Nationality British Name Paul Sturgess Position Center Weight 147 kg | Listed weight 320 lb (145 kg) Height 2.32 m Listed height 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) Role Basketball Player Pro career 2011 | |
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Similar People Kenny George, Too Tall Hall, Sun Mingming | ||
Paul Sturgess (born 25 November 1987) is an English professional basketball player who last played for the Cheshire Phoenix of the British Basketball League. He was officially measured barefeet by Guinness World Records in November 2011 at 7 ft 7.26 in (2.3180 m) and 325 lb (147 kg). Sturgess was the tallest college basketball player in the United States, and is currently the tallest professional basketball player in the world.
Paul "Tiny" Sturgess was "drafted" by the Harlem Globetrotters in August 2011 and is the tallest ever to play for the team. He joined the team with fellow rookie Jonte "Too Tall" Hall, who at 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) is the shortest player ever and is 2.5 ft (76 cm) shorter than Sturgess.
Sturgess wears a size 18 shoe. He is the tallest man in Britain after Neil Fingleton (who was 7 ft 7.56 in (2.3256 m) tall) died unexpectedly on 25 February 2017. Examinations as a teenager revealed that his growth is healthy and not the result of disorder, but rather he possesses familial tall stature—that is to say his height is genetic. His biological father is 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), and there are other tall members in his family although his mother is 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) and his younger sister is 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m). He featured prominently in the 2007 ITV1 television documentary Supersize Kids: Britain's Tallest Teens when he was 19 and playing at Florida Institute of Technology.
Sturgess enjoys playing many other sports and before concentrating on basketball also played golf and football. He started playing team basketball at age 14 when he was 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m), was 7 ft (2.1 m) aged 16 playing at Burleigh Community College, and was 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) when he graduated high school at age 18. A growth spurt during ages of 16 and 17 resulted in a 1 ft (30 cm) of height added within a single year. Sturgess can hold the 10 ft (3.0 m) high rim whilst standing. He declined offers to play professional basketball in Europe, preferring to pursue basketball in the US.
On 1 November 2013, Sturgess was selected by the Springfield Armor in the third round of the 2013 NBA Development League Draft. On 4 November 2013, he was traded to the Texas Legends where he played for the rest of the season.
On 19 November 2014 he was signed by Cheshire Phoenix of the British Basketball League.