Kenneth George Jr. (born c. 1986)[1] is an American former college basketball player. Listed at 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m), he was the tallest basketball player in the United States during the two years he played for the UNC Asheville Bulldogs.[2] George and Mike Lanier of the UCLA Bruins were the tallest players in the history of college basketball until they were surpassed in 2024-2025 by Olivier Rioux of the Florida Gators at 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m).[3]
.jpg) George with the UNC Asheville Bulldogs in 2007 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1986 (age 39–40) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Listed height | 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) |
| Listed weight | 370 lb (168 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Latin School of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois) |
| College | UNC Asheville (2006–2008) |
| NBA draft | 2010: undrafted |
| Position | Center |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Early life and education
editGeorge was raised on the north side of Chicago, Illinois.[2] His parents separated when he was 2 and he was raised by his father, Ken Sr.[2]
At the age of 15, he had an overactive pituitary gland issue that caused him to grow to a height of 6’11” by his sophomore year at Latin School of Chicago.[citation needed]
College career
editGeorge was academically ineligible for his first season with the UNC Asheville Bulldogs and missed his second season after he dislocated a knee during preseason.[2]
George played for the Bulldogs from 2006 to 2008.[4][5] He was listed as 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) but reached 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) with shoes.[2] George was selected as the Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Year and earned second-team all-Big South honors in 2008.[6][7]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | UNC Asheville | 23 | 0 | 10.5 | .772 | .000 | .235 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 5.5 |
| 2007–08 | UNC Asheville | 28 | 0 | 19.8 | .696 | .000 | .652 | 7.0 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 3.3 | 12.4 |
| Career | 51 | 0 | 15.2 | .734 | .000 | .460 | 5.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 9.0 | |
Personal life
editIn October 2008, George had his right foot partly amputated due to a Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection.[6][8] After this, George have to rely on larger custom wheelchair for mobility, George advocate public transport accessibility within North Carolina.
References
edit- ↑ "Report: Tallest College Basketball Player Loses Part of Foot to Staph Infection". Fox News. January 13, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Clemmons, Anna Katherine (2008-01-09). "7 Feet 7 and 350 Pounds, With Bigger Feet Than Shaq's". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
- ↑ Valdes, Alex (November 7, 2025). "Florida's 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux becomes tallest college basketball player ever". The Athletic. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ↑ "Kenny George College Stats". sports-reference.com.
- ↑ MSNBC
- 1 2 "Source: UNC Asheville's George has right foot partly amputated". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- ↑ "Kenny George". uncabulldogs.com. University of North Carolina - Asheville. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ↑ The Tallest Man: Kenny George