With Busan KCC crowned champions of the 2023-2024 Korean Basketball League, attention is now turning to the future of one of their key resources. Lagunia is a special naturalized player, meaning he has Korean citizenship but is classified as a foreign player.
A KBL official told Newsis on Monday, “We will organize the matter through the board of directors. We will hold the board meeting as soon as possible in May.”
An official from the Korea Basketball Association said, “The opinion of the national men’s basketball team manager and coach is important. If they play like they did in the championship game, they will be a great force,” but also said, ”There are complicated issues, just like when we promoted special naturalization. We are trying to cooperate with professional teams, the KBL, and others.”
Lagana, whose real name is Ricardo Ratliff, 토토사이트 entered the Korean scene in 2012. In January 2018, he was granted special naturalization for six years and adopted the Korean name Lagana.
He then signed a four-way contract with a professional basketball organization, the Korean Basketball Association and the KBL to play in the domestic league and for the national team.
That contract is set to expire at the end of May, and Lagana’s future is in the spotlight.
As for the national team, he’s hung up his tricolor for now. He hasn’t played a national team game since the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifier against Thailand in February before his contract expires.
After the game against Thailand, Lagunia said, “I will not be a part of the Korean national basketball team, but I am still a big fan. I will continue to support Korean basketball even after I retire,” he said, showing off his love for the country.
However, he hasn’t given up hope.
“I would love to (stay with Korea), but it’s not up to me,” Lagana said when asked about the possibility of re-signing, “It’s up to the KBL and the Basketball Association. The ball is in their hands, not mine,” he said.
If his performance in this season’s “spring basketball” is any indication, he could be in line for another domestic stint.
Born in 1989, Lagunia has been criticized for his declining skills as he enters his mid-30s, but he was at his best in the playoffs (PO).
He was the centerpiece of KCC’s “super team,” which included Heo Woong, Song Kyo-chang, Choi Jun-yong, and Lee Seung-hyun, and helped the fifth-place team in the regular season reach the championship game for the first time in KBL history.
Laguna’s future will be decided at the KBL’s upcoming board meeting.
The KBL Board of Governors discussed Lagana once during the regular season, but did not come to a conclusion in order to not impact the season.
The board is expected to discuss Lagana’s status as a foreign player, 파워볼실시간 including the type, duration, and size of his contract, as well as the extension of his contract with the KBL.