• Slug: Sports-Suns Len, 1,680 words
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below)

By Gavin Schall
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — Growing up in the coal mining town of Antratsyt, Ukraine, Alex Len’s first love was gymnastics, a sport typically dominated by pint-sized people.

That’s not Len, who eventually would sprout to 7 feet, 1 inch in height. He really never had a chance, at least in gymnastics.

“I was the tallest in the group, so they told me right away, ‘You’re not going to be good,’” Len said.

The tale of Len’s transition to basketball reads like the classic story of every giant who was too awkward, too shy, or simply too blissfully unaware to take up the game without prompting.

Continue reading “Off balance: Len’s future with the Suns is up in the air”