Dikembe Mutombo takes flight on a tiny plane

NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo surprises passengers while boarding small airplane.

It’s no secret, being tall has its advantages. It can get you on some of the coolest amusement park rides ever made, the girl of your dreams might give you a second look, and in the case of Dikembe Mutombo, a little height can get you into the NBA Hall of Fame.

Standing at 7-foot-2, the eight-time NBA All-Star is the second-leading shot blocker in league history, and his notorious post-block finger wag made him one of the most recognizable figures in sports. But after years of denying people success at the rim, it’s a hard to imagine a time when Mt. Mutombo could actually be flipped from rejecter to rejected. And for a few skeptical airplane passengers, the moment almost came to fruition as they watched the giant struggle to board a small aircraft en route to Toronto on Wednesday morning.

A Twitter user, who first spotted Mutombo at the boarding gate, was obviously excited to share a flight with the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, but was equally concerned about the big man’s comfort during the trip.

In a later post, he brought the saga to life with a photo of Mutombo boarding the plane, back bent low to prevent a head-butting competition with the plane’s ceiling.

So while it’s probably not the first or last time Dikembe Mutombo will have to cram himself on an airplane, we can still pray, right? Knowing how frustrating the flight process is, it may be one of those times when being tall doesn’t pay. After dealing with security checkpoints, delayed flights, and paying the airline $25 to lose your bags, above-average height can get you a two-hour flight in an upright fetal position.

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But as bad as this all sounds, things could have been worse for the Hall of Famer had a lovely flight attendant met him at the airplane door with a wagging finger of her own. No No No, Mr. Mutombo! Now imagine that.