A young Nigerian basketballer, Abiodun Adegoke, is aiming to become the tallest ever player in the history of the NBA.

The 7ft 9in baller has already caught the attention of four-time NBA champion, Shaquille O’Neal, who shared viral footage of him on the court.

Adegoke who is currently training with the MPAC Sports UAE system was overlooked by American scouts, perhaps due to controversy surrounding his age after Nigerian media reports from 2016 gave the player’s age as 17 as a student of a sports academy in Lagos.

However, Adegoke who is nicknamed ‘Big Naija’ insists he is 18, according to Daily Mail.

At his towering height, Abiodun Adegoke can dunk with both feet still on the ground, and if signed, would become the league’s tallest ever player.

The viral video shows the centre dunking the ball with ease at a youth development camp in Dubai.

Former Washington Bullets centre Gheorghe Muresan remains the tallest player in NBA history at 7ft 7in, while Manute Bol stood 7ft 6in.

Slavko Vranes, Shawn Bradley and Houston Rockets legend Yao Ming were also measured at 7ft 6in.

China’s Sun Mingming – also 7ft 9in – holds the record for the tallest basketball player to play professionally in the US, having played for the Harlem Globetrotters.

 

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