Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus traces its origins to the basketball team sponsored by Kia Motors in 1986.

The "Hur-Dong-Taek Trio" would later be retrospectively dubbed the most formidable offensive unit of the amateur era.

As with many major corporations, Kia Motors suffered from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, which had hit South Korea hard.

The first several seasons after the move were forgettable, as the newly-renamed Ulsan Mobis Automons mostly finished in the bottom half of the league table.

Incumbent head coach Yoo Jae-hak, himself a former Kia player during the amateur era, was hired in 2004.