Jung Jae-kun
Personal information
Born (1969-07-23) 23 July 1969
South Korea
NationalitySouth Korean
Listed height192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Career information
CollegeYonsei University
Playing career1992–2005
PositionForward / center
Coaching career2005–2014
Career history
As player:
1992–2000SBS / Anyang SBS Stars
1993–1994→ Sangmu (military service)
2000–2005Daejeon Hyundai Gullivers / Jeonju KCC Egis
As coach:
2005–2007Jeonju KCC Egis (assistant coach)
2007–2014Yonsei University (assistant coach / head coach)
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Representing  South Korea
FIBA Asia Championship
Silver medal – second place 1995 Seoul Team
Gold medal – first place 1997 Riyadh Team
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 1994 Hiroshima Team
Gold medal – first place 1998 Bangkok Team
Jung Jae-kun
Hangul
정재근
Hanja
鄭再根
Revised RomanizationJeong Jae-keun
McCune–ReischauerChŏng Chaekŭn

Jung Jae-kun (born 23 July 1969) is a South Korean retired basketball player. His playing career spanned thirteen years and coincided with the founding of the all-professional Korean Basketball League. Possessing the ability and skillset to play as either a center or a forward, he is credited with paving the way for the "center-forward" swingman to succeed in domestic basketball during an era where such players were often viewed as being strategically difficult to fit into the team's tactics.[1]

Early years

Unlike many of his illustrious contemporaries, Jung did not come from a notable high school basketball program or went to school in Seoul. He grew up in Gyeongnam area and attended Masan High School in the port city of Masan.[2]

Playing career

College days

Jung moved to Seoul to attend Yonsei University. During his senior year, he was joined by the likes of Lee Sang-min and Moon Kyung-eun. They quickly drew attention when they famously defeated established senior teams such as Kia and Samsung which boasted the era's most notable stars including the "Hur-Dong-Taek Trio" and Kim Hyun-jun.[3]

Senior and professional career

Jung signed with the Seoul-based semi-professional team of the broadcaster Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) in 1992. He enlisted for mandatory military service the year after and was assigned to the Sangmu team.[4] He was discharged in November 1994.[5] When the professional league was founded in 1997, the SBS team relocated to Anyang, where it is still located and is now Anyang KGC after changing sponsors. He ranked first in field goal percentage[6] and averaged 21.1 points in 21 games during the first KBL season, only behind Chun Hee-chul.[7] During the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons, he was in and out of the starting team due to frequent injuries.[7]

In 2000, Jung signed with Daejeon Hyundai Gullivers, which moved to Jeonju and became Jeonju KCC Egis a year later. He remained with the team until his retirement in 2005. His playing career ended on a bitter note as Jeonju KCC Egis finished runners-up to Wonju TG Sambo Xers in the league and also lost to them in the play-off finals.[8]

During his playing career, Jung was known by the nickname "Grim Reaper" (저승사자, literally "Lion of Death" in Korean). He earned the moniker from opposition players and fans for the feeling of dread they felt whenever he had the ball in his hands due to his shooting accuracy and ability to dunk, which he attributed to his background as a former high jumper.[7][9]

National team

He competed in the men's tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics.[10]

Coaching career

Jung transitioned into coaching after retiring as a player in 2005. He worked under his former national teammate Hur Jae for two seasons.[11]

In 2007 Jung returned to his alma mater Yonsei University as a member of the basketball team coaching staff. From 2011 to 2014, he was head coach.[12]

Controversy

During his time at Jeonju KCC Egis, Jung was remembered for an incident during the 2002-03 season involving his then-teammate Chun Hee-chul. During a January game against Seoul Samsung Thunders. Chun was intentionally struck in the face by Park Sung-hoon but the referee failed to call the foul and Park scored a lay-up immediately afterwards. The referee still did not blow the whistle even though Chun's face was visibly bloodied. Jung, incensed by the lack of action from the referee and other match officials, retaliated by elbowing Park in the face so hard that Park sustained several broken teeth and a fractured jaw and had to be stretchered off and immediately sent to the hospital for treatment. However, Jung was only whistled for a technical foul rather than a more serious flagrant foul, which would have warranted ejection.[13]

His coaching career came to end when he was sent off for headbutting a referee during a match-up against traditional athletic rivals Korea University at the 2014 Asia-Pacific University Basketball Challenge.[14][15] He had been livid with a referee's decision and headbutted the latter. After the referee attempted to send him off, he continued to protest and swore at the referee.[16] Yonsei's administration immediately suspended him pending a full investigation by the Korean Basketball Association (KBA). After KBA voted to suspend his coaching license and ban him from basketball for five years, he admitted full responsibility for his actions and resigned from his post.[17]

Personal life

Jung married Hyun Eun-kyung in 1995.[18] They have two sons, the younger of whom is also a professional basketball player and was drafted by Wonju DB Promy in the 2021 rookie draft.[19][6]

References

  1. ↑ "<농구대잔치>SBS 정재근 투혼 외로웠다". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 21 February 1995.
  2. ↑ "[학교 탐방] 마산고 1편 - '총동창회'와 '체육회'의 지원 속에 부활을 꿈꾸는 전통의 강호 '마산고'" (in Korean). BasketKorea.com. 22 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "정재근·문경은 연대농구 "돌풍 주역" — 「대잔치」무대서 삼성·기아 잇따라 격침시킨 견인차". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 8 February 1991.
  4. ↑ "<농구대잔치>상무 표필상.정재근 앞장 기업은행 제쳐". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 27 December 1993.
  5. ↑ "<전국체전>농구-삼성생명 覇權". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 2 November 1994.
  6. 1 2 "[스포츠조선-나이키 프로농구대상] 파워포워드-정재근". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 4 May 1997.
  7. 1 2 3 "[프로농구]'저승사자' 정재근 깨어나나?". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 30 December 1999.
  8. ↑ "TG삼보 천하통일 … 원주가 들썩". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 17 April 2005.
  9. ↑ "［프로농구］３．０５ｍ 바스켓 폭격 덩크슛 『열풍』". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 23 December 1997.
  10. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jung Jae-kun Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  11. ↑ "허재 감독ㆍ정재근 코치ㆍ이상민… KCC는 스타군단". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 11 October 2005.
  12. ↑ "정재근 전 코치, 연세대 농구 감독 선임" (in Korean). KBS. 15 November 2011.
  13. ↑ "농구-심판 부주의한 판정에 코트 피로 얼룩져." (in Korean). KBS. 9 January 2003.
  14. ↑ "'심판폭행' 정재근 연세대 농구감독 "책임지고 사퇴"(종합)". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 11 July 2014.
  15. ↑ "정재근 연세대 감독 심판 폭행, 저승사자가 박치기왕으로" (in Korean). JTBC. 10 July 2014.
  16. ↑ "정재근 연세대 감독 퇴장 조치, 심판 박치기에 욕설까지 "나라 망신"". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 10 July 2014.
  17. ↑ "정재근 연세대 농구감독 5년간 퇴출". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 15 July 2014.
  18. ↑ "SBS 삼성전자 꺾고 결승리그行-실업농구 코리안리그". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 23 March 1995.
  19. ↑ "'저승사자 아들' 정호영 떴다". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 31 December 2021.
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