This was written early this year. A lot has happened since then, - unfortunately for the worse - but this is the first series of a number of articles I will release about experiencing the dark side of the Korean Basketball League.

It’s January 2015, and I feel the excitement rushing through my body. It’s that feeling of rush and adrenaline. I’m at center court in Jamsil arena, home of the Seoul Samsung Thunders. But tonight I’m not here to see the Thunders; I’m here to watch the 2015 KBL all-star game. Now I know I shouldn’t have this feeling because the KBL all-star game is nothing to feel special about; in fact, it’s regressed every year since I started covering the KBL in 2012. But I still get that feeling because, well, I love basketball.
I grew up in Canada, where ice hockey is above and beyond more popular than any other sport. When I got to middle school, that is when I fell in love with basketball. I was so in love with the game of basketball that even against my parents wish for me to play hockey, I chose basketball. My parents were disappointed, sure, they spent a lot of time and money to develop my hockey skills but after time, they saw how committed I was to basketball. I can’t say why or how I fell in love with basketball, but I remember every time I walked in a gym, it felt like home.

So here I am, in Seoul, South Korea, at Jamsil Arena sitting in the media section of the 2015 KBL all-star game. I’m over 10,000 km away from Toronto but right here, in this basketball arena, I feel right at home. My playing days are over, but now, as a reporter, I see basketball through a different perspective. I’m not just watching point guard crossovers or forwards throw down tomahawk dunks. I see a bigger picture. I see basketball as a business, and a sport.

Two months ago, I had the chance to cover the Toronto Raptors for an entire week. The organization opened their doors to me so I can see practices, press conferences, and gameday activities. I realized how sophisticated the inner workings of the NBA really are. I realized that the secret to the NBA’s success is transparency. The fact of the matter is the NBA built a brand so organized that it allows cameras and reporters to follow the league every step of the way. They are not afraid to show what they are or who they are because they do things the right way.

I’ve travelled to many countries to cover different basketball leagues and I must say the KBL is one of the top leagues in Asia. Sure it has its problems, as do many other leagues, but the problems the KBL faces are not impossible problems.

The first major problem the KBL faces is acquiring a demand for their product. The KBL is fortunate to have cable television outlets such as KBS, SBS, MBC, and SpoTV broadcast their games to a potentially wide audience. When the NBA was young, they couldn’t even pay broadcast companies to broadcast their games. Some of the NBA’s best moments were not even televised. Could you imagine if Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game or George Gervin 33 point quarter (without a three point line) was broadcasted on television? The KBL is lucky to have this television coverage, but they need to do a better job of sustaining it. Last year, SBS Sports’ interrupted game 1 of the 2014 KBL finals broadcast of the female volleyball championships in Korea. The broadcast company decided to air the ending of the volleyball match over the beginning of the KBL finals. This in large part has to do with the lack of communication between the KBL and the broadcast company. In order to attract the attention of broadcast companies, the league must build a high quality product, something that will acquire a demand. Once that is in place, the KBL should work with the broadcast companies to sustain their demand by creating transparency. Allow the media to access your league, players, and franchises. That would build and keep a successful relationship between the fans and the produ