Shaquille O’Neal is probably the first name that comes to mind when you think of ridiculously tall NBA big men. Bol Bol, Tacko Fall, and Rudy Gobert are a few notable freakishly tall centers. Shaquille was 7’1” when he played in the league, making him a matchup nightmare. Yao Ming was the only guy that gave Shaq a tough time, who himself was 7’6”.

Yao was only a few inches shorter than few of the tallest players in the NBA like Sun Mingming and George Muresan. However, there is a player taller than any of these, but he never got to play a single NBA game. Kenny George was a freak of nature that had college basketball in a blender.

Kenny George was 6 inches taller than Shaquille, which is a feat in itself. George was 6’11” as a sophomore at Chicago Latin High School. He averaged a triple-double with eight points, ten rebounds, and nine blocks per game. He was destined to play in the NBA. However, like any big man, he went through several injuries. His conditioning and health changed the course of his basketball career. He dislocated his right kneecap in high school, which resulted in poor offers from D-1 programs.

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George was recruited by UNC-Asheville in the fall of 2004, but he was not allowed to play until the start of the 2005-06 season. It was not long before his injuries prevailed again. He needed major surgery to repair another dislocated knee. More sad news was due for George, as he had part of his right foot amputated due to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Shaquille O’Neal’s brand sells 400 million shoes

There were times when Kenny was disheartened. He used to deal with a lot growing up due to his height. He never seriously played basketball. It was something he fell into due to his height. O’Neal has sold millions of shoes to people like Kenny, who have difficulty finding the right fit due to their height.

In an interview with The New York Times, George said, “I don’t hate it, but there are times I wish that I weren’t so tall.”

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O’Neal’s brand has helped several children, like Kenny. He sells his shoes for under $30 at stores like Walmart. He decided to not go ahead with his brand deal with Reebok, as selling shoes for $180 was not something he preferred.

Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny George both faced issues pertaining to their height

Kenny George and Shaquille O’Neal faced a lot of the same problems. Shaq founded his shoe brand to help out kids and young players who cannot afford basketball shoes. He could never find shoes in his size being a size 22 himself. Kenny George himself was a size 28. He too had difficulties finding shoes to play basketball in.

There were times when George wished he was not 7’7”. Miami Heat legend Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny George both needed to get special shoes made for themselves, so they can understand each other’s plight.

Kenny George would get Nike to aid the big man in finding the right pair since he faced several issues due to his enormous height. Recently, Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal helped a mom of a 13-year-old kid who wore a size 18. Shaq and Kenny can both attest to the problems big men face in everyday life. Shaquille bought 6-foot-2 teenager Zach Keith 10 pairs of shoes, including a special pair for an upcoming eighth-grade dance!

Shaq told WGCL-TV in Atlanta, “Mom couldn’t afford shoes. The kid had big feet. That used to be me, my mom, and my dad.”