12/21/24
February 01, 2007
World's tallest pro basketball player?: 7-foot-9 Sun Ming Ming from China will wear no. 79 for ABA team Maryland Nighthawks.
posted by worldcup2002 to basketball at 01:10 PM - 17 comments
I'd imagine he can dunk on tippytoe.
posted by chicobangs at 02:40 PM on February 01, 2007
At that height, 69 seems almost impossible.
posted by danjel at 02:41 PM on February 01, 2007
Glad to know you're thinking about it.
posted by yerfatma at 02:50 PM on February 01, 2007
Is he any good? Or does he just stand under the basket?
posted by Warrior50 at 03:06 PM on February 01, 2007
NOOOOOO!!!! 
posted by gradys_kitchen at 03:16 PM on February 01, 2007
His name is "Sun"? That seems appropriate, considering he's the closest to it. Can he play? Well, he probably doesn't have much of a 15-foot fadeaway, but I'm willing to bet he can put stuff away on really high shelves. Good luck to him... The freak.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:17 PM on February 01, 2007
He actually had a hard time getting to this level. He was featured on a show on the Discovery Health Channel in Oct. - Anatomy of a Giant - It is airing again on Feb 4
posted by Gressi at 03:41 PM on February 01, 2007
uh oh, another yao ming...tall enough grab the fifty off the top of the backboard on flat feet, but unable to absolutely dominate the interior game against anyone of decent abilities...i wouldn't take him...give me duncan...hi! meet sun ming ming..author of "shaq is dwarf"....
posted by bavarianmotorworker at 03:43 PM on February 01, 2007
My two favorite parts of the article:
- This was just funny, glib but true: As (former Utah Jazz coach) Frank Layden always said, 'You can't teach height.'"
- Poignant evidence that his height does have serious disadvantages: His career was put on hold last year while he had two operations for a pituitary tumor that led to his extraordinary size but threatened his life. ... [Nighthawks owner and ABA chief operating officer Tom] Doyle is ... hoping to organize an exhibition game with nearly-as-tall-as-Sun former NBA players Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol to raise money toward Sun's more than $100,000 in medical bills.
posted by worldcup2002 at 03:50 PM on February 01, 2007
another yao ming....he dominated until his injury. Was the most dominant in NBA this year until he got hurt. Do not get all get cught up in races and what not. See: MVP This Year: Gilbert Arenas
posted by urall cloolis at 08:54 PM on February 01, 2007
he dominated until his injury. Was the most dominant in NBA this year until he got hurt. Do not get all get cught up in races and what not. What??? You done lost yo' mind china man.
posted by yay-yo at 09:16 PM on February 01, 2007
7'9" 200 lbs
posted by mflinn at 10:34 PM on February 01, 2007
The Discovery Health special is highly recommended, it outlines not only his pituitary gland tumors, but also his basketball development. Watch a clip.
posted by kickerofelves at 10:03 AM on February 02, 2007
Dude. It looks like he's holding a baseball.
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 02:20 PM on February 02, 2007
That is one huge hand.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:05 PM on February 02, 2007
omg. So when Sun goes to score, it'll look like this: One of his teammates will just swing the ball at Sun. It'll look like Sun's letting it drop into his palm. For a moment, noone will know where the ball went because, when Sun closes his hand, the ball disappears. Every pass to Sun is an anti-climax. Just throw it higher than anyone else can reach. Sun will get it. People will stop coming to games because this guy can't dunk. He's so tall, it looks like he's dropping a kleenex into the trashcan everytime he scores.
posted by worldcup2002 at 09:37 PM on February 02, 2007
That's nice but can he dunk?