Sun Mingming, a 2.36m Chinese center, became the tallest player in professional basketball history when he signed with the minor-league Maryland Nighthawks on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old goliath will wear jersey number 79, for his 7-foot-9-inches height in US terms, and help the American Basketball Association club to pursue his dream of playing in the elite National Basketball Association (NBA).

Sun, who wears size 19 shoes and weighs about 160kg, will likely become a drawing card for the 50-team league, which has clubs in smaller venues serving 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 admitted that if an NBA club showed interest, his club would not halt the transfer of the Harbin native.

"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.

Will Rankin, the Nighthawks' coach, praised Sun for his basketball knowledge. Sun has played for China's world junior squad but was bypassed in the 2005 NBA Draft, likely over concerns about a lack of speed and fitness.

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

Teammate Randy Gill has been working with Sun since he arrived area a week ago, dubbing the intimidating inside man "Big Homie".

"He has great potential to be very great in the game of basketball. I think he can definitely play at the NBA level," Gill said. "He improves every day. Every time I show him something he gets right to it. He works very hard.

"He's a great passer and has the ability to see the floor. I think he's just going to keep growing and continue to get better."

Sun, who has undergone surgery to remove a tumor from his pituitary gland, will debut for the Nighthawks on Saturday against the Strong Island Sound.

(China Daily February 2, 2007)