Celebrities You Had No Idea Were So Tall

Born to athlete parents, Hungarian-origin Romanian basketball player Robert Bobroczky became famous for his towering 7’7” frame. His abnormal height was apparently found to be a result of genetics and not any disorder. He represented the Italian club Stella Azzurra and later moved to the US to join the SPIRE Institute and Academy.

Known for his 7’ 7” frame, Manute Bol made headlines as one of the tallest NBA players ever. Born in Sudan, he was initially a soccer player but quit it because of his height. He later moved to the US to represent basketball teams such as the Golden State Warriors.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest Chinese basketball players ever, Yao Ming represented the Houston Rockets of the NBA. Known as the Ming Dynasty in the US, Ming's popularity and success in the NBA made him a symbol of China. One of China's most popular sportsmen, Ming is also credited with introducing the Chinese Basketball Association to the world.

Known for his jaw-dropping frame of 7’5” and his incredible shoe size of 22, Sim Bhullar is an Indian-origin Canadian basketball player who's represented teams such as the Hsinchu JKO Lioneers. The sixth-tallest NBA player ever, he is the son of a taxi driver and gas-station owner and is fluent in Punjabi.

Boban Marjanović is a Serbian basketball player who plays for the Serbia national basketball team. In 2017, he helped his team win the silver medal at the EuroBasket in Turkey. He also plays in the NBA and is currently a part of the Houston Rockets. Apart from being a basketball player, Boban Marjanović is also an actor.

André the Giant was one of the most popular French wrestlers ever to appear in WWF. He stood over seven feet tall due to a condition aptly called gigantism, but used his condition to gain popularity. Also an actor, André the Giant continues to be one of the most recognizable faces in the world, several years after his death.

Retired American basketball player Priest Lauderdale was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1996 NBA Draft. Known as much for his towering 7’ 4” frame as for his skills, he has represented clubs from countries such as Iran, Cyprus, Bulgaria, China, and Venezuela. While playing for Lukoil Academic, he acquired Bulgarian citizenship.

Gogea Mitu was a Romanian boxer best remembered as the tallest professional boxer in the history of boxing, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Gogea Mitu had a brief circus career before he became a boxer. He won two matches by knocking his opponents out in the first round before succumbing to tuberculosis at age 26.   

Kristaps Porzingis is a Latvian basketball player who currently plays professional basketball at the National Basketball Association (NBA) where he represents the Dallas Mavericks. Standing at 7’3, Porziņģis is one of the tallest players active in the NBA. Also an important player for his Latvian national team, Kristaps Porzingis won the Latvian Rising Star of the Year award in 2015.

Romanian former professional basketball player Gheorghe Dumitru Mureșan, also called Ghiță, with a height of 7 feet 7 inches (2.31 m), is counted among the two tallest basketball players (tied with Sudanese-American professional basketball player Manute Bol) in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ghiță played for the Washington Bullets and New Jersey Nets during his NBA career.

Georgios Papagiannis is a Greek basketball player who has played for popular NBA teams like Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers. A superstar in Greek basketball leagues, Papagiannis is a four-time Greek Cup winner and two-time Greek League champion. Georgios Papagiannis is also an important player for his national team.