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Sun Mingming is the tallest professional basketball player in history. Listed at 7’9, the Chinese native is one of the most tantalizing prospects scouts have ever seen. However, little is known about why Mingming didn’t reach his full potential. Below, is a full breakdown of Mingming’s life, career, and what he’s doing now.
Born on August 23, 1983, Mingming grew up in Harbin, a small town in Heilongjiang Province, China. Despise always towering over those around him, he didn’t play basketball till he was 15. This is largely due to his upbringing, though.
While the town of Harbin is recognized as an advanced metropolitan area, Mingming lived in a lower-class, rural segment of the town. This is why, despite his incredible stature, he didn’t start playing basketball till he was 15 years old. He simply didn’t have the resources.
When he did get his opportunity, however, he quickly became enamored with the game. Unfortunately, little is known about Mingming’s basketball career during his teenage years.
Mingming doesn’t stop growing
A 6’7 15-year-old is rare but not impossible. What is an aberration, though, is seeing said teenager continue to grow. In Miniming’s case, his growth spurt lasted until he was 22 years old.
Now 7’9, Mingming elected to pursue his dream of making the NBA. He moved to the United States to prepare for the 2005 NBA draft. Unfortunately, the world’s tallest basketball player was merely that — the world’s tallest basketball player. Mingming lacked the fundamentals. Moreover, his inept skillset was exacerbated by an absence of endurance and overt strength, relative to his size.
Nonetheless, NBA teams still took the time to scout the China native. This is largely due to Mingming’s notoriety coinciding with Yao Ming’s prolific run in the league. Ming is an NBA Hall-of-Famer and was one of the preeminent centers during his prime.
Most notably, the Lakers brought Mingming in for a tryout. Unsurprisingly, however, Los Angeles did not draft the 7’9 spectacle and he went undrafted in 2005. He remained sanguine, though, and simply wanted an opportunity.
“The NBA is a realistic goal,” Mingming said in 2005. “I love playing basketball and will do anything the NBA asks of me in order to get an opportunity.”
He discovers a tumor on his pituitary gland
In the summer of 2005, Mingming learned the pernicious truth about his absurd growth spurt. He discovered a benign tumor attached to his pituitary gland. This resulted in acromegaly, which is a disorder that is caused by excess growth hormone after one’s growth plates have closed. This is not to be mistaken for gigantism, though, which is described as rapid growth starting in childhood and spanning until adulthood. Acromegaly, on the other hand, is intense growth beginning later in one’s life.
As previously mentioned, Mingming grew up relatively impoverished, precluding him from paying for the surgery necessary for his condition. Fortunately, his burgeoning fame helped pay for his procedure. Avery Loi, Mingming’s agent at the time, put together a fundraiser to raise money for his surgery. On September 26, 2005, Mingming’s tumor was successfully removed.
Mingming’s basketball career continues
Upon receiving surgery for his tumor, Mingming continued playing basketball. That same year, he played for Ventura College. However, he would only appear in one preseason game before being deemed ineligible.
Mingming would then play for a slew of semi-professional leagues. His first stop was with the Dodge City Legends in the USBL. Mingming played sparingly and often registered DNPs. His best game came in a win against Long Island, where put up four points, three rebounds and one block in eight minutes of action.
After 23 games in the USBL, Mingming went to play for the Maryland Nighthawks of the ABA. following a brief stint there, he would go on to sign with the Grand Rapids Flight of the IBL and then the Fuerza Regia of the Mexican basketball league.
Mingming showed promise in the Mexican basketball league. Unfortunately, his tenure was truncated due to surgery being required on his feet.
Upon a successful procedure, he would return to play for the Hamamatsu Phoenix of the Japanese Basketball League. This was Mingming’s best stretch of basketball in his career. In 49 games, he averaged 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, along with 67 total dunks. After his final game in Japan, he talked about wanting to play for 10 more years.
“I just want to keep playing basketball,” Mingming said after his final game in Japan. “Whether it’s here in Japan or in the United States, I hope to keep playing for at least 10 more years.”
Fittingly, Mingming’s basketball journey ended where it all began — in China. In 2009, he played for the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association. While he seldom played, he was a part of the Ducks’ championship teams in 2014 and 2015.
Sun Mingming: the movie star
In 2007, Mingming was drafted by the Harlem Globetrotters. The Globetrotters, however, is scripted and meant solely for entertainment. Due to the laid-back nature of their form, Mingming didn’t see himself as a congruous fit.
Nonetheless, being attached to the Globetrotters’ brand garnered Mingming robust mainstream appeal. So much so that he earned a role in Rush Hour 3 as “Kung-Fu Giant.”
In what is lauded as one of the funniest scenes of the 2000s, Mingming sees his character fight with Chief Inspector Lee, played by Jackie Chan, and Detective James Carter, played by Chris Tucker.
Since making his acting debut in 2007, he has 10 other known acting credits.
He and his wife are world record holders
On August 4, 2013, Mingming married Xu Yan. She is 6’2, making them the tallest living married couple in the world, breaking a Guinness World Record. Their combined height is 13 feet and 10.72 inches.
While Mingming’s dream of playing in the NBA didn’t pan out as he had hoped, he still lived a fruitful life. Playing professionally is no small feat, even for a man his size. Not to mention, he has an extensive catalogue when it comes to acting — one that is still growing.
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