Like a lot of other short guys, I think the first thing I notice about someone is their height. Anyone over 6'3 or so fits into a category of "freakishly tall". One of the drawbacks of pro basketball in my opinion is that it seems to be more of a spectacle of the physically bizzare than an athletic contest.
There was a point when I was 11 or 12 that I grew 2 inches in 6 months, and I was thinking "here I go". I was looking forward to growth pains, ravenous appetite, knocking my forehead on the door frame, etc. I shot up to 5'7" - and there I have remained for 25 years. I held out some hope until I was 24 (apparently that's when the last growth plate closes - in the jaw of all places). I guess there's some consolation in being unusually short - I don't blend in with all the mopes between 5'9 and 5'11. Probably that's a coping mechanism though. I know when I watch football, lacrosse, or hockey that if I see someone on the roster around my height I'll root for him, even if he's on the visitor's team. Actually, one of the reasons I really love playing lacrosse is that there is a place for short guys in that sport - I wish I had discovered it while I was still in Jr High, rather than my 2nd year of college.