Education
Burleigh Community College.
Burleigh Community College.
Sturgess was the tallest ever college basketball player in the United States and is the second tallest professional basketball player in the world. Paul "Tiny" Sturgess was "drafted" by the Harlem Globetrotters in August 2011 and is the tallest ever to play for the team He joined the team with fellow rookie Jonte "Too Tall" Hall, who at 5 ft 2 in (157 m) is the shortest player ever and is 2.5 ft (76 cm) shorter than Sturgess.
Sturgess wears a size 18 shoe.
He is the second tallest living Englishman behind Neil Fingleton who is 7 ft 7.56 in (23256 m) tall. Examinations as a teenager revealed that his growth is healthy and not the result of disorder, but rather he possesses familial tall stature—that is to say his height is genetic.
He featured prominently in the 2007 ITV1 television documentary Supersize Kids: Britain"s Tallest Teens when he was 19 and playing at Florida Technology Sturgess enjoys playing many other sports and before concentrating on basketball also played golf and football.
He started playing team basketball at age 14 when he was 5 ft 6 in (168 m), was 7 ft (21 m) aged 16 playing at Burleigh Community College, and was 7 ft 2 in (218 m) when he graduated high school at age 18.
A growth spurt during ages of 16 and 17 resulted in a 1 ft (30 cm) of height added within a single year. Sturgess can hold the 10 ft (30 m) high rim whilst standing. He declined offers to play professional basketball in Europe, preferring to pursue basketball in the United States. On November 1, 2013, Sturgess was selected by the Springfield Armor in the third round of the 2013 National Basketball Association Development League Draft.
On November 4, 2013, he was traded to the Texas Legends where he played for the rest of the season.
On November 19, 2014 he was signed by Cheshire Phoenix of the British Basketball League.