Sun rises on Ming dynasty

From correspondents in Rockville, Maryland
February 01, 2007

SUN Ming Ming, a 2.36m Chinese centre, has signed with the minor-league Maryland Nighthawks to become the tallest player in professional basketball history.

Sun Ming Ming

Tall ... Sun Ming Ming. Pic: AP

The 22-year-old goliath will wear jersey No.79 for the American Basketball Association club while trying to achieve his dream of reaching the elite-level National Basketball Association.

"I want to play in the NBA," Sun said.

Sun, who wears size-19 shoes and weighs about 160kg, is likely to become a drawcard of the 50-team league, which has clubs in smaller venues and tries to serve as a development area for players dreaming of an NBA career.

"Sun's skills are tremendous," Nighthawks co-owner and league president Tom Doyle said.

"There hasn't been a player this big at this young of an age that has the skills that he has at this point. He sees the floor. His skills are tremendous."

Doyle said his club would not stand in the way of Sun if an NBA club showed interest.

"Obviously we'd like to keep him here the entire season, but if someone upstairs in the NBA wants a look at him, we're not standing in the way," he said.

Nighthawks coach Will Rankin praised Sun for his basketball knowledge.

Sun has played for China's world junior squad, but he was bypassed in the 2005 NBA Draft over concerns about a lack of speed and fitness.

"I've seen great players," Rankin said.

"I've coached several big men. His skills and adaptation are second to none. He picks up stuff very rapidly. His IQ to the game is abnormally high."

Sun, who has undergone surgery to remove a tumor from his pituitary gland, is set to debut for the Nighthawks on Sunday (AEDT), when they play Strong Island Sound.

Agence France-Presse