Tweet
Dec 23rd 2009 By Erin Scottberg
| More
Tallest Teenager in the World Is 6-Foot-11 at 16 Years Old
Can you imagine standing face-to-face with Michael Jordan and being able to see the top of the 6-foot-6-inch basketball star's bald head? Or what about having to merely stand on your tip-tops to look 7-foot-1 Shaq in the eye? For 6-foot-11 Marvadene Anderson, that's a reality.
At only 16 -- yes, 16 -- years old, Anderson is the tallest teenager in the world and the newest member of the Rutgers Prep high school basketball team. The sophomore moved here from her native Jamaica after being scouted by the team's assistant coach right around her 15th birthday. After discussing the opportunity with her family -- who are still in Jamaica -- she decided to accept a scholarship at Rutgers Prep to play basketball and get a better education.
Thing is, Anderson's new to basketball entirely. In Jamaica, the game of choice is "netball," which has similar rules to basketball and is played on a similar-size court, but there's no dribbling and teams are made up of seven players instead of five. Netball also goes the field-hockey route and has players wear skirts as part of the uniform.
Anderson was the top-scoring netball player in her age group in Jamaica, and her coaches say she's having no problem picking up the American sport. Her Rutgers Prep teammates (some of whom are barely as tall as her elbows) are doing the best to help her out. College recruiters are already scouting "Bubbles," which is her nickname from back home, earned because of her bubbly personality.
As we ladies know, at 16 you still have a few more years of growing to do, so there's still a chance she can take over the world record for tallest woman (which was held by the late 7-foot-7.25" Sandy Allen, of Shelbyville, Ind.).
| More
Tallest Teenager in the World Is 6-Foot-11 at 16 Years Old
- <LI class=first>News<LI class=even>Super Woman
- Sports
Can you imagine standing face-to-face with Michael Jordan and being able to see the top of the 6-foot-6-inch basketball star's bald head? Or what about having to merely stand on your tip-tops to look 7-foot-1 Shaq in the eye? For 6-foot-11 Marvadene Anderson, that's a reality. At only 16 -- yes, 16 -- years old, Anderson is the tallest teenager in the world and the newest member of the Rutgers Prep high school basketball team. The sophomore moved here from her native Jamaica after being scouted by the team's assistant coach right around her 15th birthday. After discussing the opportunity with her family -- who are still in Jamaica -- she decided to accept a scholarship at Rutgers Prep to play basketball and get a better education.
Thing is, Anderson's new to basketball entirely. In Jamaica, the game of choice is "netball," which has similar rules to basketball and is played on a similar-size court, but there's no dribbling and teams are made up of seven players instead of five. Netball also goes the field-hockey route and has players wear skirts as part of the uniform.
Anderson was the top-scoring netball player in her age group in Jamaica, and her coaches say she's having no problem picking up the American sport. Her Rutgers Prep teammates (some of whom are barely as tall as her elbows) are doing the best to help her out. College recruiters are already scouting "Bubbles," which is her nickname from back home, earned because of her bubbly personality.
As we ladies know, at 16 you still have a few more years of growing to do, so there's still a chance she can take over the world record for tallest woman (which was held by the late 7-foot-7.25" Sandy Allen, of Shelbyville, Ind.).