Yasutaka Okayama

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Yasutaka Okayama (岡山恭崇 Okayama yasutaka?, born November 29, 1954 in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan) is known to be the tallest basketball player drafted in National Basketball Association history.[1] The 7'8" center from Japan was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 10th pick of the eighth round of the 1981 Draft, although he did not sign with them.[2][3]

Okayama practiced Judo at junior high school and high school, and obtained the second degree black belt. He started playing basketball when he was eighteen at Osaka University of Commerce. After the graduation, he joined the basketball club of Sumitomo Metal Industries. He represented Japan between 1979 and 1986 before he retired from the game in 1990. He still works for Sumitomo Metal and is very active as a basketball coach.[4] He published one book for young basketball players. [5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ NBA.com: Draft Oddities
  2. ^ 1981 NBA Draft on Basketballreference.com
  3. ^ BBC SPORT | Other Sport | US Sport | Rising Sun creates Japanese first
  4. ^ Sports Just magazine, April-May issue 2005
  5. ^ Tanoshii Basuketto Boru
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