBL did not survive due to changes in the foreign player system. Unable to enter the KBL, Benson decided to put the basketball down.
