Top 10 tallest NBA players of all time and their career stats
Since 1949, teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) have maintained the tradition of drafting or signing tall and thin athletes. Height is an advantage in the NBA because it helps the players defend the ball and reach the opponent's basketball goal. Furthermore, height accompanies other crucial features in a sportsman, including hand span and arm reach. But the top 10 tallest NBA players of all time had heights of more than seven feet.
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Surprisingly, some of the best NBA players of all time were not even tall. For example, Michael Jordan was only 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 meters). Also, LeBron James is 6 foot 8 inches (2.06 meters).
Kobe Bryant was 6 foot 6 inches (1.98 meters), and Larry Bird was 6 foot 8 inches (2.06 meters). Although they were not 7 foot NBA players, they played the game perfectly and set records that have lasted decades since they left the game.
Which player has the highest vertical jump in NBA history?
Michael Jordan has the highest NBA vertical in the association’s history at 48 inches. He set the record in the 1980s, and it has taken many years for sportsmen to match it. But nobody has gone past 48 inches.
In the current 2021-22 NBA season, the players with the highest maximum vertical leap are Keon Johnson and Dennis Smith Jr. (48 inches), Zach LaVine and Derrick Jones Jr. (46 inches), and Zion Williamson (45 inches).
Who are the top 10 tallest NBA players currently?
The ten tallest NBA players in the current 2021/2022 season are:
- Tacko Fall - 2.29 meters
- Boban Marjanović - 2.24 meters
- Kristaps Porziņģis - 2.21 meters
- Luke Kornet - 2.18 meters
- Bol Bol - 2.18 meters
- Moses Brown - 2.18 meters
- Jakob Poeltl - 2.16 meters
- Rudy Gobert - 2.16 meters
- Alexsej Pokusevski - 2.13 meters
- Alex Len - 2.13 meters
Top 10 tallest NBA players of all time
The NBA has had tall players over the years. Although the average NBA height has consistently remained around 6 feet 6 inches, some players have been taller than seven feet. Who is the tallest NBA player of all time?
1. Gheorghe Muresan - 2.31 meters
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Gheorghe Muresan is a Romanian former professional basketball player who played for the Washington Bullets and New Jersey Nets. Muresan is the tallest NBA player ever, at 2.31 meters (7 feet 7 inches).
After retiring in 2001, Muresan had an overall career average of 9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 1.48 blocks per game and a .573 field goal percentage.
2. Manute Bol - 2.31 meters
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Manute Bol was a Sudanese-American professional basketball sportsman who played for seven teams in the NBA between 1985 and 1997. He was the tallest basketball player to have played in the NBA at 2.31 meters (7 feet 7 inches).
His overall NBA career stats show he appeared in 624 games over ten seasons and averaged 2.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 3.3 blocks per game, playing an average of 18.7 minutes.
3. Tacko Fall - 2.29 meters
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Tacko Fall is a Senegalese professional basketball sportsman who plays as a centre for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. He is currently the tallest NBA player in the 2021-22 season at 2.29 meters (7 feet 6 inches).
Fall started his career in the NBA in 2019, playing for the Boston Celtics. As of February 2022, Tacko Fall averages 2.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.8 blocks per game, and a .320 field goal percentage.
4. Slavko Vraneš - 2.29 meters
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Slavko Vraneš is a Montenegrin former professional basketball sportsman who played in the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers. Initially, the New York Nicks had selected Slavko during the 2003 NBA draft but waived him in December 2003.
Slavko was one of the tallest players in the NBA at 2.29 meters (7 feet 6 inches). However, he only played one game in the NBA and a total of three minutes.
5. Shawn Bradley - 2.29 meters
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Shawn Bradley is a German-American former professional basketball sportsman who played as a centre for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, and Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. Bradley is one of the tallest players in NBA history at 2.29 meters (7 feet 6 inches).
His playing career started in 1993 and ended in 2005. After playing 12 seasons for three teams, his career averages were 8.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 832 regular-season games.
6. Yao Ming - 2.29 meters
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Yao Ming is a Chinese basketball former professional sportsman who played as a centre for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He is one of the tallest NBA players of all time at 2.29 meters (7 feet 6 inches).
Ming started his career in China playing for Shanghai Sharks between 1997 and 2002 and retired in 2011 after playing for the Houston Rockets for nine years. His career averages were 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 486 regular-season games.
7. Chuck Nevitt - 2.26 meters
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Chuck Nevitt is a former American professional basketball sportsman who played as a centre in the NBA for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and San Antonio Spurs.
He remains one of the tallest players in the NBA at 2.26 meters (7 feet 5 inches). After nine seasons in the NBA, Nevitt's career averages were 1.6 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.1 assists in 155 regular-season games.
8. Pavel Podkolzin - 2.26 meters
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Pavel Podkolzin is a Russian former professional basketball sportsman who played as a centre in the NBA and the NBA Development League. Podkolzin's height of 2.26 meters (7 feet 5 inches) prompted the Utah Jazz to select him during the 2004 NBA Draft.
The Utah Jazz traded him to the Dallas Mavericks the same year. After two seasons with the Mavericks, Podkolzin averaged 0.7 points and 1.5 rebounds in six regular-season games.
9. Sim Bhullar - 2.26 meters
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Sim Bhullar is a professional Canadian basketball sportsman who played for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association. At 2.26 meters (7 feet 5 inches), Bhullar is on the top ten list of the tallest players in NBA history. Bhullar played only one season in the NBA for the Kings and averaged 0.7 points, 0.3 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in three regular-season games.
10. Mark Eaton - 2.24 meters
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Mark Eaton was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career in the NBA playing for the Utah Jazz as a centre. His height was 2.24 meters (7 feet 4 inches) which gave him the advantage of being one of the best defensive centres in history.
Eaton retired in 1994 after playing 11 seasons for the Jazz. He recorded 6.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 875 regular-season games.
The top 10 tallest NBA players of all time have had heights of over seven feet. The notable ones are Gheorghe Muresan (2.31 meters), Manute Bol (2.31 meters), Tacko Fall (2.29 meters), Slavko Vraneš (2.29 meters), Shawn Bradley (2.29 meters), Yao Ming (2.29 meters), and Chuck Nevitt (2.26 meters). Their heights gave them an advantage over other sportsmen in hand span and arm reach.
Yen.com.gh shared a list of professional Ghanaian football players in England. The Ghanaian National Football team has been presenting Ghana in many international football tournaments across the world. These professionals have played regionally and internationally.
Source: YEN.com.gh
