He might be the shortest player in NBL history.
Wollongong Hawks guard Zac Delaney reckons he doesn't know his exact height, but he has heard all the jokes and is determined to make believers of the doubters who say he is too short to make it as a professional basketballer.
The 19-year-old has always been inspired by vertically-challenged athletes and hopes to become a similar source of inspiration for the region's young basketballers.
"I look at people like (NBA guards) Nate Robinson and Chris Paul, and when I was younger (former Perth guard) Ricky Grace was still running around and I looked up to him," Delaney said.
"People like that have been a big influence on me and that's what I want to do. Being small, I want to have a big influence on kids."
Delaney came through the strong Illawarra junior program to earn a spot on the Hawks squad as a development player for the 2009-10 season.
Five years ago he was a promising gymnast before a broken leg cut short his career. He loved playing rugby league with his mates and was a champion swimmer at school.
The former Figtree High student was also a highly rated surf-lifesaving competitor.
But he eventually followed in his mother's footsteps - Joanne Delaney (nee Guyatt) represented Illawarra and NSW and was a member of the original Illawarra Kittyhawks team - and stuck with basketball.
Delaney has become a huge fan favourite at Hawks home games and the crowd erupted when he made his official NBL debut in the final 90 seconds of last Saturday's win over Townsville.
"It was a great feeling. I almost had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming," he said.
"I've sat here (at the WEC) pretty much my whole life and watched the games.
"To be out there playing the other night, it was just an awesome feeling. You could say it was a dream come true.
"I've been working hard my whole basketball career just to be in this situation. I got given the opportunity by (Hawks coach) Gordie (McLeod) and I'm grateful for that."
His proud family was in the stands to see his maiden appearance with the Hawks.
Delaney swears he hasn't measured himself for a few years and estimates his height is "in the low 170s".
"I might be about 5'6 (feet) or 5'7 pushing it. That's probably in basketball shoes," he said.
However, a couple of his team-mates insist he is closer to "5'3 or 5'4 at the most".
"Being small, it has its ups and downs," Delaney said.
"I know I get hassled a lot and there's a lot of scrutiny over me being in the team because of my height, but I'm just a 19-year-old kid who's been given a good opportunity, so it doesn't matter what other people say."
Delaney is routinely swamped by adoring fans - he is the team's most popular player with the kids and teenage girls - at post-game autograph-signing sessions.
"That's alright - I really enjoy it," he said.
"I remember when I was a kid, I was one of those kids coming up to Soup (Mat Campbell) and Sav (Glen Saville). When they first got here, I was four or five and I was just getting into basketball, so I've pretty much watched their whole careers. They used to take me for the clinics and drills when I was only young.
"That sort of stuff helped me a lot when I was young, watching your heroes and getting to meet them. I love that feeling of kids wanting to meet you. I know how much kids love it because I remember what it was like when I was young."
A first-year arts student at Wollongong University, Delaney eventually hopes to crack a spot on the Hawks' official 10-man playing roster.
"That's the plan. I'll see how it goes and hopefully I'll stick around," he said.
"I'm enrolled in uni at the moment, so I've always got that there because you can't play basketball forever. But I'll hang around as long as I can with basketball and give it my best shot."
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