Giant Gonzalez: from NBA star to WWE wrestler

Witness History

In 1988, Jorge Gonzalez was a basketball star in Argentina and became the first athlete from this country drafted by an NBA team, the Atlanta Hawks. He was over 2.5m tall due to gigantism, which led to big day-to-day challenges like finding shoes his size. But it also gave him great opportunities.

The Atlanta Hawks’ never put Jorge on the court because he was too heavy to play. But the owner of the team, Ted Turner, proposed an alternative for Jorge, to wrestle for World Championship Wrestling, a predecessor of WWE.

Julio Lamas was one of Jorge’s coach in Argentina, and Bill Alfonso was a wrestling referee and Jorge’s assistant. They tell Stefania Gozzer about Jorge’s rise in both sports and the difficulties he faced.

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(Photo: Jorge Gonzalez visiting the Atlanta Hawks. Credit: AP photo/Neil Brake)