A sad thing often forgotten is that these giants often die before they're 40.
January 25, 2017
The inside story of a basketball teen so tall, he doesn’t look real
By Zach Braziller
NYPost.com
One day, Robert Bobroczky could be the tallest NBA player of all time. But for now, he’s a 7-foot-7, Romanian-born prospect just trying to get consistent minutes at an Ohio high school while immersing himself in a new culture.
His size is what stands out, but it is hardly the only thing that makes the 16-year-old freshman unique. Known as “Big Rob” at school, he’s produced a 4.3 grade point average while attending Grand River Academy in Ohio, the academic partner of Spire Institute, and speaks four languages — Romanian, English, Hungarian and Italian — fluently.
“He’s obviously one of a kind,” said Bobby Bossman, his coach at Spire Institute, a certified Olympic training facility. “The kid’s work ethic is absolutely unbelievable. You ask him to do anything, and he’s going to do it.”
A few years ago, Bossman saw videos of Bobroczky and was immediately intrigued. Bobroczky stood 7-foot-3, and Bossman could see limitless potential. He got in touch with him and his family over the phone and through Skype, and they set up a visit. Bobroczky comes from a basketball family. His father played on the Romanian national team with Gheorghe Muresan, at 7-foot-7 the tallest player in NBA history.
After spending the past two years with Italian club Stella Azzurra, Bobroczky enrolled in the fall at Spire. Bossman raves about his skill set: a smooth jump shot, strong ability in the post and soft hands. In practice, Bobroczky hits 3-pointers. Still, Spire is bringing him along slowly, letting him get acquainted with his new surroundings and the speed of the game. As an independent program, they play a national schedule, taking on public and private schools, even junior colleges, from all over.
“We’ll use him every now and then,” Bossman told The Post in a phone interview. “Next year, he’s going to be full go from the tip.”
Bossman said the plan is for Bobroczky to beef up to 215 pounds by then. At the moment, he’s a rail-thin 195. His biggest challenge is getting up and down the floor at a good pace, adjusting to his absurdly long and gangly frame.
“I tell him, I don’t care if you score a point or grab a rebound,” Bossman said. “We want you to be comfortable, we want you to have fun, and everything else will take care of itself.”
http://nypost.com/2017/01/25/the-inside-story-of-a-basketball-teen-so-tall-he-doesnt-look-real/
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