Paul Sturgess (born 25 November 1987) is an English former professional basketball player. At a height of 7 ft 7.26 in (2.32 m), he was measured as the tallest living person from the United Kingdom by Guinness World Records in November 2011. He was also the tallest college basketball player in the United States.[1]
 Sturgess with the Harlem Globetrotters in 2014 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 November 1987 Loughborough, England |
| Listed height | 7 ft 7.26 in (2.32 m) |
| Listed weight | 325 lb (147 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Burleigh Community College |
| College | |
| NBA draft | 2011: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2011–2015 |
| Position | Center |
| Career history | |
| 2011–2013 | Harlem Globetrotters |
| 2013–2014 | Texas Legends |
| 2014–2015 | Cheshire Phoenix |
Career
editSturgess was "drafted" by the Harlem Globetrotters in August 2011[2] and is the tallest ever to play for the team, earning him the nickname "Tiny".[3][4] He joined the team with fellow rookie Jonte "Too Tall" Hall, who, at 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) was 2.5 ft (76 cm) shorter than Sturgess and was the shortest Globetrotters player ever at that time.[5]
Sturgess wears a size 19 shoe.[6][7] He was the second-tallest man in the UK until the death of actor and fellow basketball player Neil Fingleton, who was 7 ft 7.56 in (2.33 m) tall, in 2017. Examinations as a teenager revealed that his growth is healthy rather than the result of a medical condition, and that his height is genetic. His biological father is 6 ft 10 in (2.08 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).[8] He featured prominently in the 2007 ITV1 documentary Supersize Kids: Britain's Tallest Teens when he was 19 and playing at the Florida Institute of Technology.
Sturgess enjoys playing many other sports and, before concentrating on basketball, played golf and football.[8] He was 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) aged 14 when he started playing team basketball, 7 ft (2.1 m) aged 16 playing at Burleigh Community College, and 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) when he graduated from high school at age 18. A growth spurt during the 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.[9] On 4 November 2013, he was traded to the Texas Legends where he played for the rest of the season.[10] On 19 November 2014, he was signed by the Cheshire Phoenix of the British Basketball League.[11] He later transferred back to the Harlem Globetrotters, this time being part of the arranged opposition.[12] In the re-formed Washington Generals, he adopted a mask as the villainous alter ego "Cager".[13]
Following the end of his basketball career in 2015, Sturgess became a motivational speaker, mostly for children of primary school age.[14]
References
edit- ^ Morrison, Dave (29 August 2009). "Cougars' signee Sturgess brings a lot to the table". Register-Herald. Beckley, WV. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "Paul's enjoying high life with basketball legends". Leicester Mercury. Leicestershire, UK. 5 November 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "Tiny - Harlem Globetrotters Basketball". Harlem Globetrotters. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "Harlem Globetrotters Announce 2012". Harlem Globetrotters. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "Too Tall - Harlem Globetrotters Basketball". Harlem Globetrotters. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ Covitz, Randy (24 March 2010). "-and-england "U.S. college basketball's tallest player is 7-foot-7" and from England". Standard-Examiner. Ogden, UT. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "Loughborough basketball player attracting big clubs". Leicester Mercury. Leicestershire, UK. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ a b AP (29 November 2009). "7-foot-8 Sturgess honing game at NAIA school". Sun Journal. Lewiston, ME. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ Armor Draft 7 Players in 2013 NBA D-League Draft
- ^ Legends Complete Three Trades, Finalize Training Camp Roster Archived 9 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ World's tallest player Paul Sturgess signs with Cheshire Phoenix
- ^ "Harlem Globetrotters in Venice today". thelosangeleno.com. 10 December 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ "Cager - The Globetrotter's Biggest Nightmare | Washington Generals". www.washingtongenerals.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ Tallest Man in England, at 7 Feet, 7 Inches, Gets His First Suit
External links
edit- Profile at Eurobasket.com
- KMG Sports Management Profile
- Facebook Page
- Twitter account