Egyptian player breaks two Guinness marks with 90-foot backward basket
Alie Wessam set two basketball distance records in one day, including a backward shot that beat a Harlem Globetrotters mark.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Alie Wessam put up a shot from 90 feet and 6 inches, with his back to the basket, and walked away with a Guinness World Records title.
The 21-year-old Egyptian basketball player broke two Guinness records in the same gym session, according to Guinness World Records and UPI. The records were for the farthest basketball hook shot and the farthest basketball shot made backwards.
Guinness said Wessam made the hook shot from 82 feet and 10 inches. He then landed the backward basket from 90 feet and 6 inches.
That second make took down a record tied to one of basketball’s best-known entertainment teams. Guinness said the previous backward-shot mark belonged to Harlem Globetrotters star Corey “Thunder” Law, who made his shot from 87 feet and 8 inches in 2024.
Guinness World Records Arabia shared footage of Wessam’s record attempts on Instagram.
A Globetrotters record falls
Wessam, who has played for the Egyptian National Basketball Team, told Guinness World Records that beating a Globetrotters mark carried personal weight for him.
“It's an incredible feeling. I've watched the Harlem Globetrotters since I was a child, so breaking one of their records is something I never imagined would happen,” Wessam told Guinness.
He also made clear that the record chase may not be finished.
“I have huge respect for everything they've accomplished, but as a competitor, my goal is always to push myself further. I'd love to challenge more of their records in the future,” he told Guinness.
The two records came on the same day, according to Guinness. The organization lists both feats as distance records, meaning the made basket had to travel farther than the previous certified mark for that category.
Wessam’s backward shot added 2 feet and 10 inches to Law’s 2024 record distance. His hook shot was recorded at 82 feet and 10 inches, giving him a second Guinness title from the session.
The record-setting attempts were reported by UPI on July 16.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.