Former basketball star Seo Jang Hoon defended his record of switching teams six times during his playing career, saying he only moved when a new club offered a much higher salary. He made the remarks on the October 10 broadcast of JTBC’s variety show “Knowing Bros.”
According to a Newsen report, the episode welcomed the national basketball team, fresh off a gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
The topic of player loyalty came up when Lee Soo-geun introduced national team player Byun Joon-hyung, nicknamed “Anyang’s guardian,” who has played for Anyang since 2018 and said he dreams of becoming a franchise star. Seo responded that after seven or eight years with one team, the better path was to stay there until retirement.
Lee Soo-geun then joked about players who “hop around like bats at every free agency” — a thinly veiled jab at Seo, who played for six different teams. When asked what players prioritize when transferring, the consensus answer was money.
“I only moved because the team I went to paid much more. Not similar pay, but much more — so I moved, and then moved again when they offered more,” Seo said. He added that the league had only ten teams at the time. Kang Ho-dong quipped that playing for six of ten teams was “a bit much,” though he also noted the higher salary meant the club recognized his value. The younger players admitted they were envious.
The segment aired October 10.
