In the year In 2019, Junam Lee began posting about her father, Jung Soo Lee, on the Denver Nuggets fan page Reddit, often commenting on how excited he was for the upcoming game. Nuggets fans will quickly fall in love with him because of how witty and sometimes funny he looks while watching the game.
Then Jun also posted a picture of her dad watching a game wearing a travel neck pillow. Reddit users liked the photo so much they started calling it “Nugdad.” Since then, every sight of Jung Soo, 69, has seen the same excitement as a Nikola Jokic triple-double or an important Nuggets win.
“Nugdad has become a symbol of unity for our community,” said Alec Gwynn, a member of the Reddit page’s moderation team since 2014. He added: “I wouldn’t say Reddit fans love it as much as the players do.” But we all accepted him as our common father.
Three years ago, a user created a famous illustration of Jung Sun with his signature in a relaxed position with his neck pillowed and his arms folded. His son, Juhyun Lee, was unaware of his father’s online fame until his friends showed him a photo after the Nuggets beat the Lakers in this year’s Western Conference Finals.
“They’re like people. This is your father, right?” Joohyun, 39, laughs. “And I was like yeah, this is wild.”
Hi everyone– most of you probably don’t know Nugdad, so here’s a short thread!🧵
Over the years, his daughter has shared pictures of him cheering on his team on Nuggets Reddit and we all love it. If you have a few bucks to spare, we’re trying to send it to the finish line! https://t.co/0WYT1d3vd2 pic.twitter.com/Vp570dZKIR
— Alec Gwin (@alecgwin) May 31, 2023
Lee’s family originally came from South Korea and moved to Colorado in 1999. But Jung Soo didn’t become a Nuggets fan until 2019. Since coming to the United States, he has dealt with many health issues, including oral cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. In the year In 2016, his wife In Suk Lee died of a stroke during his cancer treatment. In the year In 2019, he moved in with his daughter, who turned her into a Nuggets fan because of his passion for the team.
Jung Soo began to feel a deep connection to the team when 36-year-old Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who had been rooting for the team because of Junnam, returned from a torn knee this season. Jung Soo’s many health issues often leave him feeling depressed and unsure of how to move forward, but Murray’s recovery from injury has inspired him.
“It felt like a reflection of my life,” Jung Soo said in Korean in an interview translated by Juhyun. “Coming back from my surgery and recovering from my aches and pains, it gave me extra motivation, so I’ll be wearing the Murray jersey.”
After Joohyun discovered his father’s popularity on Reddit, he created a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising enough money to send his father with him and his sister to Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Donations will be rolled over until they reach their goal of $2,345.
And It was there It was the biggest game in Nuggets history up to that point in Murray’s jersey. (All that’s missing is a neck pillow.) He’ll be watching Game 5 from home on Monday — tickets for that game were expensive — but he’ll be there in spirit to help Murray win the championship.
“This has encouraged me to stay healthy and achieve victories throughout my life,” Jung Soo said.
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