Mamadou Ndiaye (foto: /)
A photograph featuring footballers Erling Haaland (1.94m), Bernardo Silva (1.73m), and Ederson (1.88m) standing next to Senegalese basketball player Mamadou Ndiaye (2.29m) has become an internet sensation.
Mamadou Ndiaye shared this photo, taken in Manchester City's locker room after a match against West Ham, on his Instagram account. The image went viral due to the stark height difference between the basketball player and the footballers.
Mamadou Ndiaye, a center standing at 2.29m and weighing 136kg, was once a promising talent who vied for media attention with Tacko Fall (2.29m and 141kg) during their years in the NCAA league.
In 2015, Mamadou Ndiaye (born 1993) and Tacko Fall (born 1995) played in a historic match dubbed the "tallest duel in the world" - a total face-to-face height of 458 centimeters.
The match went in N'Diaye's favor as his college, Irvine, won in overtime (61:60). However, the individual duel was dominated by Fall, who finished the match with 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks, compared to Ndiaye's 5 points and 2 rebounds.
Mamadou Ndiaye, who initially started playing football before switching to basketball, trained at Stoneridge Prep and Brethren Christian, then moved to the NCAA to play for UC Irvine from 2013-2016.
He averaged 10.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in his NCAA career, which was hampered by physical issues. He failed to be selected in the 2016 NBA draft.
He tried his luck with the Golden State Warriors in the Summer League and signed a contract with the Detroit Pistons, but he never managed to make his NBA debut.
Mamadou Ndiaye's professional experiences included stints with Fuerza Regia de Monterrey and Correcaminos UAT Victoria before he ventured into 3x3 basketball. With the photo alongside Manchester City's footballers, he has once again grabbed the spotlight.