[youtube]VOKnw6p1qC0[/youtube] Sun, 23, who weighs 370 pounds, hopes to eventually play in NBA HEVY CHASE, Md. - The “have size, will travel” basketball odyssey that’s taken 7-foot-9, 370-pound Sun Ming Ming from China to California to Kansas to North Carolina made its latest stop Wednesday in the back room of a Chinese restaurant in this tony Washington, D.C., suburb. That’s where the Maryland Nighthawks of the American Basketball Association introduced their newest player, a man they’re touting as the tallest in the history of professional basketball. Sun donned a uniform with the number 79 — Get it? — and his new team’s owner and coach and a teammate all gushed about his “basketball IQ” and “soft hands.” The 23-year-old — who complained the XXXXXXL sweat shirt the team gave him was too small — was asked what his goals are. “I hope,” Sun said, “I make the NBA some day.” To which Nighthawks owner and ABA chief operating officer Tom Doyle said: “I’m quite sure he will.” Really? After all, Sun hasn’t played organized basketball in more than six months, since a brief stint with the Dodge City Legend of the United States Basketball League. Turns out, the NBA doesn’t overlook 7-footers. “We will monitor his progress. His name has cropped up, but since he’s never really played, I don’t know how he can be on our radar,” Marty Blake, the NBA’s director of scouting, said in a telephone interview. “We would be interested in a player of some repute anywhere in the world, especially one who’s 7-9. ... As (former Utah Jazz coach) Frank Layden always said, ’You can’t teach height.”’ Sun moved from his native China — where he played on a second-division team — to California about 1½ years ago in hopes of making it in pro hoops. 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. Sun said those procedures were successful and he’s getting into shape. Doyle noted that his big addition needed extra training after taking time away from the court to shoot a fight scene in Jackie Chan’s upcoming “Rush Hour 3.” “That was very fun,” Sun said. Nighthawks coach William Rankin expects Sun to be able to play about 28-30 minutes a game; his debut comes Saturday. That will also be Rankin’s debut with the Nighthawks — he was hired about a week ago from a junior college team. “When I interviewed for the job, I asked, ’Do we have a 7-footer?”’ Rankin recounted. “And (Doyle) laughed and said, ’We have someone who’s almost an 8-footer.”’ Sun has been in town about 1½ weeks, working out daily with Nighthawks guard Randy Gill, who said of his new center: “Every day, somebody’s going to get dunked on.” Veeck-style marketing, and he’s 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. Did the Nighthawks want Sun more for his ability to play basketball or to draw crowds (the team averages about 600 spectators in its 1,000-capacity Montgomery College gym in Rockville)? “There’s no question that having Ming here sells tickets,” Doyle said. “But there also is no question that having him here is a huge presence in our middle.” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16909720/
ya i saw this on toronto star newspaper....he WILL make it to the nba..and will b the tallest nba player in history..it would b nice if houston get to draft him
LMAO this would be sweet if he get onto houston team... Sun playing powerforward Yao playing small forward and tracy magrady playing center. perfect.
He runs slow and has slow movements but who cares his "gi-normously" tall lol. Man, why don't we ever get any awesome azn guards playing? We always get the tall ppl playing into America? lol
haha what are you talking about ... it takes him 4 steps to get down the court. Anyone see the future of bball? First it was caucasians dominating the game then it was African Americans with different playing style and now it's the Chinese height. It wouldn't shock me to see an NBA dominated by Chinese ppl in 50 years.
You mean a overactive pituitary gland to constantly pum HGH (Human Growth Hormone). Though it is amazing, I don't think thats really healthy.
his speed will be a factor... from the video he is quite slow...he will get owned in the NBA being so slow...i dont know how can a guy that size increase his speed...maybe lose more weight =/
God Damn!! I thought the frilled fish was crazy... look at dude!! he could be one man team.. playing keep away with the rest of the centers..
He moves slower than Shaq, but then again they both screen the hoop from other players. There are better players out there.
he cant take out shaq's garbage. cant imagine him being anything, too slow, too immobile, not much endurance or stamina, no sign of any skill or talent, jus tall. prob wont get a sniff of the NBA
his movements are slow... he needs to train his fitness... He's alright... but the thing he needs to improve is his speed
Ya he's pretty slow and I'm pretty sure he can't do much except post up or he would have been scouted.
lol i can picture it yao and this guy. How many blocks would houston get lol hope that will happen, cuz if that does, that team will win championship forever.
