I’m 7ft 4in, 300lb giant taller than Victor Wembanyama who took NCAA Tournament by storm before NBA rookie season
Zach Edey is having a standout rookie season. The 7ft 4in, 300lb Canadian phenom – who’s taller than San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama – is a unique talent with a throwback skill-set akin to the great NBA big men of yesteryear. Edey enhanced his profile at the 2024 NCAA TournamentGetty He was one of the most well-known names in the 2024 NBA Draft, and was taken as the 9th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies last June. Standing at 7ft 4in, Edey is the tallest player in the league, and has already been making his presence felt. Despite a slow start that saw him commit more fouls than made field goal attempts in his first four games, the 22-year-old is already shaping into a solid starting center for the Grizzlies. He has continued to produce in the primary area the team needed by leading Memphis in rebounds per game, with 7.7, and his play has kept him in the top five of the Rookie of the Year race throughout the season. Thanks to work from Edey, as well as more established stars Jaren Jackson Jr and Ja Morant, the Grizzlies boast a solid 43-28 record and sit fifth in the Western Conference. Memphis are looking to get back to the playoffs after missing the cut last year. But long before he was making an impact in his rookie NBA season, Edey lit up the college basketball scene and was the star of the 2024 NCAA Tournament that ended in defeat for his Purdue Boilermakers in the national championship against UConn. Ahead of his transition to the NBA, he proved an intimidating inside presence and low-post menace. He also knows how to block a shot or two – and was even compared to the great Shaquille O’Neal ahead of last year’s draft. “One player who worked out against Zach Edey compared it to ‘trying to guard Shaquille O’Neal,'” NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony noted 12 months ago. The 7-footer was compared to NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal as he came out of collegeGetty Edey has a long way to go to reach O’Neal’s level, but his rookie season has shown promising signsAFP He has since gone on to star for the Grizzlies alongside MorantGetty Givony added, “Zach Edey’s combination of size, power and intensity has been difficult to contain in a private workout setting, as there simply aren’t many players in the (2024) draft equipped to slow him down.” That was certainly a bold comparison, but perhaps one that is already ringing true in the Canadian’s rookie season. Edey also put up Shaq-like numbers during March Madness in 2024, becoming the first player to have three straight games with at least 20 points and three blocks at The Big Dance since O’Neal in 1991 and 1992. The ‘Inside the NBA’ host caught wind of those performances and even christened him with a new nickname. “I’m changing your name to Zachille O’Neal,” The Big Diesel said last year. Like Shaq, Edey does his best work inside the paint, and enjoyed a stellar college career. March Madness Top Stories Ranking the greatest players in NCAA men’s March Madness history – from Michael Jordan to Magic Johnson ‘This sister is special’ – Stephen A. Smith identifies rising star who can challenge Caitlin Clark’s WNBA dominance NCAA March Madness is bigger and better than the College Football Playoff – the springtime phenomenon is bigger than ever Biggest March Madness upsets in history of NCAA Tournament – top seeds humiliated as small schools enjoy their moment But that’s about where the similarities end. O’Neal was viewed as a generational talent coming out of LSU in ’92 and was the consensus No. 1 overall pick in that year’s draft. Despite his massive frame, The Big Aristotle was freakishly athletic and mobile, and had no problems getting up and down the court on a nightly basis. Edey, early in his NBA career, is way stiffer and nowhere near as quick or explosive as Shaq was during his early years – but he is certainly no scrub. He won the National Player of the Year Award in 2023 and 2024, becoming the first player to win back-to-back awards since Bill Walton in 1971 and 1972, and dropped 37 points in a valiant but losing effort to the Connecticut Huskies in the national title game. Edey is already catching the eye in his rookie season 12 months on, and if the Grizzlies do get back to the playoffs, he will no doubt continue to play a big part in that effort. How to watch March Madness in the UK *If you click a link in this box we will earn affiliate revenue March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year for basketball fans, with a total of 68 teams battling it out to become the Division 1 college champions. This year UConn have the chance to become only the second team ever to complete a March Madness three-peat, having emerged victorious for the last two years. talkSPORT will have the l
Zach Edey is having a standout rookie season.
The 7ft 4in, 300lb Canadian phenom – who’s taller than San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama – is a unique talent with a throwback skill-set akin to the great NBA big men of yesteryear.
He was one of the most well-known names in the 2024 NBA Draft, and was taken as the 9th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies last June.
Standing at 7ft 4in, Edey is the tallest player in the league, and has already been making his presence felt.
Despite a slow start that saw him commit more fouls than made field goal attempts in his first four games, the 22-year-old is already shaping into a solid starting center for the Grizzlies.
He has continued to produce in the primary area the team needed by leading Memphis in rebounds per game, with 7.7, and his play has kept him in the top five of the Rookie of the Year race throughout the season.
Thanks to work from Edey, as well as more established stars Jaren Jackson Jr and Ja Morant, the Grizzlies boast a solid 43-28 record and sit fifth in the Western Conference.
Memphis are looking to get back to the playoffs after missing the cut last year.
But long before he was making an impact in his rookie NBA season, Edey lit up the college basketball scene and was the star of the 2024 NCAA Tournament that ended in defeat for his Purdue Boilermakers in the national championship against UConn.
Ahead of his transition to the NBA, he proved an intimidating inside presence and low-post menace.
He also knows how to block a shot or two – and was even compared to the great Shaquille O’Neal ahead of last year’s draft.
“One player who worked out against Zach Edey compared it to ‘trying to guard Shaquille O’Neal,'” NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony noted 12 months ago.
Givony added, “Zach Edey’s combination of size, power and intensity has been difficult to contain in a private workout setting, as there simply aren’t many players in the (2024) draft equipped to slow him down.”
That was certainly a bold comparison, but perhaps one that is already ringing true in the Canadian’s rookie season.
Edey also put up Shaq-like numbers during March Madness in 2024, becoming the first player to have three straight games with at least 20 points and three blocks at The Big Dance since O’Neal in 1991 and 1992.
The ‘Inside the NBA’ host caught wind of those performances and even christened him with a new nickname.
“I’m changing your name to Zachille O’Neal,” The Big Diesel said last year.
Like Shaq, Edey does his best work inside the paint, and enjoyed a stellar college career.
March Madness Top Stories
Ranking the greatest players in NCAA men’s March Madness history – from Michael Jordan to Magic Johnson
‘This sister is special’ – Stephen A. Smith identifies rising star who can challenge Caitlin Clark’s WNBA dominance
NCAA March Madness is bigger and better than the College Football Playoff – the springtime phenomenon is bigger than ever
Biggest March Madness upsets in history of NCAA Tournament – top seeds humiliated as small schools enjoy their moment
But that’s about where the similarities end.
O’Neal was viewed as a generational talent coming out of LSU in ’92 and was the consensus No. 1 overall pick in that year’s draft.
Despite his massive frame, The Big Aristotle was freakishly athletic and mobile, and had no problems getting up and down the court on a nightly basis.
Edey, early in his NBA career, is way stiffer and nowhere near as quick or explosive as Shaq was during his early years – but he is certainly no scrub.
He won the National Player of the Year Award in 2023 and 2024, becoming the first player to win back-to-back awards since Bill Walton in 1971 and 1972, and dropped 37 points in a valiant but losing effort to the Connecticut Huskies in the national title game.
Edey is already catching the eye in his rookie season 12 months on, and if the Grizzlies do get back to the playoffs, he will no doubt continue to play a big part in that effort.
How to watch March Madness in the UK
*If you click a link in this box we will earn affiliate revenue
March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year for basketball fans, with a total of 68 teams battling it out to become the Division 1 college champions.
This year UConn have the chance to become only the second team ever to complete a March Madness three-peat, having emerged victorious for the last two years.
talkSPORT will have the latest news on the tournament, but for UK basketball fans the way to watch is through Sky Sports. The broadcaster will be showing EVERY March Madness game through their Sky Sports + streaming service.
Click here to sign up to a Sky Sports subscription, or read our article on the best Sky Sports deals available now.
