China’s 7-foot-9 Sun shining in Japanese league
He would be tallest player in NBA history, but lack of speed a concern
 Shizuo Kambayashi / AP China's Sun Mingming, left, is grabbed by American Ryan Blackwell during a Japanese pro league game on May 17. Sun is able to dunk while barely leaving the ground @import url(http://www.google.com/cse/api/branding.css); |
 | Slide show |
 | Week in Sports Pictures Hot wheels on the track, high-kicking soccer players, a dismounted jockey, and more. more photos |
updated 2:18 p.m. PT, Thurs., May 28, 2009
TOKYO - At 7-foot-9, it’s hard to overlook Chinese center Sun Mingming. The comparisons with NBA star Yao Ming are inevitable.
Able to dunk while barely leaving the ground, Sun just completed the most successful season of his pro career, helping the Hamamatsu Phoenix to a first-place finish in the Eastern Conference of Japan’s professional basketball league.
“I just want to keep playing basketball,” the 25-year-old Sun said after the final game of the season. “Whether it’s here in Japan or in the United States, I hope to keep playing for at least 10 more years.”
