Mu Tiezhu was a prominent Chinese

Chinese people

The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....

 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 and coach. At a height of 7 feet 5.75 inches (2.28m), he was one of the largest and tallest players in China (Yao Ming

Yao Ming

Yao Ming is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...

 and Sun Mingming both being taller).

Biography

Mu was born in Dongming County

Dongming County

Dongming County is the westernmost county of Shandong province, People's Republic of China, bordering Henan province to the west. It lies on the east bank of the Yellow River....

, Shandong

Shandong

' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...

 in 1949.

Mu was one of the first Chinese giants who appeared in the Chinese national basketball team. He played for the national basketball team for 14 years. As a member of Bayi Basketball Team

Bayi Rockets

Bayi Shuanglu Rockets or Bayi Rockets or Bayi Army Rockets or Bayi Shuanglu are a basketball team in the South Division of the Chinese Basketball Association, based in Ningbo, Zhejiang...

, Mu still held the highest score of 81 points in a game, and beat the 1978 NBA champion 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:...

 twice in April, 1979. Mu retired as a player in 1987, and as a coach in 2000.

He was often compared with Sun Ming Ming

Sun Ming Ming

Sun Mingming is a Chinese basketball player. He is one of the tallest players to ever play professional basketball, standing 7 ft 9 in and weighing 370 lb . Ming wears size 20 sneakers. He also makes occasional appearances as an actor.-Early life:He was born in a small town near in...

,and because both of them have acromegaly

Acromegaly

Acromegaly is a syndrome that results when the anterior pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone after epiphyseal plate closure at puberty...

, and could slam dunk

Slam dunk

A slam dunk is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim. This is considered a normal field goal attempt; if successful it is worth two points. The term "slam dunk" was...

 without their feet leaving the ground.

Mu Tiezhu died of heart disease on September 14th, 2008. Two days after his death, The Draft Review named Mu as an "Honorable Draftee," saying he would have been a very high pick in the 1972 NBA Draft

1972 NBA Draft

The 1972 NBA Draft was the 26th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 10, 1972 before the 1972–73 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...

 had China been a more open society at the time.

Honors

• Asian Games
  Asian Games
  The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
  
  , champion, 1978
• Asian Basketball Championships, champion, 1979, 1981, 1983