Lee Hyun-jung (basketball)

Lee Hyun-jung (born October 23, 2000) is a South Korean professional basketball player for the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Davidson Wildcats of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10).

Early life and career
Lee attended Samil Commercial School in Suwon, where he played basketball under the coaching of his father. In middle school, Lee was only 170 cm and played as a guard, as he practiced dribbling and mid-range shooting. By the end of his middle school years, Lee grew to over 190 cm. He played as a center during defense and a guard during the offense. He modeled his game after Klay Thompson.

In 2018, Lee enrolled at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. While at the academy, he played for the BA Centre of Excellence in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) in 2018 and then the NBL1 in 2019. In conjunction with the NBA Global Academy and the Centre of Excellence, he attended Lake Ginninderra Secondary College, where he learned to speak English.

Lee committed to playing college basketball for Davidson over an offer from Washington State. He drew the attention of head coach Bob McKillop and his staff at a Basketball Without Borders event. He would become the fourth player and the second men's player from South Korea to play NCAA Division I basketball.

College career
As a freshman with the Davidson Wildcats in 2019–20, Lee appeared in 28 games off the bench and finished seventh among A-10 first-year players in scoring, averaging 8.4 points per game. On February 7, 2020, he scored a season-high 20 points in a 73–62 loss to VCU. He was subsequently named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team.

As a sophomore in 2020–21, Lee started all 22 games and finished second on the team in scoring and assists. He became the first-ever Wildcat to conclude the season shooting at least 50 percent overall, 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line. He twice scored a season-high 23 points. He averaged 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

As a junior in 2021–22, Lee played in 34 games and made 33 starts, averaging 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. On December 1, 2021, he recorded a career-high 32 points and 14 rebounds against Charlotte. He was subsequently named first-team All-Atlantic 10.

On April 26, 2022, Lee declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.

Santa Cruz Warriors (2023)
After suffering a foot injury, Lee went undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft.

On February 20, 2023, Lee was acquired by the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA G League. In 12 games to complete the 2022–23 season, he averaged 5.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Lee played for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2023 NBA Summer League.

Illawarra Hawks (2023–present)
On July 11, 2023, Lee signed a three-year deal with the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). On January 20, 2024, he had career-best night in the NBL with 24 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting in a 96–89 loss to the Adelaide 36ers.

National team career
Lee played for South Korea's junior national team at the 2015 FIBA Asia Under-16 Championship. He averaged 14 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, leading his team to its first gold medal at the tournament. Lee represented South Korea at the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship and 2018 FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship. He averaged 26 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 6 assists per game at the 2018 tournament. He played for the senior team at the 2020 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments and during the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.

Personal life
Lee's mother, Sung Jung-a, won a silver medal while representing South Korea in basketball at the 1984 Summer Olympics. His father, Lee Yoon-hwan, played semi-professionally before becoming a high school athletic director and coach. His older sister, Lee Ri-na, played for the South Korean under-16 national team.