Dedric Lawson, a 27-year-old American professional basketball player, has been playing in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) since 2020. Last season, with Wonju DB Promy, he showcased remarkable performance, averaging 21.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, leading the team to clinch the top spot in the regular league. He even secured the MVP title among foreign players. While there were talks of him considering naturalizing in South Korea, he abruptly left for the United States last month after rejecting a contract renewal with DB. Many speculated that his interest had shifted to the Chinese league, which reportedly offered him twice the salary he earned at DB, around $1 million (about 13.6 billion won).
However, it turned out that the real reason for his departure was frustration with the unpaid salary issues during his time with Goyang Carrot Jumpers (now Goyang Sono Skygunners). Lawson played for Goyang Carrot in the 2022-2023 season, leading the team to the playoff semifinals. From December 2022, due to financial troubles at their parent company, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, players, coaching staff, and club employees, including Lawson, went unpaid for six months. Despite over 20 requests, Lawson failed to receive approximately 100 million won in unpaid salary from Goyang Carrot and his Korean agent after moving to DB last season.
Wonju DB head coach Kim Joo-sung said, “When I met with Lawson around January, the issue of Goyang Carrot came up. We looked into it, but it was not something we could resolve.” He added, “When I contacted Lawson’s Korean agent last month, they had already parted ways, and since then, there has been no contact with Lawson.”
The problem lies in the fact that while domestic players who were part of Goyang Carrot received their unpaid salaries after the conclusion of the 2022-2023 KBL season, foreign players like Lawson and David Simon were excluded. A KBL official explained that the decision was made to prioritize paying domestic players as they are considered assets of Korean basketball. Foreign players, who could leave Korea at any time, were considered a subsequent issue.
Lawson reportedly told his Korean agent, “I would have stayed if there was at least one person willing to somehow pay the money owed. But everyone was irresponsible. It seems like they tried to sweep the issue under the rug as time passed.” He emphasized that he is not a “slave” who plays without receiving his due wages. Some former Goyang Carrot employees also expressed frustration, saying, “We are still in legal battles with the club, but even if we win, it seems difficult to receive the money.”
