At the time, there was very little Asian-American representation in sports and television. ![]() Liang also takes the audience through the social landscape of the late 90s. Even though many of the “classic” players didn’t take to her style, it’s undeniable that Lee’s rebellious nature brought walls down as no one else could. She played the game with relentless tenacity, intelligence, and was not afraid to utilize her attractiveness – a match that helped elevate the Women’s Professional Billiard Association along with players Ewa Laurance and her rival, Allison Fisher. Secondly, Lee’s ethnicity was a constant breeding ground for stereotypes. ![]() For starters, pool was a male-dominated sport back in the 90s. When you’re the first at something, there will always be dissenters. Under the tutelage of legend Gene Nagy, she began constructing her game that would later dominate the professional pool world in the late 90s and early 2000s.ĭirector Ursula Liang uses footage of present-day Jeanette Lee with her family to reflect on her impact during the apex of her pool career. When it felt like all was lost, she walked into a pool hall in Manhattan at 18 and found her purpose. Her father left her family when she was just five years old. At 12, she was diagnosed with scoliosis – a health battle she would deal with her entire life. As a young kid, her family emigrated from South Korea to live in Crown Heights, New York, where Jeanette was one of the few Asian-American students. You can say the theme of ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary, Jeanette Lee Vs. Her trademark black wardrobe, the focused “stare” she had while setting up a shot, and her commitment to her craft is comparable to the late Kobe Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality.” For many people in the pool world, it was Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee. In soccer, it might be Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. For basketball, it could be Michael Jordan or LeBron James. We all have an athlete to point to as our entry point into a sport. That’s when I began to understand there was an astute amount of precision and focus when it came to playing the game – setting up shots, fitness in how you hit the cue balls, and the particular angles you want to use. Please contact Jason Bowman at with any inquiries.I remember briefly turning to ESPN2 and looking at the pool tournaments the channel used to broadcast. In 2009, Lee became a spokeswoman for the American Poolplayers Association (APA), and in recent years, she’s become an APA League Operator running the APA League in Tampa, Fla. She graced ESPN Magazine’s “The Body” issue, was a contestant on Korea’s Dancing with the Stars, was featured in an ESPN SportsCenter commercial, and made a cameo appearance in the Disney film, The Other Sister.Ĭonsistently ranked as one of the Most Powerful People in the sport by Billiards Digest, Lee’s career was cut short by her battle with Scoliosis that, over the last dozen years, had limited her ability to compete at the game’s highest level. ![]() With ESPN’s broadcasts of the WPBA in the 1980’s and 1990’s, Lee’s combination of competitive excellence, unique style and beauty made her the fan favorite and extended billiards to a broader audience. Donations to the Jeanette Lee Legacy Fund can be made Here. The “Jeanette Lee Legacy Fund” is a trust designed to provide for the care, well-being and education of her three daughters. ![]() In response to that need, a group of her friends, family and business associates have launched a GoFundMe effort. I owe it to my three young daughters to do exactly that.” “Jim Valvano so eloquently told us to ‘Never give up’. “I intend to bring the same resolve I brought to the billiards table to this fight,” said Lee. Lee has expressed that her biggest concern is the future of her children. Winner of more than 30 national and international titles, Lee’s greatest achievement is being the mother to three daughters, Cheyenne (16), Chloe (11) and Savannah (10). Lee, now 49 years old, has vowed to fight the disease through every means available including chemotherapy, which has already begun, as well as upcoming surgeries to slow the onslaught of her illness. 1 in the sport, a World Games Gold Medalist and a WPBA, BCA and Asian Hall of Fame inductee. Nicknamed The Black Widow, Lee was the dominant billiards personality of her era who was formerly ranked No. One of the most iconic names in billiards, Jeanette Lee, has announced that she has been diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. Friends and Family of the World’s Most Recognizable Billiards Player Launch “The Jeanette Lee Legacy Fund” to Support Lee’s Three Daughters Donate Here
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