Robert Bobroczkyi
Robert Bobroczkyi,[1][2][3][4] alternatively anglicized as Robert Bobroczky[5] and originally Róbert Bobróczky in Hungarian (born 17 July 2000), is a Romanian college basketball player of Hungarian descent. Standing 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in), he has drawn attention for his exceptional height. After moving to the United States in 2016 and attending high school in Geneva, Ohio, he attended and played for Rochester University in Rochester Hills, Michigan through the 2021-2022 season.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 July 2000 Arad, Romania |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Listed height | 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | Rochester U. (commit) |
| Position | Center |
| Career history | |
| 2014–2015 | Stella Azzurra |
Early life
Bobróczky was born in Arad, Romania,[6][5][7][8] the son of 2.17 m (7 ft 1 in) tall Hungarian-born Romanian international basketball player Zsigmond Bobróczky (who competed alongside Gheorghe Mureșan,[9][10]) and Brunhilde, a 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) former volleyball and handball player. At age eight he was taller than his mother, at 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) tall, and by the age of 12 he reached a height of 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in), surpassing his father. As such, he was taller than Robert Wadlow was from the ages 8 to 13 years. He has been the subject of medical studies nearly his entire life, leading to the prevailing opinion that his height is a result of healthy genetics (i.e. familial or constitutional tall stature), not a hormonal disease or overgrowth syndrome. Bobróczky weighed just 190 lb (86 kg) at the time of his high school basketball debut in January 2017,[11] and with a height of 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in), he was considered underweight, with a body mass index (BMI) of 16.1.[12]
Career
Youth
In 2014, Bobróczky was recruited by A.S. Stella Azzurra, an amateur-level basketball club based in Italy that produced NBA power forward Andrea Bargnani.[13] A scouting report on him noted that Bobróczky possessed an improved midrange jumper and passing ability, and his physical attributes made him an obvious mismatch against any of his opponents. Like most players of his stature however, Bobróczky was limited by his lack of muscle mass, endurance, and mobility on the court. His tremendously awkward gait and threat of exhaustion forced Bobróczky to play limited minutes after helping the team win its under-15 championship title. Despite his limitations, Bobróczky became an internet sensation in early 2016, as videos surfaced of him dominating much shorter competition during a game with Stella Azzurra.[14]
High school
In 2016, Bobróczky moved to Geneva, Ohio, in the United States to attend the college-preparatory school SPIRE Institute and Academy.[15] Entering his freshman season, Bobróczky was put on a minutes restriction as he attempted to bulk up his physique for a transition into faster, more physical American basketball.[16][17] On January 14, 2017, Bobróczky made his debut for SPIRE Institute.[5] As of January 2018[update] he was attending the nearby Grand River Academy.[18]
In July 2020, Bobróczky committed to Rochester University, which spelled his surname as "Bobroczkyi" on their roster.[3]
College
He returned to Romania shortly after classes began due to the COVID-19 pandemic in fall 2020 but returned in fall 2021,[2] again with the spelling "Bobroczkyi" on the Warrior roster.[4]
Personal life
As a high school senior, Bobróczky wore US size 17 shoes and had a 140 cm (57 in) inseam.[1]
Bobróczky speaks Romanian, Hungarian, English, Serbian, and Italian.[19][1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Stubbs, Roman (January 26, 2018). "7-foot-7 at 17". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
- ^ a b "RU Student and Dr. Klint Pleasant to be featured on HBO's 'Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel' October 19 • 10 p.m." Rochester University (Press release). October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ a b "RU Men's Basketball Signs Robert Bobroczkyi". Rochester University Athletics. July 21, 2020.
- ^ a b "Men's Basketball Roster: Robert Bobroczkyi". Rochester University Warrior Athletics. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Watch: 7-foot-7 freshman Robert Bobroczky makes varsity basketball debut". Sports Illustrated. January 21, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ "Robert Bobroczky". nbadraft.net. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ "Kosárlabda: Amerika megőrül a 231 centis romániai magyar óriásért". Nemzeti Sport. June 26, 2019.
- ^ "Meet Robert Bobroczky, a 7-7 high school freshman". Tar Heel Times. December 8, 2016.
- ^ "Egészség és boldogság - Bobroczky Róbert, a legmagasabb". feol.hu. February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- ^ "Zsigmond Bobroczky Basketball Player Profile, West Olympia Phoenix Arad, News, Liga I stats, Career, Games Logs, Best, Awards – eurobasket". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
- ^ Corcoran, Tully (January 14, 2017). "A 7-foot-7, 190-Pound 16-Year-Old Made His High School Basketball Debut Last Night". The Big Lead. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ Naber, Ibrahim (January 25, 2017). "Basketball: Robert Bobroczky (16) war mit zwölf so groß wie Dirk Nowitzki heute". Die Welt (in German). from the original on November 11, 2020.
Bei einer Größe von 2,31 Meter bringt der Rumäne nur 86 Kilogramm auf die Waage. Das entspricht dem Body-Mass-Index von 16,1 eines Erwachsenen – deutliches Untergewicht
- ^ "Stella Azzurra signs 14-year old, 226cm prospect Robert Bobroczky". sportando.com. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ Macklin, Oliver. "Meet Robert Bobroczky: Europe's 7-foot-6, 15-year-old basketball player". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ Ostrander, Lynden. "7-foot-7 Romanian freshman Robert Bobroczky plays high school basketball for SPIRE Institute". maxpreps.com. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ Dampf, Andrew. "Teen basketball giant, attempting to bulk-up with pasta". cbc.ca. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ Clapp, Matt. "The second-tallest basketball player in the world made his American high school debut". MSN. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)[dead link] - ^ Schonbrun, Zach (January 26, 2018). "A Teenager's Basketball Dream Is Size XXXXXL". The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
- ^ "Towering Teenager Has Scouts Buzzing". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 19, 2015.