“The Big Unit” seems like a nickname that is hard to live up to, but Randy Johnson at 6ft 8in is more than equal to the task. Johnson played major league baseball for an astounding 22 seasons on six different teams, but mostly for the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks.
He is famous for being the fifth most successful left-handed baseball player of all time and for having the second-most career strikeouts (4,875) in MLB history. “The Big Unit” definitely made a big impact on professional baseball.
Holley Mangold – 415 lbs
I guess athleticism runs in the family, Holley Mangold, sister of former Jets center, Nick Mangold, is one of the biggest female Olympic weightlifters in the world. Mangold played football in high school and started lifting weights in 2008. Four years later, she qualified for the London Olympics but tore a wrist tendon before the competition and ended up placing tenth out of fourteen competitors.
She used to weigh 500 pounds but has lost a lot of weight and even participated in the reality weight loss competition “The Biggest Loser.” These days, Mangold coaches the Dayton Barbell Club in Ohio.
Mamadou N’Diaye – 7’6″
Senegalese-born Mamadou N’Diaye went to UC Irvine at 18 years old, where he became the tallest basketball player in the NCAA Division. In 2016, he was drafted and spent some time with the Golden State Warriors. He currently plays for Fuerza Regia de Monterrey in the Mexican league.
At 7ft 6in, N’Diaye is known for his enormous wingspan and is often compared to Yao Ming and Rudy Gobert. Instead of trying to emulate others, he is trying to develop his own identity and legacy as a player.
Usain Bolt – 6’5″
Usain Bolt, known as the fastest man in the world, has dominated the field of running for the last three Olympic Games. At 6 foot 5 inches, he towers over the competition while he outruns them. Bolt used dedication, good genes and his signature stride to break every speed record known to man and is an 11-time World Championship winner.
His three consecutive Olympic victories in Beijing, London, and Rio have inspired his home country of Jamaica and the entire world. These days, Bolt is trying his luck in a new sport, soccer.
Lisa Leslie – 6’5″
At an impressive 6 foot 5 inches, Lisa Deshaun Leslie made the world sit up and take notice as the first woman in history to dunk in a WNBA game. Though she is not the tallest woman in sports, there is no doubt about her prowess on the court.
She played in multiple World Championships and in medal-winning Olympic teams and was voted Sportswoman of the Year in 2001, when her team, the Los Angeles Sparks, won the WNBA Championship. In the past few years, Leslie has focused on modeling and acting.