The face looked familiar, but at first glance the body looked like it had been bulked up. Ahn Jung-hwan (Descente Bumpers), who played for Changwon LG, is walking faithfully in his second life.
Descente Bumpers lost 18-20 after a close match in the 6th round of the Korea League men’s division of the 2nd Inje Tournament of ‘KBA 3×3 KOREA TOUR 2023’ against Skyfall Inje held at the Inje Riding Center in Inje-gun, Gangwon-do on the 14th. Descente Bumpers, who made it to the finals through fierce competition in Group A organized with Hanul Construction and Motion Sports, finished the tournament with regret.
Ahn Jae-gyu, who was a professional, and Han Jun-hyeok, who was in the limelight as a promising player during his amateur basketball days, Ahn Jung-hwan was also a player who caught the eye. Ahn Jung-hwan, a graduate of Myongji University, is also a professional who was nominated by Changwon LG with the 13th overall pick in the 2011 rookie draft.
Ahn Jung-hwan, who hadn’t shown much presence before enlisting, became desperate while serving in the Artillery Corps, and played an active role in the 2015-2016 season after being discharged. He made a name for himself by averaging 15 minutes and 14 seconds in 19 games while averaging 4.9 points and 1.2 3-pointers. In the 2018-2019 season, he played 33 games, the most since his debut, but retired after failing to sign a contract in free agent negotiations.
Ahn Jung-hwan joined Descente Bumpers immediately after his retirement and started anew as a 3×3 player, and has since been doing 3×3 at the same time as his main job. Regarding his impressions of the second tournament, Ahn Jung-hwan said, “Since I have a job, I rarely practice as a team. I feel sorry for his teammates because he joins like lightning and runs only when competitions are held. He said, “I feel sorry for his performance after coming to the tournament without making his body.”
Ahn Jung-hwan’s main job is as a fitness trainer. At first glance, there was a clear difference in his strength compared to when he was playing for LG. He currently works as a branch manager at a fitness center in Suwon.
“It was a field that he was interested in even before his retirement. After retirement, I went through a preparation process and participated in a fitness competition,” said Ahn Jung-hwan, who said, “I can directly feel the changes in the body of the members, and I am proud to see the members feel satisfied. There are members who have been training with me for over two years.”
The ‘third job’ is childcare. “It’s difficult to keep up with basketball because I work late on weekdays and focus on raising children on the weekends. Basketball and fitness use different muscles. It was difficult because my body was not ready for basketball (laughs).” Ahn Jung-hwan said:스포츠토토
He has the charm of being able to show performance in a short amount of time, but Ahn Jung-hwan is contemplating continuing his career as a 3×3 player in the future. Ahn Jung-hwan said, “I have been with Descente for a long time, and I am worried. Since he doesn’t do team training and only participates in competitions, he thinks, ‘Isn’t he a nuisance to the team?’ He should be a plus to the team if he plays… . It is true that he thought about it every time he signed a contract.”
He’s been mulling over how long he’ll continue his 3×3 career, but his goals for life as a trainer are clear. Ahn Jung-hwan said, “Currently, I am working hard as a branch manager. He also plans to open a fitness center in the future.”
