Lee Hyun-jung, 23, will become the first South Korean player to play in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).
“The Illawarra Hawks are pleased to announce the signing of Korean ‘sharpshooter’ Lee Hyun-jung. The small forward has signed a three-year contract with the club and will add long-range scoring to the team,” the organization announced.
“Hyunjoong played college basketball for the Davidson Wildcats and the Santa Cruz Warriors, a G League team affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. He was currently playing in the 2023 NBA Summer League as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. In his three seasons at Davidson, he established himself as one of the best shooters in college basketball 메이저사이트 추천.”
“We are excited to add an elite shooter and emerging talent to our team,” said Matt Campbell, President of Operations for Illawarra. “We have been following his development with interest and believe he will be a great fit for our current roster.”
“A great outside shot is a real difference maker in a game,” he said. “Hyunjoong has aspirations of becoming the second Korean player to play in the NBA. We are confident that the Hawks are the perfect environment to help him find his way to an NBA roster.”
“I’m excited to join the Hawks for the next three seasons and look forward to representing a team with such a proud history and getting the chance to play alongside players like Sam Proling, Dan Grida, and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk,” said Lee, who became the first Korean to play in the NBL.
Lee also explained why he chose Illawarra. “Hawkins is respected for his ability to develop and nurture players to achieve their international and NBA goals. “I’ve heard great things about Wollongong (the Hawks’ hometown),” he said, “and that was a key reason for my decision. I am looking forward to meeting the coaches, teammates and Hawks fans as we prepare for an exciting season ahead.”
Lee becomes the first Asian player to don the Illawarra colors. He went undrafted in last year’s NBA Draft, but plans to play in Australia to try and make it to the NBA again.
The Illawarra, meanwhile, finished last out of 10 NBL teams last season. The Illawarra went just 3-25 in 28 games in the 2022-2023 season.