SEOUL (Korea) - Playing professionally has always been the goal of Edi Daniel and that's precisely why he deemed it best to declare himself eligible for the Korean Basketball League Draft straight out of high school.
It has been my biggest dream since I was young... Representing Korea comes with great responsibility.
The country's top-flight league last year opened a new road by launching a draft system designed to target young local talents, and the 18-year-old standout from Yongsan High School decided to walk down that path.
"Even if I went to college, my ultimate goal was always to play in the pro league," said Edi, who was eventually selected by the Seoul SK Knights, one of the KBL's most revered ball clubs with three championships.
"I felt that entering the pro league earlier, rather than going through college basketball, would be better for my development as a player," added the wing, who joined the draft months after the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024.
Edi is now enjoying what has been a commendable rookie season thus far with the Knights and he's soaking everything in, cherishing every chance he gets to learn to fuel his constant pursuit of becoming better.
"In the KBL, there are many high-level players who are more physical and experienced," reflected Edi, who's been averaging 6.8 points on 51.8-percent shooting and 3.6 rebounds in a little over 20 minutes a game.
"So, I still have a lot to learn. I am learning many details that I didn’t get to learn in high school. I feel that I am growing a lot through this step," continued the athlete from Seoul's Jung-gu district.
But little did he know that the unusual path he took would lead him elsewhere as well.
Given how much promise he's been showing with Seoul SK, Edi found himself receiving an invite to play for the Korean men's team for Window 2 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
"What excites me the most is the opportunity to compete against players from other countries’ national teams."
He was named part of the final 12 and he couldn't be any more honored, for it has been a dream of his to play in the senior level after a solid career with the youth team, in which he played for three FIBA age-group meets.
"It is a great honor for me to be selected for the national team," he said.
"It has been my biggest dream since I was young," Edi furthered. "Representing Korea comes with great responsibility, and I believe having the right mindset and attitude is more important than anything else."
Edi finally debuted on Thursday and although Korea ultimately fell short against Chinese Taipei in New Taipei City, he sure did make the most out of the 10 minutes he played, finishing with 2 points and 6 rebounds.
Sure, his KBL exposure contributed to his game, although the kind of readiness he displayed was thanks as well to his youth team stints, including the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024 which was his last before making the jump.
"The FIBA U18 Asia Cup was a very important experience for me," said Edi, who was one of the team's top players in that tilt - in which they finished at 5th - with 9.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.8 steals.
"There were many players who were older than me on the team, and I had the chance to compete directly with some of the best players in Asia. Through that, I was able to objectively understand my level."
"It helped me realize my weaknesses and motivated me to improve myself," he added.
Needless to say, Edi's excited, now that he's embarking on a journey he only hoped for once.
"What excites me the most is the opportunity to compete against players from other countries’ national teams," he said.
"It will be a completely different experience from playing in the KBL, and I believe I can learn a lot."
FIBA