MING MING, THE SUN GOD

Hat tip to OSF columnist Alex Tam, who earlier today alerted me to the existence of Sun Ming Ming, who looks very likely to be the tallest NBA player ever. Check out these photos:




His agent tells the Greensboro News & Record, whence these photos were lifted: "More than anything I saw his size." You don't say. At 21 years of age, the man is nearly 7'9" and 350 pounds — hefty, but still nowhere near Shaquille O'Neal's heaviest playing bloat, I mean, weight. And he's got eight inches on Shaq.

The News & Record insinuates that he can shoot, but by not clearly stating he can shoot, as sportswriters did before anyone in the West had seen Yao Ming (shorter than Sun by just 3¾ inches) play, I'm going to doubt his fundamentals until I know otherwise. Yet Sun's weaknesses are described as poor flexibility (I'm shocked) and a lack of weight training, both of which should be largely correctable.

If Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan (two previous holders of the tallest NBA player record) made it to the big show for awhile, Sun Ming Ming has it made. And even if he doesn't have the skills to become another Shaq or Yao, I'll bet we start seeing him in credit card commercials (or maybe Billy Crystal movies) no later than November 2006.

P.S. — Speaking of former Bullet/Wizard Muresan, my local paper reported today that he still shows up in luxury boxes at the Phone Booth as a "suite ambassador" (at least now that his once-hapless team is going to the playoffs).

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posted by WWB at 9:45 PM |