Korean Basketball Game Turns Into A Frightening Fight: KBL Fans Outraged By Lack of Sportsmanship And Penalty

During a December 3 game for the South Korean professional basketball teams, Daegu KOGAS Pegasus vs. Anyang KGC, things got a bit too heated on the court—and now, sports fans are debating whether the situation could have been handled better.

While vying for the ball, players Shin Seung Min (#2) and Byun Joon Hyung (#5) ended up on the ground, arms tangled. The fall was dangerous, with KOGAS’s Shin crushing KGC Byun’s arm. The referees hurried over, blowing the whistle to break the two apart. With that, the rough play seemed to come to an end…

…except Bae Byung Joon (#1) wasn’t done. A shooting guard for the KGC, Bae became suddenly violent toward Shin.

The court cameras caught Bae attempting to throw punches at Shin, still on the ground. Shin, terrified by the 14-year senior Bae’s unwarranted threats, was seen putting his hands up to guard himself.

While the referees looked over the video to decide on faults, Shin approached both Byun and Bae apologetically. Byun was spotted massaging his arm, but he was not hurt. Soon, the referees penalized Bae with a technical foul and the match resumed—ending in KOGAS’s victory.

Following the game, however, Korean basketball fans grew outraged at the “lack of sportsmanship” from Bae.

“Violence during a sports game?”
“What the- Why did [#1] become so violent? I’m shocked. How is this allowed in sports? Baffled by the number of people defending [#1]… Is this normal in KBL?”
“I don’t even want to know what led up to this moment. Violence cannot be justified, no matter what. Can it?”
“[#2] and [#5] were vying for the ball, so it is not problematic that they got physical. But [#1] getting violent is not acceptable. I hope he gets penalized for his action.”
“This is so frightening. Is this how KBL rolls? I’ve been to a few basketball games with my friends, but I’ve never seen anything like this before. This is so violent.”

Korean Basketball League (KBL) fans are demanding Bae to receive additional penalties on top of the technical foul.

“Wowee… Basketball sunbaes are so intimidating, aren’t they? What are the rookies supposed to learn? This is pathetic. At a professional league game? Really?”
“If you can’t see what’s wrong with this entire situation, it’s not that you ‘don’t know the rules of basketball,’ but more so that you don’t know the rules of this society.”
“How is ANY parent supposed to take their children to basketball games when sh*t like this happens? KBL obviously doesn’t want to make the basketball scene successful again.”
“What a bunch of lunatics, getting violent in the middle of a sports game. Who do they think they are, some thugs? [#1] is out of his mind.”
“This is insane. Punches don’t belong on the court, in sports. There are rules and referees for a reason.”

Watch the full clip here.