The Skyscrapers of the Basketball Court!
They could very well be named:
“Giants Among Men”; “Reaching New Heights”
“The Tallest Men of Them All” ; “Legends of Length”!
These men are convincing evidence in our day of those biblical and mythology stories about the once-upon-a-time existence of giants walking our planet earth.
Just like in the cyclopean ages of antiquity, when giants like the Nephilim, Titans, Goliath, and Norse Jotun existed scattered throughout every corner of the globe, so too did these colossi of our modern era come from different parts of the globe and unite in the most famous basketball league in the world, the NBA!
Representatives of the raw, untamed forces of nature, often associated with mountains, forests and wild nature. They inherited a unique legacy from their ancestors and the natural environments of their home countries, which they skillfully integrated into their basketball careers, ultimately transforming themselves into heroic figures on the court..
These modern giants – Georghe Muresan, Manute Bol, Yao Ming, Mark Eaton, Arvydas Sabonis, and Vladimir Tkachenko – may not share the names of Goliath, Titans, or other mythical giants, but they embody the same spirit of towering achievement.
In a world where inches mattered, they stood tall.
Literally. The tallest basketball players of their time, they defied gravity and redefined the limits of human potential.
From the dusty courts of Sudan to the bright lights of the NBA, their stories are a testament to the power of hard work, determination, and a little bit of genetic luck.
This is their story – a tale of giants who changed the game forever.
Arvydas Sabonis
“Center” position, number 11!
2.21 m
Playing career from 1981-2004.
Perhaps the most famous giant and the one with the most titles won in world basketball.
Born on December 19, 1964 in Kaunas, Lithuania.
The European giant was part of the Soviet Union, winner of the FIBA World Club Champions Cup in 1986.
Sabonis is the winner of the FIBA European League in 1995. Three-time champion of the USSR league (1985-1987). In 1991 he entered the FIBA Top 50 Greatest Players.
He was declared Euroscar Player of the Year 6 times: 1984, 1985, 1988, 1995, 1997, 1999.
In 1985 Sabonis was named “EuroBasket” MVP!
In 1988 was the Olympic champion in Seoul with the USSR team. While with Lithuania he won the Bronze medal twice in the Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996) games.
As a representative of the USSR, he won the FIBA World Cup in 1982, and the European Championship in 1985.
Zalgiris was his club with which he played the most: 1981-1989 with two returns in the periods 2001-2002 and 2003-2004, where he ended his career.
He also played in Spain with “Forum Valladolid” (1989-1992), “Real Madrid” (1992-1995), as well as in the NBA with the “Portland Trail Blazers” in two periods: 1995-2001 and 2002-2003.
In the NBA he achieved the following statistics:
Points scored: 5629 (12.0 per game)
Rebounds: 3436 (7.3 per game)
Assists: 764 (2.1 per game)
Georghe Muresan
Center position, number 77!
The Romanian giant is born on February 14, 1971, and had a height of 2.31m.
He grew to his remarkable height due to a pituitary gland disorder called gigantism! He was active in the period 1991-2001 with the clubs: “Universitatea Cluj-Napoca” in the Romanian league (1991-1992);
in France with “Pau Orthez” (1992-1993); in the NBA where he played for the Washington Bullets / Wizards (1993-1998); “New Jersey” Nets (1999-2000); and back again with “Pau Orthez” (2000-2001);
He is one of the two tallest players to have played in the NBA!
His NBA statistics were as follows:
Points scored: 3020 (9.8 per game)
Rebounds: 1.957 (6.4 per game)
Blocks: 455 (1.5 per game
Manute Bol (1962-2010)
Position: “Center”
The giant from Sudan was 2.31 meters tall.
The numbers he wore: 10, 11, 4, 1.
Playing Career: 1985-1997.
He played for some of the most popular NBA teams: “Washington Bullets”; “Golden State Warriors”; “Philadelphia 76-ers”; “Miami Heat”
Bol is considered among the best shot-blockers in the history of the sport and is the only NBA player to retire with more career blocked shots than points scored.
As of March 2024, he ranked second in NBA history in blocked shots per game and and 16th in total blocked shots.
Bol’s statistics were:
1,599 Points (2.6 per game)
Rebounds: 2,647 (4.2 per game)
Blocks: 2,647 (4.2 per game)
Vladimir Tkachenko
(Владимир Петрович Ткаченко);
“The Mammoth”
Center position.
2.21 m, number 11
His career spans the period: 1974-1991
Another European giant from Russia.
Born on September 20, 1957.
Played for “Stroitel” (1974-1982); “CSKA” Moscow (1983-1990);
Guadalajara (1990-1991).
Tkachenko was twice a FIBA European Selection (1979, 1982); 4 times winner of the USSR league (1983, 1984, 1988, 1990); Winner of two bronze medals at the Montreal (1976) and Moscow (1980) Olympics.
FIBA World Cup winner in Colombia in 1982. Three-time FIBA European Championship winner: 1979, 1981, 1985.
Tkachenko was a great defensive player. He could block out 2-3 opponents to give teammates a chance to grab a rebound. His offensive ability was important too, as his post up moves were basic, but effective, and his shooting was good for a player of his size, with a range of approximately 17 feet.
Sun Mingming
Position played: Center
Born August 23, 1983) is a Chinese former professional basketball player.
MingMing was the tallest professional basketball player in the world and was measured by the Guinness World Records as 2.36 m (7 ft 9 in) tall and weighing 168 kg (370 lb). Sun played with several American minor league teams.
In the summer of 2005, Sun discovered that he had a benign tumor attached to his pituitary gland. The tumor was successfully removed on September 26, 2005.
Barkley vs Muresan, just like David vs Goliath
Sabonis vs Tkachenko in a clash of titans
List of other giants with body height 2.29m – 2.26m:
Tacko Fall (Senegal) 2,29 m (Boston Celtics & Cleveland Cavaliers)
Yao Ming (China) 2,29m (Houston Rockets)
Shawn Bradley (USA/ Germany) 2.29m (Philadelphia 76ers; Nets & Mavericks)
Sim Bhullar (Can) 2.26m (Sacramento Kings);
Slavko Vranes` (Montg) 2.26m (Portland T. Blazers);
Pavel Podkolzin (Rus) 2.26m (Dallas Mavericks);
© Copyright
By Pjerin Bj
New York: March 29, 2025
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Sports Vision +Plus / Champions Hour in activity since 2013
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