Gheorghe Mureşan

[Mr.Espinoza ♔♔♔]

 

Gheorghe Dumitru Mureşan (Jos Tritenii, Romania, February 14, 1971) is a former Romanian basketball player.

He is 2.32 m (7 ft 7 in) tall and is considered the tallest player who has played so far in the NBA by surpassing the Sudanese Manute Bol by a few millimeters. Unlike this one, the enormous size of Mureşan is the result of acromegaly, pituitary gland disorder. Both his father and his mother are of normal stature.

Biography
Mureșan was born into a poor family in the district of Cluj, in Romania. He played college basketball at the University of Cluj. After passing through the French league, where he played in Pau-Orthez, the NBA showed great interest in him, and was chosen by the Washington Bullets in the 1993 Draft.

Mureșan played in the NBA from 1993 to the year 2000, showing signs of a promising but limited career due to injuries. In the 1995-96 season the player with the greatest progression was chosen, with averages of 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.26 blocks per game. In the last 31 games of his career, he was part of the New Jersey Nets.

Gheorghe Muresan (right) with the United States ambassador to Romania.
His average statistics in his 6 seasons in the NBA were 9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 1.48 blocks, with a 57.3% field shot percentage.

Once retired from the NBA, he returned to play in France for 2 years, to definitely leave basketball, and return to New Jersey with his family.

Activities outside of basketball
He was the lead actor in the 1998 "My Giant" film, along with American actor Billy Crystal. He also appeared in the music video for rapper Eminem's song "My Name Is" in the minute 1:33 to 1:37, 2:29, 2:38, 3:59.

His jump to the NBA made Gheorghe Muresan the highest player in the history of the North American competition. He made a name among the great pivots of the time, but his physical ailments of all kinds caused his withdrawal. Daniel Barranquero recounts the end of the trajectory of a loved and admired man wherever he goes

He landed in the NBA, that competition whose existence he ignored until he was 17, the age at which some photos of the stars of the time aroused Gheorghe's curiosity. But the cards took shape and Muresan would see them face to face with them after the summer period. Hundreds of players had gone through the best league in the world although none was as close to the clouds as the Romanian giant. His two meters and thirty-one centimeters made him, ahead of Manute Bol -which exceeded by millimeters-, the tallest player to step on an NBA court in the entire history of the competition. Guita naturally assumed that circumstance, so much so that his chosen number (number 77), reflected his height in feet and inches.

His first season was adaptation. Despite leaving only twice as a starter, his twelve minutes on average made him intuit that, with a little more experience, the Romanian had much to say in the NBA. His 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game were nothing from another world, although his presence in the area and the intimidation of his endless arms put more than one in trouble. 94-95 was a much more productive campaign for Muresan, who, signing 10 points and 6.7 rebounds per crash, managed to finally talk more about him for his performance than for his physique. However, the best year in Gheorghe's professional life was yet to come.

In 1995 he already felt totally adapted to his new life. He did not need a translator and fit perfectly into a team that had young people like Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and Rasheed Wallace who respected and admired him. "He's a good boy, he doesn't mind being made jokes because he's the first one to laugh at himself," said the emerging Webber. Muresan was 24 years old and was in full. His slowness was chronic although his skill was greater, polishing his lack of coordination. He lost weight without losing presence or intimidation.

The Transylvanian was willing to eat the world and not even the strike in the NBA (lockout of 95-96) managed to stop such momentum. Hungry for basketball, he took advantage of the stop months to go to Europe to play. Grateful to Pau Orthez for serving as a springboard, Gheorghe did not hesitate to accept the French offer. He put on the shirt that caught the attention of half Europe and, in just eight games, became a key piece of the team. For the memory is the Olympia Ljubljana-Pau Orthez, in which there was at stake a long-awaited place for the final phase of the European Cup. Slovenian fans focused their beeps on the Romanian giant but Ghita was not intimidated. With a portentous performance, seasoned with a last coast-to-coast culminated in mate, he turned the whistles into applause and put the French in the next round. Objective accomplished

The lockout concluded and, therefore, the show returned to the NBA pavilions. With him, the consolidation of a more magnificent Muresan than ever. Undisputed holder, his duels with Sabonis or Swing were excellent. Able to shake off Shaquille O'Neal himself, the Romanian asserted his centimeters to create panic in the painting. "Defending him on the low post is like hitting a wall, his back is giant," said the center of the Bucks Marty Conlon. A point of view that many other inside players shared.

The small great Gheorghe, who a decade before did not know even the touch of a basketball, won on his own merit the Most Improved Placer award, thanks to his 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds for match. In addition, he led the competition in percentage of field shots and his fame went beyond his impressive numbers. Muresan was synonymous with charisma, in tune with the amateur. "The person I am has been building in the eyes of others." Gheorghe naturally accepted his role as protagonist in all areas of his life and became an example on and off the court for his exemplary philosophy.

The beginning of the end, an agonizing withdrawal

The 96-97 campaign was not as productive. Although for the second consecutive year he was the player with the best shot percentage (exceeding the mythical 60% barrier), the Romanian's performance did not meet the expectations generated. His first physical problems and the dismissal of coach Jim Lynam, a great supporter of Muresan, influenced his season and his numbers suffered: 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. However, if the Transylvanian had guessed the maelstrom of misfortune that was coming, he would have signed campaigns like this for the rest of his career. With ink ... or blood if necessary.

Muresan starred with Billy Cristal the movie "My Giant"

The following year he passed it blank. The tendon of his right ankle said enough and, with only 26 years, Gheorghe began the beginning of the end. A long and agonizing end, in a few years full of injuries, bad luck, physical pain and uncertainty. In 98-99 Muresan signed for the Nets, with whom he could only play the last minute of the season for his back problems. The following season was again marked by the ailments of all kinds in the Romanian giant, which had lost powers. Guita was slower than ever and even suffered to go from one side of the court to the other. His consolation was being able to say goodbye to his particular American dream with sporadic presences in thirty meetings, in which he averaged 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds.