[1] The 1996–97 National Basketball Festival ended in January 1997, and the inaugural KBL season began one month later in February.

Sponsoring companies were given the option to register their basketball teams in the upcoming professional league.

[2][3] The founding teams were Busan Kia Enterprise, Gyeongnam LG Sakers, Daegu Tongyang Orions, Suwon Samsung Thunders, Wonju Naray Blue Bird, Anyang SBS Stars, Incheon Daewoo Zeus, Daejeon Hyundai Dynat, and Gwangju Nasan Flamans.

The KBL had difficulty finding a league sponsor for the 1997–98 season while teams were forced to cut costs.

The KBL Cup was first introduced in 2020 as a pre-season competition for all teams to test out their strengths before the commencement of the regular season.

Teams which failed to qualify for the post-season playoffs take a short break before commencing their off-season training to prepare them for the upcoming season.

Domestic players, defined as possessing South Korean citizenship according to FIBA laws, are recruited through an annual rookie draft.

However, due to the controversial nature of the recruitment rules and the backlash, the ethnic draft was eventually abolished in 2013.

Wonju DB Promy became the first team in the league to recruit a Japanese player, as they inked a one-year deal with Taichi Nakamura.

[42] In June 2022, Daegu KOGAS Pegasus becomes the first team to recruit a Filipino player, as they announced a two-year deal with SJ Belangel.

[43] Players of the Korean Basketball League are eligible to apply to fulfil their military service obligations as members of the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps.

Alongside military duties, they are allowed to train as professional athletes and play for the Sangmu Basketball Team.

Successful applicants officially enlists in May or June and are discharged eighteen months later in January, returning to the team rosters for the final rounds of the regular season.