Lee Dong-jun (born Daniel Sandrin; 27 January 1980) is an American-born South Korean basketball player.[1]
Career
Lee began his basketball career playing for the University of Portland in the 1998–1999 season, appearing in eight games and scoring an average of 1 points. He transferred to Seattle Pacific University in 2000.[2] After his graduation, he went on to play on professional teams in Luxembourg and Germany before coming to South Korea in 2006.[1]
In South Korea, Lee joined Yonsei University's team in March 2006.[1] Lee's participation in university basketball was controversial because he was not a South Korean citizen and he had previously played in professional leagues in Europe. Even after he naturalised, Korea University continued to object to his participation due to his professional experience; after he was ruled ineligible, a physical altercation broke out at a September 2006 match between Yonsei University and Korea University.[1] Coming to South Korea was a difficult adjustment for Lee in terms of culture and language.[3] Philippine Olympic Committee president Monico Puentevella stated in media interviews that Sandrin had told him "he couldn’t relate with the Koreans because they hardly speak English … he felt more comfortable with our team.[4] Nevertheless, Lee stated that he relished the opportunity to live in the country and learn more about his roots.[3]