Photos: Meet Paul Sturgess- the world's tallest basketball player

One would think basketball should be easy for Paul Sturgess.

At 7-foot-8, Sturgess—the center for the NBA Development League’s Texas Legends—is the tallest professional basketball player in the world. The rim stands less than three feet above his head and is within reach of his long, gangly arms. His opponents, D-League players who would be tall in any other setting, look like jersey-wearing Lilliputians compared to Sturgess!!! Hahaha...
But great height comes with great challenges, and late into the Legends’ season, Sturgess had appeared in just 12 games, averaging only 0.9 points and 0.9 rebounds per outing. He hadn’t yet registered a block. Sturgess hasn’t seen much court time, because despite his size, his body isn’t yet court-ready in the eyes of many. And as it turns out, developing Sturgess’s body to handle the demands of pro basketball is surprisingly complicated. For starters, Sturgess is not especially well-conditioned. The 26-year-old left his native England in 2007 to play college ball in the States, and after school he joined the Harlem Globetrotters in 2011. There, he was known for his “No Jump Dunk.” He played in exhibition games for a team focused on entertainment, not competitive development.
Sturgess has plenty of frustrating days,but he always keeps his mind on the future. He said, "I never compare myself to other people. Whenever I’m doing an exercise, I never think about how well I’m doing now. If I do it every day, I’m going to get better. I always have that in my mind.”