NBA referee Intae Hwang, a South Korean native, made an extraordinary leap into the world of professional basketball refereeing, despite initially having little interest in the role
Hwang’s promotion to a full-time NBA staff referee is a testament to his relentless pursuit of excellence in the world of basketball officiating. His journey is an inspiring story of a dream pursued with unwavering determination and the courage to make life-altering decisions.
Who is NBA referee Intae Hwang, bio, age, family, nationality, salary
Born in 1984 to Jungik Hwang and Jaeryeun Jung, small business owners in Masan, South Korea, his journey to becoming a full-time NBA referee is a tale of dedication, hard work, and a courageous move that saw his family relocating from South Korea to the United States.
The NBA has announced that Intae Hwang, who moved his young family 7,000 miles from South Korea to New Jersey to pursue his officiating career, has been named a full-time staff referee for the 2023-24 season. https://t.co/Er8SG4pzCy
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) October 10, 2023
Hwang’s story took a significant turn when he crossed paths with Kirok Shin, a senior at the Busan University of Foreign Studies, who worked as a local basketball referee. In 2004, Shin encouraged Hwang to consider a career as a referee.
The NBA first noticed Hwang during his work as a FIBA official, and they invited him to participate in their Referee Development Program in 2016. This program, akin to scouting for talent, aims to identify potential referees for the NBA.
In January 2020, Hwang took a substantial risk by relocating his entire family to the United States, even though he did not have a guaranteed full-time job offer from the NBA.
However, shortly after Hwang’s move, the COVID-19 pandemic upended the world, affecting millions. Hwang saw this period as an opportunity to further hone his skills as he dedicated himself to studying NBA and G League games, while also improving his English proficiency.
The RDP paid Hwang a salary, but he wasn’t guaranteed a full-time job when he made the decision to move 7,000 miles from home to the US.
Hwang’s remarkable journey took a decisive turn when he completed the three-year Referee Development Program in just 18 months, earning a position in the G League.
In the 2022-23 NBA season, Hwang refereed seven regular-season games as a non-staff official. While being promoted to a full-time NBA referee, he will still be assigned to officiate G League games.
This is standard practice, as all referees with less than four years of NBA experience must officiate G League games to gain additional experience as crew chiefs and develop leadership skills.
The NBA’s decision to appoint Intae Hwang as a full-time staff referee is a historic moment, making him the first-ever full-time NBA staff referee from outside North America. His current salary isn’t known though.
Intae Hwang moved his family 7,000 miles from South Korea to New Jersey in 2020 to pursue a career in officiating basketball.
Today, Hwang was named as a full-time NBA referee for the 2023-24 season 👏❤️
(h/t @BenGolliver) pic.twitter.com/A9dlbrQnER
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 10, 2023
This achievement reflects his impressive track record, which includes officiating in the G League for two seasons and the WNBA for one season, in addition to his FIBA experience, which includes the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio and the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China.
ALSO READ: Jeremy Doku dance celebration name, meaning and The Griddy origin story