“It’s actually the first time we’re talking about it, because (Moon) was a good student in elementary school and was vice president of the whole school.”
After being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 KBL Draft, Suwon KT’s Jung-hyun Moon has been adjusting to the pros with aplomb. The Korean University graduate was selected to represent Korea at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and was hailed as a versatile forward, but the transition hasn’t been easy.
Moon is playing the most minutes among the 2023 rookies, but his numbers aren’t great. In four games, he averaged 1.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16:46 minutes. He’s also playing in the D-League to improve his game and gain experience.
In elementary school, Moon was an exemplary student who studied well and had good relationships with his classmates, even serving as vice president of the school council. However, his parents opposed his dream of becoming a basketball player.
On October 28, Moon’s mother, Park Young-hee, said, “When he first told me he wanted to play basketball, I was very conflicted. It’s actually the first time I’m telling you this, because in elementary school, he was a good student and vice president of the whole school, but not long after he became vice president of the whole school, he said he wanted to play basketball and wanted to transfer to a school with an elite basketball team. I told him that he had to stay on top of his studies and keep his grades up, and I thought he would quit, but he kept going, so I didn’t finish my term as student council vice president, so I moved and transferred, and that’s when I really started playing basketball,” he explains.
When Moon Jung-hyun was announced as the No. 1 pick in the draft, Park was not present. She was in the hospital recovering from a leg injury that required surgery. “My mom, who is watching from the hospital, you must be crying right now, but don’t cry, I will make you happy and I will make you a lot of money,” Moon said after being selected first overall. 보스토토
Park Young-hee said, “I don’t have a daughter, but Jung Hyun-i and (Moon) Yoo-hyun (KU) are both very sweet kids like daughters, and they listen to me really well to this day. In fact, during my work life, I didn’t go to many competitions since I was in middle school and high school. I said I would go to more when I went to the pros, but I couldn’t go because I injured my leg right before the draft, but Jung Hyun-i told me my story. Thank you, and now that I’m in the pros, I’m going to support them more. I hope they do well.” She cheered them on.
The elementary school student who studied too well to play basketball eventually became a basketball player as an adult. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of player he will become in the pros.