Yasutaka Okayama
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 29, 1954 Mashiki, Kumamoto |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Listed height | 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) |
| Listed weight | 305 lb (138 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Kyushu Gakuin (Kumamoto, Kumamoto) |
| College | |
| NBA draft | 1981: 8th round, 240th overall pick |
| Selected by the Golden State Warriors | |
| Playing career | 1979–1990 |
| Position | Center |
| Coaching career | 1993–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1979-1990 | Sumitomo Metal Sparks |
| As coach: | |
| 1993-1995 | Sumitomo Metal Sparks (asst) |
| 1996-1999 | Osaka University of Commerce (asst) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
| |
Yasutaka Okayama (岡山 恭崇, Okayama Yasutaka, born November 29, 1954 in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese basketball player.[1] He was selected by the Golden State Warriors as the 10th pick of the eighth round of the 1981 Draft, although he did not sign with them.[2][3] At 7'8" (234 cm), he is the tallest player ever to be drafted in NBA history.
Okayama practiced Judo at junior high school and high school, and obtained a second degree black belt. He started playing basketball when he was eighteen at Osaka University of Commerce. He attended the University of Portland but never played for their basketball program as he was a project. After graduation, he joined the basketball club of Sumitomo Metal Sparks. He represented Japan between 1979 and 1986 before he retired in 1996. He still works for Sumitomo Metal Industries and is very active as a basketball coach.[4] He has also written a book for young basketball players.[5]
References
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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