Omari Spellman is back.
Since the start, Spellman has been watching from the stands, not the court. He was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his shin due to being overweight. He was told by the KBL doctor that he would need to take seven weeks off. Chung called up Duvan Maxwell as a temporary replacement.
Maxwell’s last game with the team was on Nov. 21 against Daegu KOGAS. Spellman was expected to play in the next game against 토토 Suwon KT on the 24th, but did not. He complained of a headache that morning, and it didn’t get better until the afternoon.
“He said he wanted to play against Sono and Hyundai Mobis, so I had no choice but to tell him to prepare his body first,” said coach Kim Sang-sik before the game against KT.
Anyang’s Spellman is finally back. Spellman took the court against Goyang Sono of the 2023-2024 Jeonggwanjang Professional Basketball League at Goyang Sono Arena on the 28th.
An hour and a half before tipoff, Spellman showed up with a headset and was the first to stretch. With the help of a trainer, he stretched for about 15 minutes, dribbled with two basketballs, and then found his shooting touch by taking shots from the free throw line, corner top, and beyond.
Spellman averaged 19.9 points, 2.8 3-pointers, 35.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc, 9.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 51 games last season, helping the team win the conference title. For Chung, Spellman’s return is a breath of fresh air.