It was way past 10 p.m. when I, along with the last remaining group of fans, finally left. The Changwon LG Sakers were just eliminated in the playoffs, falling short once again in vying for their first championship in the team’s 30-year history.

This wasn’t the ending I was hoping for. The weight of the loss tugged at my heart and even my feet as I found myself reluctant to leave the campus. The familiar emptiness hit the pit of my stomach. Oh, the heartbreak of being a sports fan.

As I neared the city streets, I turned one final time to look back at the gymnasium, a place I could almost call my second home these last three months. I couldn’t help but ponder about how far I have come as a fan. I can call myself a Sebaragi. And it was all because I watched a reality dating show called Singles’ Inferno.

I recalled my first basketball game in January when I showed up with a poster in my hand that said, “Hey, (Lee) Gwanhee! I traveled 9,294 km from the US to see you!” Lee Gwanhee, one of the cast members of the show, was the reason why I traveled to S. Korea.

I was curious about him, and the fact that he was a 36-year-old veteran basketball player still chasing his championship dream made him more fascinating. Unlike most fangirls, I was more interested in his basketball career. Unbeknownst to me at that first game, I would visit S. Korea again two more times, attend 15 games in six different cities, and travel over 65,000 kilometers by the end of the season.

“Why???” people would often ask me. “You can watch the NBA in America. It is much better!”

Yes, there is some truth to that, but I wanted to see firsthand Lee Gwanhee win his first championship. I wanted to see the LG Sakers win their first championship. Given my strong interest in sports and being a life-long fan (and former sports journalist), I came to watch their story and to be a part of it.

Unfortunately, the story did not have a fairy-tale ending. But despite the loss, the season still had reasons to celebrate: various players achieved personal milestones, Yu Kisang winning Rookie of the Year, and Assem Marei winning the Rebound award. I was even given the opportunity to make a fan speech for the KBL Awards ceremony.

International fans got together to organize coffee truck events for Lee Gwanhee and Justin Gutang. Gutang became the first import player in the Korean Basketball League to receive one.

I got to experience fan service in Korea! This alone blows the NBA, NFL, MLB out of the water! In the US, you rarely ever meet the athletes you root for! In Korea, you can see them twice on match day! Professional athletes are appreciative of their fans, and they definitely show it! Yang Hongseok, I see you. He is a perfect example of fan service at its best! I would see him being the last player to leave, if not one of the last, after every home game, making sure that he gets to every fan who has been waiting.

And speaking of fans, the city of Changwon boasts the best! They made a foreign fan like me feel so welcome and included! People who I have never met before would give gimbap, cheeseburger meals, KBL organizers, trading cards, shrimp chips, luggage tag, mango shakes, and even game tickets! I was humbled by such generosity. And it was an even more amazing time cheering with them. Sebaragi. I experienced what that truly meant.

 The hospitality not only came from the fans but from the LG Sakers club as a whole from management down. Towards the end of the season, attending a game wouldn’t be complete without having a conversation with Kim Youngkook, the team translator and interpreter. And you know the team is a keeper when people begin to be familiar with you and address you by your name. It’s a connection I have never experienced with other sports teams. 

But has this three-month journey always been a bed of roses? No, of course not. There were times when I was physically unwell, and there were even times I was on the receiving end of defamation and online harassment by other overseas fans.

The lack of KBL access for foreigners was frustrating and inconvenient, especially having to depend on other people to buy tickets for you. The support from the community, especially during the playoff season, was pretty non-existent.

I expected to see banners in the streets and posters/signage to be displayed on business windows, but unfortunately, there were none. How I wished there would be more community spirit and support for the local teams. It would be a sight to behold to see yellow flooding the city streets. 

But despite the above, they didn’t damper my joy. I had the most incredible time! I will never forget sitting and cheering (loudly) in the middle of the cheering sections of the opposing teams, walking for over an hour in the rain after the match win in Busan, and of course, witnessing Yoon Wonsang’s buzzer-beating game-winning clutch shot in game 3 of the playoffs.

These memories, along with all the people who I met along the way, will stay in my mind and heart for a long time.  

The impact of his influence still remains to be measured. But there is no doubt his participation in Singles Inferno boosted his popularity, boosted interest and attendance in KBL games, both in person and online.

New LG Sakers fans have been born worldwide, but more importantly, the exposure has bred new fans to basketball. And, arguably, this is due to Lee Gwanhee’s influence.

Only time will tell if this is temporary or permanent, but for now, I hope he is given his due.   And will I be returning next season? Absolutely! I am already looking forward to a different story ending.