SBS 'Hot Blood Basketball Team' to Premiere on the 29th, A Sports Variety Show Full of Authenticity Led by Seo Jang-hoon

SBS's new sports variety show 〈Hot Blood Basketball Team: Rising Eagles〉 will first air on the 29th at 5 PM. This program is a full-fledged sports variety show that captures the process of celebrities and sports stars forming a team to challenge the Asian national competition in basketball.

At the production presentation held on the 26th at SBS headquarters in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, former national basketball player and broadcaster Director Seo Jang-hoon stated, "Five years ago, when I first did a basketball variety show, I had doubts about being serious, but now the atmosphere has changed," and added, "Since we played sincerely, I hope you will see the authenticity of the players."

Director Seo Jang-hoon also served as the director of the SBS variety show 〈Handsome Tigers〉 five years ago. He expressed, "I had regrets about not achieving great success at that time," and said, "After receiving an offer from PD Seo Hyun-seok, I decided to participate thinking that I could contribute to the development of basketball and help realize the dreams of the players."

PD Seo Hyun-seok shared, "I judged that this program could maximize the character of my respected senior Seo Jang-hoon," and expressed his feelings, saying, "We started planning a year ago, and I am deeply moved to hold the production presentation today."

Director Seo Jang-hoon emphasized that he wants this program to be approached as sports itself, not as a variety show. He stated, "Making it funny and entertaining is something that other variety shows do sufficiently," and added, "If it were a situation where we had to make it funny (in a variety sense) while using basketball as a theme, I would not have participated."

The Rising Eagles basketball team is composed entirely of celebrities, including Minho from SHINee, Jung Jin-woon from 2AM, Johnny from NCT, Jung Kyung-min from 〈Transit Love 2〉, and singer Son Tae-jin. However, actors Oh Seung-hoon, Kim Taek, and show host Park Chan-woong have past experiences as basketball players.

They are set to compete not only against the strongest basketball club in the country but also against a celebrity basketball team from the Philippines in a national competition.

Minho, who is the captain of the Rising Eagles, expressed, "It was an honor to realize the dream of being an athlete that I have dreamed of since I was young through this program," and added, "I was able to understand the players' feelings a little, and it will be a precious experience that I will never forget for the rest of my life."

Johnny, Minho's junior at SM, stated, "At first, I thought I just had to be careful of Minho's passion, but everyone, including the director, was serious about basketball," and added, "It wasn't easy to keep up with that passion, but before I knew it, I felt a strong sense of belonging as a team. I believe the viewers will also feel that passion."

Singer Son Tae-jin remarked, "After the first shoot, I never felt like it was a variety show, as I did my best like an athlete," and stated, "The authenticity that cannot be seen in other variety shows and the love for sports will be captured on screen."

Director Seo Jang-hoon emphasized, "While there are some former players, having a team mostly composed of celebrities playing real basketball is a more challenging endeavor than any other sports variety show," and added, "The ultimate goal is for the players to grow towards their dreams and experience the sense of achievement in victory."

〈Hot Blood Basketball Team: Rising Eagles〉 will premiere on the 29th at 5 PM.