Alexander Sizonenko

Alexander Alekseyevich Sizonenko was a Soviet professional basketball player who was measured by Guinness World Records at 2.39 m (7 ft 10 in) and named the world's tallest man in 1991. He suffered from acromegaly due to a pituitary tumor, causing him to continue growing throughout his life. He played professionally for Spartak Leningrad and Stroitel Kuybyshev in the Soviet league and also represented the Soviet national team in 12 games. He was said to have grown since his measurement was taken, although age reduced his standing height considerably. Because of his enormous growth, his mobility was increasingly impaired. He lived in Saint Petersburg, was divorced and had a son Alexander born in 1994. In the last years of his life, he faced multiple health issues. In 2011 he was moved to a hospital in St. Petersburg, where he died on 5 January 2012. He was 52.