Gheorghe Muresan
Encyclopedia
Gheorghe Dumitru Mureşan, (ˈɡe̯orɡe mureʃan; born February 14, 1971), also known as Ghiţă (ˈɡit͡sə) or George, is a retired Romanian
professional basketball
player. At 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m), he is one of the tallest players in NBA
history, along with Sudan
ese player Manute Bol
, who was also 7 ft 7 in. Both Mureşan's parents are of average size, and, unlike Bol, Mureşan's height is the result of a pituitary
disorder.
to a poor family, and played competitive basketball at Cluj University. He played professionally in the French league
with Pau-Orthez
during the 1992–93 season and was an instant hit with fans. The NBA took interest in him and he was selected by the Washington Bullets
in the 1993 NBA Draft
. He played in the NBA from 1993 to 1994 showing signs of a promising career that was derailed by injuries.
After returning to France and playing for the start of the 1995–96 season with Pau-Orthez, he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player
for the 1995–96 season after averaging 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.26 blocks per game while making a league-leading 58.4 percent of his field goals. He led in field goal percentage again the following season, with a 60.4% average. Overall, he holds career averages of 9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 1.48 blocks per game and a .573 field goal percentage. He joined the New Jersey Nets
for the final 31 games of his career. After ending his NBA career, Mureşan had another stint in the French
league before returning to the United States with his family. He normally wore number 77, in reference to his height.
On March 11, 2007, Mureşan played a game for the Maryland Nighthawks
as part of the tallest lineup in the history of basketball. This is the only basketball game Mureşan has ever played where he was not the tallest person on the court, as Sun Mingming is 7' 9" (2.36 m).
Outside basketball, Mureşan has dabbled in acting, playing the title character in 1998 feature film My Giant
starring comedian Billy Crystal
. Mureşan plays a ventriloquist
in rap artist Eminem
's breakout video "My Name Is
". He has appeared in commercials for Snickers
candy bars, and sports television network ESPN
.
Together with his family, Mureşan has been a resident of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
.
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. At 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m), he is one of the tallest players in NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
history, along with Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese player Manute Bol
Manute Bol
Manute Bol was a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. At 7 feet, 7 inches , Bol was one of the tallest players ever to appear in the National Basketball Association, along with Gheorghe Mureşan. Unlike Mureşan, however, Bol was naturally tall and did not have a Pituitary disease...
, who was also 7 ft 7 in. Both Mureşan's parents are of average size, and, unlike Bol, Mureşan's height is the result of a pituitary
Pituitary gland
In vertebrate anatomy the pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea and weighing 0.5 g , in humans. It is a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain, and rests in a small, bony cavity covered by a dural fold...
disorder.
Basketball career
Mureşan was born in Triteni, in the Romanian district of ClujCluj County
Cluj ; is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Cluj-Napoca.-Demographics:In 2007, it had a population of 692,316 and a population density of 104/km².*Romanians – 80%*Hungarians – 17.5%*Roma – 2.5%-Geography:...
to a poor family, and played competitive basketball at Cluj University. He played professionally in the French league
Ligue Nationale de Basketball
The Ligue National de Basket is the top men's French professional basketball league. There are two divisions: French Pro A League and French Pro B League .-Pro A:...
with Pau-Orthez
Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez
The Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez is a French professional basketball club that is based in Pau. They play their home games at the Palais des Sports de Pau.- History :...
during the 1992–93 season and was an instant hit with fans. The NBA took interest in him and he was selected by the Washington Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
in the 1993 NBA Draft
1993 NBA Draft
The 1993 NBA Draft took place on June 30, 1993 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Anfernee Hardaway, Allan Houston, and Jamal Mashburn all looked like possible Hall of Famers until their careers were cut...
. He played in the NBA from 1993 to 1994 showing signs of a promising career that was derailed by injuries.
After returning to France and playing for the start of the 1995–96 season with Pau-Orthez, he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player
NBA Most Improved Player Award
The National Basketball Association's Most Improved Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1985–86 NBA season, to the most improved player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada,...
for the 1995–96 season after averaging 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.26 blocks per game while making a league-leading 58.4 percent of his field goals. He led in field goal percentage again the following season, with a 60.4% average. Overall, he holds career averages of 9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 1.48 blocks per game and a .573 field goal percentage. He joined the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
for the final 31 games of his career. After ending his NBA career, Mureşan had another stint in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
league before returning to the United States with his family. He normally wore number 77, in reference to his height.
On March 11, 2007, Mureşan played a game for the Maryland Nighthawks
Maryland Nighthawks
The Washington GreenHawks were a team of the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League based in Washington, D.C.. As the Maryland Nighthawks they were formerly part of the American Basketball Association and a founding member of the Premier Basketball League , in which they later played as...
as part of the tallest lineup in the history of basketball. This is the only basketball game Mureşan has ever played where he was not the tallest person on the court, as Sun Mingming is 7' 9" (2.36 m).
Other work
My Giant
My Giant is a 1998 comedy drama film starring Billy Crystal, and NBA player Gheorghe Muresan in his only film appearance. Crystal also co-wrote the story.-Synopsis:A huckster named Sammy travels to Romania on business...
starring comedian Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal
William Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
. Mureşan plays a ventriloquist
Ventriloquism
Ventriloquism, or ventriloquy, is an act of stagecraft in which a person manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered "dummy"...
in rap artist Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
's breakout video "My Name Is
My Name Is
"My Name Is" is a song by Eminem released in 1999. It is the debut single overall from his major label debut album, The Slim Shady LP. The song was ranked at #26 on "VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's". "My Name Is" also was ranked #6 on Q Magazine's "1001 Best Songs Ever"...
". He has appeared in commercials for Snickers
Snickers
Snickers is a brand name chocolate bar made by Mars, Incorporated. It consists of peanut nougat topped with roasted peanuts and caramel, enrobed in milk chocolate. Snickers has annual global sales of $2 billion....
candy bars, and sports television network ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Together with his family, Mureşan has been a resident of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Franklin Lakes is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,590. As of the 2000 Census, Franklin Lakes had the 18th-highest per-capita income of all 566 municipalities in the state. Nationwide, Franklin Lakes ranked 17th among the...
.