Suleiman Ali Nashnush was a basketball player and actor from Libya. He was born in 1943 and passed away in 1991. As his height reached 8 feet (about 245 cm), Suleiman Ali Nashnush became one of the tallest basketball players in the world. When it comes to people with extremely tall heights, Nashnush is one of the most renowned recorded cases.
In 1960, he underwent surgery to stop any further growth. He played for the Libyan basketball team in the 1963 FIBA World Cup qualifiers, and since he got a bit shorter after the surgery, Nashnush was measured at 7 feet 10 inches (239 cm) during the tournament. So, he was an inch shorter than Alexander Sizonenko, the tallest basketball player ever.
At 8 feet, Suleiman Ali Nashnush is much taller than Olivier Rioux (7 ft 6 in), the tallest living teenager and a Canadian basketball player who has been making headlines recently.
Who was Suleiman Ali Nashnush?
His abnormal thyroid gland and the troubles it caused contributed significantly to Nashnush’s exceptional height, which was exactly 8 feet, 0.4 inches, or 244.9 cm. At the time, he was the 11th tallest person ever (and the 10th tallest man).
Still, he was not the tallest man ever documented—this honor goes to Robert Wadlow at 8 feet 11 inches—but he was one of the tallest basketball players ever and one of the 29 documented people in history who were measured over 8 feet in height.
He was born in 1943 on Ben Ashour Street in Tripoli and passed away on February 25, 1991, in the same city. He was the son of a wealthy businessman in Libya, North Africa. At the age of 22, he weighed 292 pounds (132 kg).
At this time, he towered above every door in the $50-per-day London facility where he was receiving treatment. Nashnush was a married man but did not have any children.
Already a Giant at 16 Years Old
Nashnush was only 16 years old when he achieved his full height, and at the time, he was already the tallest man in the world. This is one of the youngest ages in comparison to other tall people with gigantism who reached their full height when they were much older.
Most tall people with gigantism usually continue to grow until the ages of 25 or even 30. But on the other hand, they also tend to die earlier due to various health conditions.
His extreme stature brought Nashnush a great deal of attention across the globe. The Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged his height and recorded him as the tallest living human in the world between 1990 and 1991.
He Went into Surgery to Stop Growing
In 1960, at the age of 18, Suleiman Ali Nashnush traveled to Rome to have surgery to get rid of his bizarre growth rate. While the details of the operation are unknown, it was related to his thyroid gland, which secretes growth hormone (GH).
He stayed as a private patient in the hospital for over a week, and according to Reuter, he underwent treatment “to try to prevent any enlargement of the hands and feet.” The tumor in his thyroid gland had been resulting in uneven secretion of growth hormone in his feet and hands compared to the rest of his body. The operation was reported as successful.
The Second Tallest Basketball Player
In 1962, at the age of 20, he was already one of the tallest basketball players. He allegedly stood at 8 feet while playing for the Libyan national team, however, the only reported document regarding his playing-height is 7’10”.
One legend about Nashnush’s life is that he drove his car from the back seat, which is not surprising. He was used to operating his vehicle while sitting in the rear passenger seat. The car model is unknown.
Also an Actor
In addition to that, Nashnush was also an actor. After his fame as the tallest living person on Earth, he had a role in a movie that was shot in Italy, the same country where he went into surgery.
This movie was called Fellini Satyricon (1969), and it was set in first-century Rome. He played the small role of Tryphaena’s attendant. With that, he also became the tallest actor in history. He is also the third tallest athlete after Édouard Beaupré (8 ft 3 in) and Morteza Mehrzad (8 ft 1 in).
However, he later turned down a well-paying acting part in the United States, despite the fact that it was directly presented to him.
His Death
According to the Syracuse Herald-Journal, Suleiman Ali Nashnush died on February 25, 1991, at the age of 48, from a heart attack. A year before his death, the Guinness Book of Records gave Nashnush’s height as 8 feet and acknowledged him as the tallest human being between 1990 and 1991.
References
- Featured Image: WebArchive.org
- The Milwaukee Journal – Wayback Machine
- Fellini Satyricon (1969) – IMDb
