Jorge González (31 January 1966 – 22 September 2010) was an Argentine basketball player, professional wrestler, and actor, better known for his appearances in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name El Gigante between 1989 and 1992 and in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Giant Gonzalez in 1993. González remains the tallest Argentinian to have ever lived and the third tallest man from South America. Early life Jorge González was born in El Colorado, Formosa, Argentina on 31 January 1966. González suffered from gigantism, and stood at by the age of 14. Basketball career González was billed as being , making him the tallest WWE wrestler and Argentine basketball player in history; his true height was , which still made him the tallest in wrestling and a tie for first place in basketball. He started his career with the youths of Hindú Club de Resistencia at the age of 16, standing tall. Subsequently, León Najnudel, then coach of the Argentine national team, recommended the board of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata to sign the player for the team's Argentine second division roster. During 1986, González helped Gimnasia achieve promotion to the Argentine first division. He then signed for Sport Club Cañadense, but saw little action due to an injury that left him off the court for nine months. National team Coach León Najnudel included González in the Argentine national team who took part of the 1985 South American Basketball Championship (bronze medal) and the 1988 Tournament of the Americas (5th place), where he attracted the attention of the Atlanta Hawks' scouts. NBA career González took part in the 1988 NBA draft, being chosen by the Atlanta Hawks in the third round (#54 selection). Along with Hernán Montenegro (drafted #57), they became the first Argentine players drafted in the NBA. The Hawks bought the player's rights from his Argentine team for a 30,000 Argentine australes fee. However, he was unable to adapt to the physical demands of NBA basketball, partly due to a serious knee injury. Professional wrestling career World Championship Wrestling (1989–1992) In 1989, Hawks owner Ted Turner offered González a job as a professional wrestler in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which Turner also owned. After a year of training, González was introduced to fans as El Gigante on 19 May 1990 at the pay-per-view Capital Combat. Wearing shorts, he competed as a fan favorite and was