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How tall is the tallest basketball player
How tall is the tallest basketball player
Who are the tallest NBA players? Full list with height, team, nationality
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The NBA is a league of giants.
Even with small ball sweeping the NBA, there is no shortage of big men. According to NBA.com, a total of 29 players who appeared in at least one game during the 2021-22 season measured in at 7 feet or taller.
Tacko Fall topped the list once again at 7-foot-6, making him one of the tallest NBA players of all time. Boban Marjanovic and Kristaps Porzingis weren't far behind him, each standing at 7-foot-3.
Many of the NBA's tallest players are role players, but the list does include a couple of stars.
Listed at exactly 7 feet, Joel Embiid is a five-time All-Star who finished second in MVP voting in each of the last two seasons. Rudy Gobert, who is an inch taller than Embiid, is one of the most accomplished defenders in NBA history, racking up three Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic just missed the cut, as he is listed at 6-foot-11.![]()
Who are the tallest NBA players?
With Tacko Fall playing in the CBA this season, Boban Marjanovic and Kristaps Porzingis are currently the tallest players in the NBA's database at 7-foot-3. There's then a trio of players listed at 7-foot-2.
The Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski is the lightest 7-footer in the NBA, weighing 190 pounds.
The following list is compiled from NBA.com. It does not yet include the 2022 NBA Draft class.
Tallest players in the NBA | Rank | Player | Height | Team | Country |
| 1. | Boban Marjanovic | 7-3 | Rockets | Serbia |
| | Kristaps Porzingis | 7-3 | Wizards | Latvia |
| 3. | Bol Bol | 7-2 | Magic | Sudan |
| | Luke Kornet | 7-2 | Celtics | USA |
| | Moses Brown | 7-2 | Clippers | USA |
5. | Jakob Poeltl | 7-1 | Spurs | Austria |
| | Jay Huff | 7-1 | Lakers | USA |
| | Jon Teske | 7-1 | - | USA |
| | Rudy Gobert | 7-1 | Timberwolves | France |
| 10. | Aleksej Pokusevski | 7-0 | Thunder | Serbia |
| | Alex Len | 7-0 | Kings | Ukraine |
| | Brook Lopez | 7-0 | Bucks | USA |
| | Dewayne Dedmon | 7-0 | Heat | USA |
| | Frank Kaminsky | 7-0 | Hawks | USA |
| | Goga Bitadze | 7-0 | Pacers | Georgia |
| | Hassan Whiteside | 7-0 | - | USA |
| | Isaiah Hartenstein | 7-0 | Knicks | Germany |
| | Ivica Zubac | 7-0 | Clippers | Croatia |
| | JaVale McGee | 7-0 | Mavericks | USA |
| | Joel Embiid | 7-0 | 76ers | Cameroon |
| | Mitchell Robinson | 7-0 | Knicks | USA |
| | Mo Bamba | 7-0 | Magic | USA |
| | Neemias Queta | 7-0 | Kings | Portugal |
| | Nick Richards | 7-0 | Hornets | Jamaica |
| | Olivier Sarr | 7-0 | - | France |
| | Robin Lopez | 7-0 | Cavaliers | USA |
| | Udoka Azubuike | 7-0 | Jazz | Nigeria |
| | Willie Cauley-Stein | 7-0 | Rockets | USA |
Hassan Whiteside, Jon Teske and Olivier Sarr are currently unsigned.
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Tallest players in NBA history
The 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall may set the standard among today's giants but he is not the tallest player in league history. That shared distinction belongs to Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan, who were each listed at 7-foot-7.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, there are 13 players in NBA history listed 7-foot-4 or taller.
Tallest players in NBA history | Rank | Player | Height |
|---|
1. | Gheorghe Muresan | 7-7 |
| | Manute Bol | 7-7 |
| 3. | Shawn Bradley | 7-6 |
| | Yao Ming | 7-6 |
| | Tacko Fall | 7-6 |
| 6. | Chuck Nevitt | 7-5 |
| | Sim Bhullar | 7-5 |
| | Pavel Podkolzin | 7-5 |
| | Slavko Vranes | 7-5 |
| 10. | Mark Eaton | 7-4 |
| | Ralph Sampson | 7-4 |
| | Rik Smits | 7-4 |
| | Priest Lauderdale | 7-4 |
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Author(s)
The 14 Tallest Players In NBA History
Basketball is a sport in which one physical attribute towers above all others: height.
If you’re tall, you have a good chance of being pretty decent at the sport. Unfortunately, this is something people are “gifted” with, so it’s not really something you can change.
Some players may not consider this a gift when it gets to the point where you are outrageously tall and it begins to affect your health and daily life. Just imagine not being able to fit in a bed and sleep comfortably. Or drive a car. Or buy a normal pair of shoes. The list goes on.
So while being extremely tall can have its pros, it can also have its cons. Here is a list of some of the tallest players to ever play in the NBA. Number 1 may not be who you think it is.
14 - Ralph Sampson
Height: 7’4
Ralph Sampson is one of the most talented giants on this list. Ralph played for the Houston Rockets alongside Hakeem Olajuwon - making them the true “Twin Towers”.
As a rookie, Ralph averaged 21.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.4 BPG and played all 82 games. He also helped lead the Rockets to a Finals appearance vs.
the Boston Celtics in 1986. After 5 stellar seasons in the league, his career was thwarted by injuries. Despite a short-lasting career, he will go down as one of the greatest 7+ footers to ever play the game.
13 - Rik Smits
Height: 7’4
Rik Smits could be the most underrated Big on this list. Rik Smits had an extremely consistent and efficient career from start to finish. He helped contribute to tons of playoff appearances alongside Reggie Miller in Indiana. He also managed to play 70+ games nearly every season. His career averages were 14.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 1.3 BPG.
Even though he never won the NBA title, Smits contributed to the Indiana Pacers, helping them reach important stages during his 12-year career. Unfortunately, Michael Jordan, the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers prevented him from getting the championship.
12 - Mark Eaton
Height: 7’4
Shot Blocking machine and long-time Utah Jazz Center - Mark Eaton.
Mark spent 11 seasons in Utah and averaged 6.
0 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 3.5 BPG over his career. Mark Eaton was regarded as more of a defensive center than an offensive threat. This guy had a season where he averaged 5.6 BPG and played all 82 games. That is truly incredible. He will go down in history as one of the greatest shot blockers of all time.
11 - Priest Lauderdale
Height: 7’4
Priest Lauderdale had a very short NBA career. At 325 lbs, he was just a little too large to keep up in the NBA. He played only two seasons in the NBA from 1996-98 but then decided to take his talents and height to Bulgaria where he played professionally for a few years.
After that, Lauderdale ended up playing all across the world in the CBA, China, Venezuela, Cyprus, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Spain, England, and the United Arab Emirates. Priest Lauderdale has had a chance to spend lots of time all across the earth and not many people can say that.
10 - Boban Marjanovic
Height: 7’4
Most of you may recognize this name, your friendly neighborhood giant - Boban Marjanovic.
Or he can also be known as a Serbian hitman in John Wick 3. I will admit he put up an admirable fight against John Wick, but there’s not much you can do when faced up against a man determined to seek revenge for his dog.
Boban has spent 8 seasons in the NBA, but he’s never cracked over 60 games played. Like most other really tall players, he lacks the speed and agility to match up with other Centers in today’s game.
Boban is currently a Dallas Maverick and plays around 8.2 MPG. He averages 4.7 PPG and 3.9 RPG. One interesting stat about him is he shoots 82% from the free-throw line. That is very rare for a player of this size. You could compare Boban holding a basketball to you holding a softball.
9 - Sim Bhullar
Height: 7’5
Perhaps the largest player on this list - Sim Bhullar. Sim Bhullar is the first player of Indian descent to ever play in an NBA game. He saw the floor for 16 seconds in his NBA debut. Sim is 7 foot 5 and weighed a whopping 359 lbs back in his playing days.
In 2014-15 Sim Bhullar appeared in only 3 games until the Kings released him. At his size and weight, he was just not able to keep up in the NBA. He ended up playing a few seasons overseas until eventually retiring in 2018.
8 - Tacko Fall
Height: 7’5
Another familiar face and fan-favorite - Tacko Fall.
Tacko Fall has been a joy to watch as he just seems to toy with his opponents on the offensive end. He can practically dunk without jumping, so if he catches the ball in the paint you might as well just move out of the way.
Tacko spent his first two seasons in Boston, but he now resides in Cleveland with at least three other 7 footers. I think Cleveland holds the record for the tallest roster of all time. I couldn’t imagine walking across the Cavaliers in a hotel, but thinking you were transported to a forest for a brief moment.
7 - Pavel Podkolzin
Height: 7’5
Pavel Podkolzin is a Russian native who played in 6 total NBA games between two seasons.
Pavel had a disorder known as acromegaly, which is caused by excess growth hormone. It causes your hands and feet to be enlarged and extensive joint pain.
After two seasons spent in the NBA, he returned to Russia where he played in the Russia Super League for Khimki BC.
6 - Chuck Nevitt
Height: 7’5
Chuck Nevitt played 10 seasons in the NBA. At 7’5 he only weighed 216 lbs. Although Chuck didn’t get much playing time, he was a member of the 1985-86 Lakers championship team. He is the tallest player in NBA history to ever win an NBA title.
Nevitt was part of successful teams, including the Chuck Daly-led Detroit Pistons and the Bulls of Michael Jordan (10-day contract). He couldn't collect many minutes on the court, but still won a ring, and that's something nobody will take away from him.
5 - Yao Ming
Height: 7’6
The most skilled and talented big man on this list - Yao Ming.
Yao Ming spent his entire career in Houston and played 8 seasons for them.
He eventually had too many injuries and health issues which forced him into retirement. He is without a doubt the best center on this list.
In the 2006-07 season, he averaged 25 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 2.0 APG. Yao Ming is the tallest player to ever play in an NBA All-Star game and he’s also the tallest player to make it to the hall of fame.
4 - Shawn Bradley
Via Getty Images
Height: 7’6
By the age of 16, just a Junior in High School, young Shawn Bradley had already nearly reached his maximum growth potential and stood at 7’5 feet tall. He was elected to play in the McDonald’s All American game and won MVP. He still holds the record for most block shots in a college game at Utah State (18).
Shawn Bradley had the longest NBA career compared to any of the other giants on this list. He played a total of 14 seasons and 832 games. He had some impressive statistical seasons for the Mavericks in the late 90s in which he averaged around 13.
2 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 3.6 Blocks Per Game. Shawn Bradley is the first player to ever record a 20/20/10 triple double with blocks off the bench.
3 - Slavko Vranes
Height: 7’6
In contrast to Shawn Bradley, Slavko had the shortest career compared to any of the other players on this list. Slavko played in a single NBA game for a total of 3 minutes.
After his short stint in the NBA, he moved back home to play in Iranian Super League. His playing career lasted from 1997-2018.
2 - Manute Bol
Height: 7’7
Manute Bol was a very entertaining player to watch in his playing days. He stood 7’7 feet tall and weighed 200 lbs. He blocked everything and could even extend his range out to the 3-point line later on his career. He actually had a few seasons where he averaged more blocks than points.
In Bol’s rookie year he averaged 3.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 5.0 BPG. During one of his seasons for the Washington Bullets, Bol played alongside Muggsy Bogues.
Pairing the shortest and tallest player in NBA history.
Manute Bol’s son, Bol Bol, now continues on the family dynasty playing in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets haven’t given him much of a chance to shine, which is frustrating for fans because he stands alongside Alex Caruso as a league fan-favorite. He is a true unicorn, standing at 7’3 and having the ability to handle the ball and shoot 3s.
1 - Gheorghe Muresan
Height: 7’7
Gheorghe is actually tied with Manute Bol for the tallest player of all-time, but he takes the #1 spot because of his size (315 lbs). Muresan's career was cut short due to injuries and health issues that many of these other incredibly tall players experienced.
In his early career he had a season in which he averaged 14.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. After moving on from the NBA, he played in the French league for a while.
In March 2007, Gheorghe played a game for the Maryland Nighthawks. That year, the Nighthawks had formed the tallest lineup in history.
Gheorghe was not the tallest player on the court. His teammate Sun Mingming was - standing at 7’9.
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How tall was the tallest basketball player
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Two meters? Two and a half? Three? We made the top of the tallest athletes
We are so used to the fact that basketball players are tall that we even call tall people “basketball players”. But can you imagine how tall the tallest athlete in the history of this sport was? Two meters? Two ten? Three meters? We have compiled the top 7 tallest basketball players in the history of professional sports in order to finally figure out the numbers.
7th place. Yao Ming
Chinese center Yao Ming is probably the most popular basketball player on the Internet. Everyone saw the famous laughing meme with him.
But besides being very popular, he is also very tall: the athlete's height is 229 centimeters. Thanks to this, he became the tallest player included in the basketball hall of fame, and at the same time one of the most successful and wealthy Chinese athletes.
6th place. Slavko Vranesh
The height of the tallest basketball player in the Balkans is 230 centimeters. Vranesh started his career at the end of 90s, playing for the Serbian Zheleznik. At the beginning of the 2000s, he tried to conquer the NBA, but his career abroad did not work out.
5th place. Suleiman Ali Nashnoush
For a long time, this Libyan athlete of the 60s was considered the tallest basketball player with a height of 245 centimeters, but a little later it turned out that his real height was 230 centimeters, and at the same time the athlete continued to grow.
To stop this process, he went through a special drug course.
4th place. Manute Bol
Basketball player of Sudanese origin Manute Bol is known not only for his tall height: 231 centimeters, but also for his unusual thinness: Manute weighed about 100 kilograms, while Yao Ming's weight is 141 kilograms.
3rd place. Gheorghe Muresan
The official height of the Romanian basketball player Gheorghe Muresan is 231 centimeters, but according to other information, his real height is a couple of centimeters higher, which makes him the tallest player in the history of the NBA.
2nd place. Sun Mingming
The Chinese are not the tallest people in the world, which is why it is a little surprising that the tallest active athlete - Sun Mingming - comes from China. His post is 236 centimeters!
1st place. Alexander Sizonenko
The tallest basketball player Alexander Sizonenko is from Russia. In addition to the "high" basketball title, he was also recognized as the tallest man in the world and is considered the tallest man in Russian history.
His height was 245 centimeters.
Growth for Alexander became a huge problem, because the athlete continued to grow until the end of his life. In recent years, he moved only with the help of crutches. The tallest basketball player died in 2012 at the age of 52.
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The tallest basketball player in the world
June 1, 2019
The tallest basketball players in the world
Height matters a lot in basketball. After all, the higher you are, the easier it is to reach the ring hanging at a height of 3.05 meters. Being tall is effective defensively and makes it easier to control the ball simply by lifting it over your head. There have been many tall athletes in the history of basketball, but who is the tallest basketball player in the world? The answer is in our rating.
10. Boban Marjanovic - 222 cm
Boban Marjanovic
, photo: clipsnation.com
Serbian center Boban Marjanovic plays for the Philadelphia 66ers NBA club. Previously, Marjanovic managed to play for the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lithuanian Zalgiris, as well as the Russian teams Nizhny Novgorod and CSKA. According to various sources, the Serb's height is 221 or 222 centimeters - he is the tallest basketball player among current NBA players. Thanks to his growth, Marjanovic not only benefits his team, but also occasionally gets into funny situations. For example, in the fall of 2018, while still playing for the Clippers, Marjanovic literally put the ball into the Denver basket without taking his feet off the floor, but he did it with such zeal that he bent the ring. The match had to be suspended for some time, and the moment itself subsequently became a popular Internet meme.
9. Mark Eaton and Rick Smits - 224 cm
Mark Eaton, photo: thejnotes.
com
Americans Mark Eaton and Rick Smits shared the ninth place in the rating. Mark Eaton spent his entire career with the Utah Jazz as a center. Mark set a club record in his debut season in 1982 with 275 blocked shots in 81 matches. At the end of his career, Eaton became the third in NBA history in the average number of blocks per game (3.4).
Rick Smits played 867 NBA games with the Indiana Pacers. Smits began his career at 19In 1988, he was immediately named to the All-Rookie First Team of the Year, participated in the 1998 All-Star Game, and was named to the Indiana Pacers All-Time Team in 2007. At the same time, Rick Smits is a vivid example of how high growth can play a cruel joke with an athlete. Due to anatomical features, Smits suffered from increased stress on the feet from early childhood, which more than once caused injuries during almost every season in the NBA and ultimately forced the player to end his career.
8. Pavel Podkolzin, Sim Bullar and Charles Nevitt - 226 cm
Pavel Podkolzin, photo: altaisport.
ru
Pavel Podkolzin is the tallest basketball player among active Russian players. His height is 226 centimeters, and during his career he managed to play in Russia, Italy and spent two seasons in the NBA, playing for the Dallas Mavericks, where he failed to prove himself, but together with the team he got to the NBA finals. At the moment, Podkolzin plays for the modest University-Ugra from Surgut and, at the age of 34, has no plans to end his career.
Sim Bullar is the first Indian basketball player to play in the NBA. In 2015, he entered the court as part of the Sacramento Kings, but spent only 16 seconds on it. Later in the career of Bullar, who also had a Canadian passport, there were two more matches in which he managed to score two points, but this was the end of the performance of the first Indian in the NBA in the strongest league in the world.
Charles Nevitt, or simply Chuck, played as a center and was one of the tallest players in the NBA in the 80s. At 19In 1982, Nevitt was drafted with the 63rd pick and joined the Houston Rockets, but later changed eight clubs, ending his career in 1994.
At the same time, Chuck managed to make history by becoming the tallest player among all who became the NBA champion. Nevitt won his title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1985, but was not the main center, losing the competition to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
7. Yao Ming and Sean Bradley - 229 cm
Yao Ming, photo: theplayerstribune.com 2011, being the highest player on the team. Yao Ming's height is 229centimeters, which allowed him to be one of the most useful players in Houston. Yao Ming was a regular All-Star and became the richest Chinese athlete due to his popularity. Yao Ming became the tallest player in NBA history to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. After his retirement, Yao Ming worked as a sportscaster and invested in the Shanghai Sharks club, which launched his career. Yao Ming is President of the Chinese Basketball Association and the Shanghai Sharks.
Sean Bradley is a German-born center who has managed to change three NBA clubs during his career: the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Nets and the Dallas Mavericks.
Sean entered the NBA in 1993, becoming the second draft pick, and retired in 2005, having played a total of 832 games. Bradley stood out not only with a height of 229 cm, but also with an impressive weight of 125 kg.
6. Slavko Vranesh - 230 cm
Slavko Vranesh, photo: n1info.com
Slavko Vranesh is the tallest basketball player in the history of Montenegrin sports. Vranesh started his career at 1997 in the Serbian Zheleznik. In 2003, Vranesh tried to conquer the NBA, but ended up playing only three minutes for the Portland Trail Blazers in one single game and returned to Europe.
5. Suleiman Ali Nashnush - 230 cm
Suleiman Ali Nashnush, photo: olympic-history.ru
Suleiman Ali Nashnush played for the Libyan national team in the 60s of the last century. For a long time there was a myth about his gigantic growth of 245 centimeters. However, in 1962, official documents appeared that recorded a height of 230 centimeters. In the same year, Suleiman underwent a course of glandular injections to stop abnormal growth.
In addition to playing basketball, Suleiman Ali Nashnoush was remembered for a small role in the film "Satyricon" by the famous director Federico Fellini.
4. Manute Bol - 231 cm
Manute Bol, photo: bleacherreport.com
Manute Bol from Sudan stood out not only for his height. This unusual basketball player had a thinness unusual for his physique, because Manute's weight was only 102 kilograms (Slavko Vranesh's weight is 125 kg, and Yao Ming weighs 141 kg). In addition, Manute Bol, who played in the NBA from 1985 to 1994, became the only player in the league who made more blocks in his career than earned points. With the Washington Bullets in season 1987/88 Manute Bol entered the court at the same time as the shortest player in NBA history, Mugsy Bogz.
3. Gheorghe Muresan - 231 cm
Gheorghe Muresan, photo: twitter.com
The official height of the Romanian basketball player Gheorghe Muresan is also 231 centimeters, and in fact he is the same height as Manute Bol.
According to some reports, Gheorghe's real height was one to two centimeters higher, so Mureshan is considered to be the tallest basketball player in the history of the NBA. In addition to basketball, Mureshan also managed to make a mark in the cinema, playing in the comedy film My Giant.
2. Sun Mingming - 236 cm
Sun Mingming, photo: zimbio.com
Sun Mingming is the tallest basketball player in China and also the tallest among all active athletes in the world. Sun Mingming plays in the Chinese league but missed the NBA due to a brain tumor. After the operation, Sun Mingming returned to the sport and continues to "mock" his opponents, raising the ball high above his head.
1. Alexander Sizonenko - 245 cm
Alexander Sizonenko, photo: ribalych.ru
Alexander Sizonenko is the tallest basketball player in the world. In addition to the title in sports, Sizonenko was also recognized as the tallest man in the world in 1990 and is considered the tallest man in Russian history.
