http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_players_in_National_Basketball_Association_history

I was doing a little research on Swede Halbrook who I saw play in Rochester when I was kid...it took me to this link....the tallest NBA players (minimum 7-3)....evidently Halbrook played Wilt very effectively....unfortunately he only played in the league for two years as a result of personal problems....I found this list interesting in that, being a giant in this league does not mean stardom or even success....another slow day so I thought I'd share a little history for anyone who might be interested...

I remember Swede.

He psyched Wilt out  apparently by being so tall that The Stilt had to look  right into Swede's eyes. Fun to watch the ever c0cky Wilt stumble a bit.

Swede went missing for days and weeks at a time. Now where does a 7-3 fella go to hide out? Shy maybe?

Some of these giants  played like characters out of a Herman Munster movie... but not Swede. He had some agility if memory serves me.

Pud 

Swede was drafted in 1956 the same draft the Celtics acquired three future hall of famers,

Bill Russell via trade with the St. Louis Hawks,

Tom Heinsohn with a territorial pick, and

K.C. Jones with their 2nd round pick.

I saw Swede play in 1961 (I was 11)....from what I can remember, he was one tall dude...the game was in Rochester, NY (a "home game" for the Syracuse Nationals)...I was actually a Laker fan at that time and Elgin Baylor was my favorite (this was just as I was learning the game and becoming a Celtic fan)....I remember Baylor scored over 40 points and he was something to behold....great memories...it was my first ever NBA game....

There should be a (short) list of players taller than 7'3" who were actually any good.  There probably have been more good players under 6' than over 7' - just by the number of average people in the world compared to freaks.

In Response to Re: NBA Giants...:


Yao Ming

the end

In Response to Re: NBA Giants...:

Ainge is so sad McHale's not the GM in Houston since he'd hope Kevin would give Yao Ming to the Celts! (LOL)

I thought Mark Eaton would have faired better. He never made the highlight reels but he sure did block alot of shots.

In Response to Re: NBA Giants...:

Eaton made millions with his bust enhancement procedures for women over the years. Don't believe me? Just watch Baywatch reruns!

In Response to Re: NBA Giants...:

Swede Holbroke was before my time but when I think of really tall NBA players the first guy that comes to mind is none other than Kareem Abdul Jabbar.  He was listed as 7'2" but many believed he was taller.

Ralph Sampson was officially listed as 7'4".  He had HOF talent and he had  some years where it looked like he'd have a career to match al,l that talent.  But injuries and some character issues stopped that from happening.

I don't know at what height Arvydas Sabonis was officially listed but the guy was just a monster.  Too bad that by the time he came to the NBA his legs were shot.  But even though he couldn't jump over a newspaper and ran like Frankenstein the guy was still a very effective player.

Old friend Dino Radja, who played with Sabonis in Europe, said that the guy with all his size ran like David Robinson and would have been an allstar for a decade before his leg injuries.

Too bad he didn't play in the NBA sooner. 

In Response to Re: NBA Giants...:


Was he related to Kendrick Perkins lol   couldnt resist