IT may sound like a tall tale but a 6ft 9in teenager is set to earn more than some of Scotland's top footballers.
Kieron Acara, 18, who has signed for one of Europe's basketball elite, has been tipped to become a millionaire sports star after being discovered by leading coaches.
Kieron, ''Tiny'' to his friends, was first persuaded to play the game at school three years ago and will now play for Spanish team Unicaga Malaga in Europe's biggest league.
The team takes on the might of Real Madrid and Barcelona each week, with some players earning as much as (pounds) 1m a year. This puts them ahead of most Scottish footballers.
Kieron, who is one of Scotland's tallest people, with an armspan of 7ft 4ins, is already being touted as the next Michael Jordan after his signing at the weekend.
The teenager, who attended Stirling High School until the summer break, said yesterday his move from Scotland to Spain was a ''dream come true''.
''It is a great opportunity for me and I can't wait to start playing,'' he said. ''I am delighted to be going to Spain and the sunshine. It's fantastic, especially as I will be working with such talented players. It's also an opportunity to show that Scottish people can achieve a career in basketball.''
Kieron, who has to order his shoes from the United States because he takes a size 14, took up basketball in 1998 after being asked to try out for his school.
He had not been interested in the sport even though his mother, Marion Fzea, was a Scotland international in the 1970s.
The teenager became an instant hit with the school side because of his height and the team went on to the final of the Scottish Cup.
He was signed up by senior side Clark Eriksson Fury, who play at the Mariner Centre in Falkirk, within a few months of his school debut and went on to become a Scotland international.
His performances attracted the attention of some of Europe's top scouts and last month he was asked to try out for Unicaga Malaga in Spain.
Kieron, already three inches taller than Michael Jordan, was immediately offered a contract as one of the side's 12 senior players and will be the first Scot to play in European basketball. The team is in division one in Spain.
He will not be given a seven-figure starting salary but he has told his friends he will pay to fly them for a holiday in Tenerife next summer.
John Bunyan, Kieron's former coach at Clark Eriksson Fury, said yesterday the teenager's rise to fame was ''nothing short of meteoric''.
He said: ''It's Roy of the Rovers stuff. To have come from a high school to where he is now in the space of a few years is amazing.
''What's the chances of someone kicking a ball for the first time and then playing in the Champions League for Juventus in three years?
''Kieron is going to adapt well in Spain. He is a very thoughtful, honest, and sensible individual with tremendous potential. He is a world-class talent.''
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