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{{reflist}}

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[[Category:1980 births]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]

[[Category:American emigrants to South Korea]]

[[Category:American expatriate basketball people in South Korea]]

[[Category:American men’s basketball players]]

[[Category:Point guards]]

[[Category:Naturalized citizens of South Korea]]

[[Category:South Korean men’s basketball players]]

[[Category:South Korean people of African-American descent]]

[[Category:Naturalised basketball players]]

[[Category:21st-century South Korean sportsmen]]

[[Category:Busan KCC Egis players]]

[[Category:Goyang Sono Skygunners players]]

[[Category:Suwon KT Sonicboom players]]

[[Category:Seoul SK Knights players]]

[[Category:Basketball players from Detroit]]

[[Category:Basketball players from Seoul]]

[[Category:Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets athletes]]

[[Category:Georgia Tech alumni]]

[[Category:Sportspeople from Lilburn, Georgia]]

[[Category:American people of Korean descent]]

[[Category:Korean Basketball League players]]

South Korean entertainer and basketball player

Chon Tae-poong[a] (Korean: 전태풍; born Anthony Jewell Atkins, July 3, 1980) is an American-born Korean YouTuber, entertainer, coach, and former basketball player. Born in the United States to an African‑American father and a Korean mother, he played for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team before starting a professional career in Europe and later in South Korea. Naturalized as a South Korean citizen in 2009, he changed his name and was selected first overall in the Korean Basketball League’s ethnic draft, winning the 2010–11|2010–11 KBL championship with Jeonju KCC Egis. Known for his on‑court leadership and style as a point guard, he retired from basketball in 2020 and transitioned to broadcasting and online entertainment, appearing on variety programs and running a YouTube channel.

Early life and education

[edit]

Anthony Jewell Atkins was born on July 3, 1980 in Detroit, Michigan to Jewell Atkins, an African-American worker for General Motors, and a Myoung Atkins, a Korean who was studying fashion in Detroit.[3] He was influenced by his father to begin playing basketball at a young age as his father had played through college.[4] His nephew is Jaden Akins, a basketball player who played with the Michigan State Spartans and signed with the Motor City Cruise in 2025.[5][6] He lived with his maternal grandmother in Los Angeles while his parents worked and did not speak English, and at age six he was enrolled in a special school. As a multiracial child he faced social challenges and discrimination because of his skin color.[3][7]

Atkins tried out for his middle school boys’ basketball team but was initially rejected and told to play with the girls. After proving himself to the girls’ coach, he was invited to join the boys a week later. During a state final, an opposing fan shouted racial slurs at him.[8] He graduated from Berkmar High School in Lilburn, Georgia, in 1998 being named Georgia Player of the Year. Although his father preferred that he attend a college in Michigan, he enrolled at the Georgia Institute of Technology and joined the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men’s basketball program. Following a teammate’s injury, he took a leading role but struggled with the team’s low scoring and frustration against them. He contacted the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and University of California, Los Angeles about transferring, but ultimately remained at Georgia Tech after being persuaded to stay by the Jackets’ new coach, Paul Hewitt.[9][10]

He held American nationality until 2009, when he relinquished it when he became a naturalized South Korean citizen.[11] After his naturalization was approved, his name was legally changed from Anthony Jewell Atkins to Chon Tae-poong. The surname Chon derives from his mother’s family name, while Tae-poong (태풍), meaning “typhoon” in Korean, was suggested by a cousin who told him he would be able to “sweep the game like a typhoon.”[12][13]

Chon playing with the Jeonju KCC Egis in 2010.

After leaving Georgia Tech, he did not qualify for the National Basketball Association and instead played professionally in Europe, where he was selected as an All‑Star in both the Polish and Croatian leagues.[14][15]

After moving to South Korea, he attempted to join the Korean Basketball League as a foreign player but was not selected due to his height. Following his naturalization, the league established an ethnic draft, and in 2009, he was chosen first overall in that draft and added to the Jeonju KCC Egis roster.[12] In his 2009–10 season with Jeonju KCC Egis, the team finished as runners-up to the champions. They went on to win the 2010–11 championship over Wonju DB Promy. Chon was recognized as the team’s on‑court commander and was credited with reinvigorating the Egis’ offense during the 2011–12 season, being regarded alongside Ha Seung-jin as one of the core players.[16][17] In 2012, due to league regulations requiring naturalized players to change teams every three years, he was transferred to the Goyang Orions.[4]

During his tenure with the Goyang Orions, he primarily played as a shooting guard, averaging roughly ten minutes per game. He saw limited court time and struggled to adapt to the team’s system.[4] In 2012, he was named to the preliminary roster for the South Korea men’s national basketball team for the 2012 Summer Olympics, but an injury, diagnosed as Haglund’s syndrome, prevented him from participating.[18] A year later, he was traded to Busan KT Sonicboom, later stating that he wanted the move due to reduced playing time and expressed dissatisfaction with coach Il Seung‑choo’s coaching style.[19][20][21]

In 2015, he returned to Jeonju KCC Egis as a free agent, helping improve the team as a player‑coach. In 2019, free‑agent talks collapsed after he raised the possibility of a coaching role as team leaders said staff would be uncomfortable with it. Chon posted an SNS screenshot accusing the club of lying about negotiations and a false money‑demand rumor, saying the club claimed it offered ₩60 million while accusing him of asking ₩120 million, claims the team denied.[22][23] Although he was on the verge of retirement by season’s end, he signed with the Seoul SK Knights for the 2019–2020 season.[1] The COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea led to the season’s cancellation, and the 2020–2021 season was not played; Chon subsequently retired from professional basketball on March 24, 2020, without a retirement ceremony.[24]

Entertainment career

[edit]

After retiring from professional basketball, he began a career in broadcasting and as a YouTuber.[25] He appeared on several Korean variety shows and online channels, including My Golden Kids, Buddy Into the Wild, and Liberation Town.[26][27][28] In March 2021, he appeared as a contestant on King of Mask Singer, performing “Train Heading for South” by Kim Soo-hee and
“To the Fool … From the Fool” by Park Myung-soo.[29] On May 31, 2024, he appeared alongside Australian comedian Sam Hammington on the Korean variety show XYOB, with the episode accumulating 1.8 million views by July 2024.[30] He returned to the program, retitled BYOB, on October 31, 2024, again appearing with Hammington.[31]

Chon with his wife, Jimina, and three children in 2021.

Chon met Jane Mina Turner, also known as Jimina (지미나) at age eight at a Korean church in Los Angeles and the two became friends. Although they drifted apart when Chon moved to Atlanta, they reconnected after Turner went to South Korea to teach English. Chon asked Turner out after he was drafted in 2009.[2] They married in 2010 and have three children, two sons and a daughter.[32]

In a 2026 episode of the Korean variety show Same Bed, Different Dreams 2: You Are My Destiny, Chon confessed that he had spent his entire 150 million won signing bonus within two months of debuting. He said he used the money to buy a Luxury SUV in cash, spend at clubs, and cover friends’ drinks, and claimed he had purchased a car in part to attract women.[33] During the episode, he also admitted to having spoken of divorce with Turner in a fit of anger, a remark he later said he reflected on over the following month.[34]

International
KBL
College
High school
Year Title Role Notes
2020 Radio Star Himself Episode 667
2020 My Golden Kids Himself Episode 17
2020 Sporty Sisters Himself Episodes 17 and 18
2020 Cashback Himself Episode 2, pilot episode
2021 King of Mask Singer Oh, My!/Himself Episode: “150th Generation Mask King”
2021–2022 Sporty Brothers Host/Himself Regular cast
2021 Sporty Sisters Himself Episode 45
2021 Buddy Into The Wild Himself Episodes 50 and 51
2021 No Pain No Delish Himself Episode 9
2022 The King of Ssireum Himself Regular cast
2022 Super DNA – Blood Can’t Cheat Himself Episode 8
2023 Rice Planting Club Himself Episode 7
2023 United Feathers Himself Episode 33
2023 Saturday Night Live Korea Neymar Episode 4
2023 Mr. House Husband Himself Episode 317
2023 Radio Star Himself Episode 840
2024 Knowing Bros Himself Episode 433
2024 The Burning Roses Himself Episode 57
2024 XYOB Himself Episode 10
2024 XYOB Co-host Episode 15, substituting for Joon Park
2024 The Influencer Himself Regular cast
2024 BYOB Himself Episode 5
2025 Knowing Bros Himself Episode 508
2025–2026 Rising Eagles Himself Regular cast
2026 Same Bed, Different Dreams 2: You Are My Destiny Himself
  1. ^ Also transcribed as Jeon Tae-poong[1] and Jeon Tae-pung[2]
  1. ^ a b Lee, David D. (March 11, 2020). “‘Go home’: the hidden struggles of South Korea’s naturalised basketball players”. South China Morning Post.
  2. ^ a b Kim Woo-chul (February 11, 2010). “Egis’ Jeon: An athlete, a gentleman and a scholar”. Korea JoongAng Daily.
  3. ^ a b Kim, Jong-seok (January 11, 2012). “농구도 순풍… 5월엔 첫아이 순풍… 전태풍의 순풍시대”. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean).
  4. ^ a b c Jeong, Jae-geun. “[SC타임머신] 팬들이 사랑한 전태풍, 농구팬 사랑한 전태풍!”. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean).
  5. ^ Min, Joon-gu (March 15, 2022). “전태풍 조카 제이든 애킨스, 이현중과 3월의 광란에서 만난다”. Rookie (in Korean).
  6. ^ Choi, Chang-hwan (February 28, 2025). “[매거진] “마음껏 뛰어놀 수 있는 판을 만들고 있다” 하승진·전태풍의 턴 오버 프로젝트, 그 후”. Jumpball (in Korean).
  7. ^ “사람이좋다 전태풍, 어린 시절 일화 들어보니… 충격”. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). October 25, 2014.
  8. ^ Yum, Tae-jung; Moon, Gwang-lip (January 29, 2013). “Mixed-race player gives ‘hoop dreams’ to multi-ethnic kids”. Korea JoongAng Daily.
  9. ^ Person, Joseph (March 6, 2002). “Akins glad he stayed”. Ledger-Enquirer. p. 14.
  10. ^ Person, Joseph (March 8, 2002). “Silencing his critics”. The Florida Times-Union. p. 29.
  11. ^ Lee Hye-jin (May 5, 2019). “전태풍 누구? 나이는? 귀화한 농구 선수?”. The Maeil Shinmun [ko] (in Korean).
  12. ^ a b Kim, Young-rok (July 16, 2009). “귀화선수 전태풍 “한국농구 휩쓸겠다”“. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean).
  13. ^ Lee, Seung-yo (July 28, 2020). “‘컬투쇼’ 전태풍 “본명 토니 애킨스, 한국이름 뜻은…”“. Aju Business Daily (in Korean).
  14. ^ “‘베일 벗은’ 전태풍, 찻잔 속 태풍?”. KBS World Radio (in Korean). October 5, 2009.
  15. ^ Park, Ju-ri (October 12, 2010). “귀화혼혈선수 논란”. Ilyoseoul (in Korean).
  16. ^ Lee, Won-man (November 20, 2011). “또 다시 빛난 KCC 전태풍의 가치”. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean).
  17. ^ Kim, Ji-seop (March 10, 2016). “플레이오프를 주름잡는 전태풍ㆍ하승진의 남다른 인연”. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean).
  18. ^ “오리온스 전태풍, 부상으로 대표팀 포기”. Chungcheong Maeil [ko] (in Korean). May 10, 2012.
  19. ^ “[프로농구]전태풍 보낸 오리온스, 속사정은?”. Newsis (in Korean). December 18, 2013.
  20. ^ Kim, Tae-yeon. “오리온스 전태풍, KT로 전격 이적”. Gyeonggi Shinmun [ko] (in Korean).
  21. ^ “‘KT 이적’ 전태풍 “태풍 농구 되살리겠다”“. KBS World Radio (in Korean). December 18, 2013.
  22. ^ “[인터뷰]전태풍 “FA 규정 제대로 안 알려줘, 상처 받았다”“. Newsis (in Korean). May 15, 2019.
  23. ^ Yoon, Woo-yeol (May 15, 2019). “전태풍 “KCC 거짓말, 코치·돈 얘기 無” …구단 “사실확인 후 입장 밝힐 것”“. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean).
  24. ^ Kim, Tae-woon (March 25, 2020). “‘선수 전태풍’은 안녕 “방송에서 만나요”“. Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (in Korean).
  25. ^ Jeong, Jae-geun (April 2, 2020). “허재 하승진 전태풍, KCC 황금트리오 또다시 재결합?”. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean).
  26. ^ Lee, Da-won (September 9, 2020). “‘금쪽같은 내 새끼’ 농구스타 전태풍, 3남매 육아 일상 공개”. Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean).
  27. ^ Baek, Ah-young. “‘안다행’ 허재, 전태풍-하승진 초대→혹X혹=혹…혹4 탄생”. Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (in Korean).
  28. ^ “‘해방타운’ 허재, 하승진-전태풍과 살 떨리는 ‘야자 타임’ 펼쳐”. JTBC (in Korean). November 15, 2021.
  29. ^ Kim, Hanna (March 21, 2021). “‘복면가왕’ 아이쿠, 정체는 전태풍 “농구보다 육아가 훨씬 힘들어”“. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean).
  30. ^ An, Tae-hyeon (July 30, 2024). “박준형·브라이언 ‘XYOB’, 누적 1000만 뷰 돌파…흥행 성공”. News1 [ko].
  31. ^ Yoon, So-yoon (October 31, 2024). “샘해밍턴X전태풍 ‘BYOB’ 뜬다!”. Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean).
  32. ^ “이혼위기 전태풍 “두달만 1억5천 탕진”“. Newsis (in Korean). January 12, 2026.
  33. ^ Kim, Soo-hyung (January 12, 2026). ““두 달 만에 계약금 1억5천만원 탕진”…유명 농구선수 출신 누구? (‘동상이몽2’)”. Korea Daily (in Korean).
  34. ^ Kim, Soo-hyung (January 13, 2026). ““두 달 만에 1억5천 탕진→집에서 흡연까지” 전태풍, ‘충격 연속’ (‘동상이몽2’)”. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean).

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