Interview: Samsung Thunders' new guy on the block is here to win

Seoul Samsung Thunders' Kofi Cockburn poses for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Samsung Training Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi on Oct. 20. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Seoul Samsung Thunders' new signee Kofi Cockburn is keen to prove himself in the KBL and lead his team to glory this season.

The center from Jamaica said during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Samsung Training Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi on Oct. 20 that the Thunders will forget about the failures of the past (40 losses and just 14 wins last season) to focus on the 2023-24 league.

Standing at 7 feet tall and weighing 330 pounds, the 24-year-old is a force to be reckoned with on the court, which he proved during a KBL Cup game against the Seoul SK Knights on Oct. 8.

He bucketed 33 points during that game, tying for top scorer with Knights’ Jameel Warney, who has won the KBL’s foreign MVP award in the past two seasons.

Cockburn could be what the Thunders need to challenge their KBL competitors. The Thunders have not been successful in recent years, having finished at the bottom of the table for the second consecutive season.

He said that he adapted to the team in a short time, and said his only job left is to show why he's called “the Jamaican King Kong.”

Cockburn’s athletic background is unique for a basketball player — it doesn't revolve around basketball. He didn't start playing the game until 16 years old. He was a sprinter and also played football as a midfielder.

He started playing basketball as he shot up to 6-and-a-half feet in middle school, which he said drew interest from multiple high school basketball teams.

After playing at Christ the King Regional High School and Oak Hill Academy, he entered the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he was named as Big Ten Freshman of the Year and made significant improvements as a center.

Although he failed to make his NBA debut at Utah Jazz, he made his professional debut at Niigata Albirex of the Japanese B. League where he played for half a season before joining the Thunders in the summer.

The 2023-24 KBL season is his first time playing a full season.

Cockburn said that he can turn things around for the Thunders as he did at his university. Before he joined, the school's team had recorded 15 wins and 40 losses, but it managed 40 wins and 15 losses after he joined the team.

He said that he will look to win 40 games with the Thunders this season, as they recorded 14 wins and 40 losses last season.

The KBL season has already begun, with the Thunders having managed one win in the past three games as of Tuesday.

Cockburn has already proved to be an effective player, as he has averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds — both stats are the fourth-highest in the league.

The Thunders will next face defending champions Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters on Thursday at Seoul Jamsil Gymnasium in southern Seoul.

BY PI JOO-YOUNG [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]