Washington Wizards: 30 greatest players in franchise history
. C. (1993-99). Gheorghe Muresan. 27. player. 142
Big man Gheorghe Muresan was one of the tallest players in the NBA. At 7-foot-7, Muresan became the tallest player ever to play in the league. He was drafted 30th overall by the Bullets in the 1993 NBA Draft as a native of Romania. His career showed tons of promise in the early stages and he quickly became a fan favorite. Muresan wore No. 77 to reference his height.
Muresan spent four seasons with the Bullets. During the 1995-96 season, he was awarded the league’s Most Improved Player award after producing 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He also led the league in field goal percentage at 58.4 percent that year. The next season, he led the league again in field goal percentage once again, shooting 60.4 percent from the floor.
Muresan’s career came to an abrupt halt due to lingering issues after the 1996-97 season. His 60.4 percent shooting and 58.4 percent shooting still remain as first and second respectively on the single-season records list. He’s also eighth on the team’s career leaders list in blocks per game (1.6) and ninth in total blocks (443).
He finished up his career with the Bullets averaging 10.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 rebounds on 57.9 percent shooting from the field. After sitting out the 1997-98 season due to injury, he emerged in the 1998-99 season with the New Jersey Nets. After two seasons with the Nets, his run in the league came to an end.