Size isn’t everything? Don’t tell our man Shaq… or the next new, potential hoops giant. He’s from Nigeria, and stands a staggering seven feet nine inches tall! Yes, he’s about eight inches taller than O’Neal… wow!
When it comes to the NBA’s big men, they just seem to be getting bigger and bigger. Currently, the tallest guy in the league is Cleveland’s Tacko Fall, at seven foot six. Yes, that’s big. But again, two inches shorter than Nigerian giant Abiodun Adegoke.
Not sure how he found out about Adegoke, but he definitely caught Shaq’s eye last year, and O’Neal has been talking about him on Shaq’s social media channels. The former Lakers superstar shared a clip of Adegoke showing off his surprising agility and lay-ups in March 2021.
At seven foot nine, Adegoke is a full three inches taller than ANY player who has ever taken to the hardwood for an NBA team. Adegoke is the same incredible height as Sun Mingming, who played with the Harlem Globetrotters for a time. He currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the tallest professional basketball player of all time.
Adegoke’s giant size has already made quite the impression around the world through the internet. His Instagram videos can be found under the name ‘Big Naija’. For history fans, two players currently share the distinction of being the tallest in NBA history, with both Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol reaching a lofty seven foot seven.
Check him out! This guy can dunk the ball without his feet leaving the ground. Maybe that’s a good thing, since returning to Earth after a jump might cause some kind of earthquake. Adegoke wears size 53 shoes! In fact, a Nigerian newspaper reported that at one time, Big Naija had footwear made from old truck tires – because there were simply no sneakers on Earth that would fit him.
Adegoke attended Segun Odegbami International College (SOCA) in Nigeria on a sports scholarship (of course!). It’s been hard to determine is exact age, with various reports putting him somewhere between 18 and 23. Needless to say, he was quite the celebrity on campus, where the young giant wanted to emulate Nigerian-American NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon.
Since college days, he’s been playing in a hoops league in the United Arab Emirates, where he literally towers over other players, many of whom are less than six feet tall.
If Adegoke should find his way to the NBA, it would make for an amazing show, or at least it should. Analysts point out that super-tall athletes often deal with injuries throughout their careers. Some of his IG fans are already suggesting strength training and coaching, along with yoga to keep muscles and joints flexible and stable.
Yes, Shaq was (and remains) one of the tallest, most notable figures in the game. Time will tell if this latest oversized star makes it to the Association.
Two players share the honor of being the tallest in NBA history, with both Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol reaching a lofty 7ft7.