The Tigers were mostly battling traditional athletic rivals Yonsei University for dominance in the U-League and MBC Cup competitions throughout the season.

He scored 17 points and tallied 6 assists in the MBC Cup final against incumbent winners Yonsei and was named tournament MVP.

Kim averaged 22.0 points in four games, impressing Yoo enough to be brought back to the main team for the rest of the season.

By the following season, he was widely-viewed to be the Elephants' future star as the team was shifting towards a more fast-paced offense, as was the trend in the league, and Kim was most effective when playing as a scoring-oriented combo guard.

With veteran players and new signings struggling with injuries or underperforming, Kim stepped up as the team's first option guard and was a major contributor to them beating Changwon LG Sakers in a tight battle for sixth place, the final spot for the playoffs.

[8] On May 16, 2022, Kim enlisted for mandatory military service and was assigned to the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps' Sangmu basketball team.