Ri Myung Hun (born September 14, 1967) is a North Korean basketball player and a coach. He was the tallest man in the world in 1998 when he was measured at 7 feet 8.5 inches (235 cm), and he is still the tallest person in North Korea. Despite his height, he only weighed 280 lb (130 kg) and he was as quick on the court as much shorter players. Because of his extreme height, he tried to play in the NBA in the United States, but political complications prevented him from doing so. He eventually settled on coaching the basketball squad for the April 25 Sports Club when he retired.
- See also: Robert Wadlow: The Tallest Man Ever
The Tallest Living Human in the World
Ri Myung Hun, who once stood 7 feet 8.5 inches tall, became the world’s tallest living person in 1998. Only around a year later, Radhouane Charbib, at 7 feet 9 inches, took over as the tallest living human. Extremely tall people like Ri Myung Hun, Trijntje Keever, or John Rogan are the result of a condition called gigantism.
An adenoma is what causes gigantism, a particular type of brain tumor. This tumor causes the pituitary gland to secrete too much growth hormone (GH), which leads to extreme body proportions in humans, as well as various health problems such as diabetes and joint diseases. Most people with gigantism often live relatively short lives; see, for example, John Middleton the Giant.
Ri Myung Hun’s Basketball Career
At 7 ft 8.5 in, Ri Myung Hun is still taller than Olivier Rioux (7 ft 6 in), the tallest living teenager and a Canadian basketball player who has been making headlines recently.
As a member of the North Korean national basketball team, Ri Myung-hun competed in the Asian Games twice, both times with great success. He placed second in the 1993 Asian Championship.
Basketball was Ri Myung Hun’s first love once he attained 6 feet 2 inches (187 cm) at the age of 13. He was born in Tangwang Village, Sudong, Hamgyong. The “Pyongyang City Club” was Hun’s team at Pyongyang Sports University, where he enrolled.
Hun’s first international tournament came at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing, China, in September 1990, after being picked for the North Korean national squad for the first time in November 1989. Despite Ri Myung Hun’s contributions as the lead scorer, the North Korean national team won just one game, against Saudi Arabia, and ultimately placed eighth in the tournament.
At the 1991 Asian Championship in Kobe, Japan, he helped the North Korean national team to a fifth-place finish after scoring 42 points in a game against South Korea. In May of 1993, he represented North Korea in the East Asian Games in Shanghai, China, and beat Taiwan in the bronze medal game.
When the 1993 Asian Championship was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in August of that year, he was a key member of the North Korean squad that advanced all the way to the final after beating Saudi Arabia and Iran. North Korea’s best-ever finish and first medal in Asian Basketball Championship history came when they lost the final against China by a score of 72-93, but they still managed to take home the silver.
North Korea’s national squad began pulling out of international events after the 1993 East Asian Games, and Ri Myung Hun remained mostly unknown outside of Asia. American sports agency Evergreen took notice of him as he played for the “Pyongyang City Club” in the William Jones Cup in August 1996. This event sparked his desire to play in the NBA.
“Michael Ri” for the NBA
In May of 1997, he traveled to Canada to practice with former Canadian national basketball team coach Jack Donohue. There was interest in Ri Myung Hun from the Utah Jazz, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ri Myung Hun wanted his name to be called “Michael Ri” in the NBA out of his respect for Michael Jordan.
However, he was not permitted to play in the NBA in the United States because of the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917. The State Department cleared him to play in the States on the proviso that none of his money would be transmitted back to North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il reacted cleverly and rejected this prohibition by insisting that NBA scout Tony Ronzone pay Ri Myung Hun’s compensation in wheat rather than cash.
In an interview with CNN’s Mike Chinoy in September 1998, Ri Myung Hun referred to himself as a “big man,” stating that he was uninterested in politics and money and wondered how far his abilities would take him.
Time to Return Home
His NBA dreams were ultimately dashed; he headed back to North Korea to play for the Thunder Club. In June, he helped his squad beat the Italian professional basketball team Fabriano Basket 110-101 in a friendly match.
In the following December, he was getting ready to compete in the 1998 Asian Games, but he was involved in a car accident and had to pull out of the national squad. The national squad from North Korea also opted to skip the tournament.
When the 1st North-South Unification Basketball Tournament was held in Pyongyang the following September, he was a member of the Thunder squad and helped them beat the South Korean team “Asan” by a score of 102-71.
His team, Thunder Club, defeated Hyundai-Kia United by a score of 86-71 in the championship game of the 2nd North-South Unification Basketball Tournament, which took place in Seoul in December of the same year.
In 2002, Ri Myung Hun was once again chosen for the national squad and went on to compete at the Asian Games in September of that year in Busan, South Korea. He scored 22 points over Hong Kong and grabbed 17 rebounds versus Kazakhstan in the group round.
The North Korean national team ended the tournament with a 5th-place record of 2 victories and 3 defeats, including a loss against the South Koreans. In 2003, he was a member of the North Korean team called “Asia” which defeated the South Korean team named “Asan” by a score of 86-57 in the 3rd North-South Unification Basketball Tournament, which was held in Pyongyang.
After hanging up his jersey in 2006, Ri Myung Hun took over as head coach of the April 25 Sports Club (also known as “4.25 SC”) the following year.
