7'9" Chinese Basketball Player Declares For NBA Draft

[THUNDER HANDS]

And you thought Yao Ming was big!

The hoop hangs within arm's reach of Sun Ming Ming.

The 7-foot-8 3/4 center positions himself under the basket and awaits a pass from trainer Keith Gatlin.

Ball in hand, Sun muscles his 350-pound frame into training partner Dshamal Schoetz, a 7-footer who played at Greensboro College who is nearly nine inches shorter. Sun pivots and places the ball firmly into the hoop. Swish.

http://www.the-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050413/APS/504130766&cachetime=5

[NewJeffCT]

1. doesn't say his age?

I looked briefly and didn't see how old he was, other than treating him like a high school senior in regards to weight training.

I was just in Harbin for a few hours last year. Big city (9 million?) I had never heard of before.

[northzax]

2. hmm, sidd finch, anyone?

7 foot 8? someone will waste a draft pick on him.

[On the Road]

3. Those Northern Chinese are Large and Strapping

lots of Mongol blood up there, flowing right down from Genghis Kahn.

While playing for the Junior Olympic team and then Da Qing, his province's club squad, Sun never lifted weights and is just now building upper-body strength.

My girlfriend comes from DaQing and went to school in Harbin. She'll be thrilled there's a player like this from her neighborhood. It's an oil, cattle, wheat farming and industrial area. Russian architecture. Very different from Southern China. Natives are hard-working and tough. Not many Westerners there.