Former basketballer urges people to stop commenting on the height of others

A former professional basketballer says height is the only physical attribute it’s still ok to “pick on” people over, and it’s time that changed.

Chris Anstey, who played for the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA, as well as for the Melbourne Tigers, South East Melbourne Magic and Victoria Titans in the NBL, is 213cm (7ft) tall.

He’s asked about his height “50 to 100 times a day”.

While he’s equipped to deal with it, he says constant comments take their toll on the confidence of young people.

His son and daughter are also very tall, and he’s spent years coaching young basketballers who are also struggling with comments about their height.

“It’s considered rude to ask someone about their weight. It’s considered rude to ask someone about their physical appearance, but it’s okay to ask them about their height,” he told Tony Jones, filling in for Neil Mitchell.

“I know when I was a kid I used to walk around the edges of nightclubs because I didn’t want to walk through the middle because everyone would make a comment.

“You spend so long trying to fit in.”

Anstey urged tall teenagers to be proud of their height.

“Go and stand out and do it in some incredible way. If you’re going to be noticed — and you will be if you’re tall — go and be noticed for something incredibly positive,” he said.

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Image (at top): Chris Anstey in the preliminaries on Day 10 of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 –  Jamie Squire/Getty Images