One thing stands out about Professional Basketball players; their height. Almost all NBA players are above average in height; usually being above six feet. While some of these guys are just tall, some are literal giants. We made a list of the top 10 tallest players to ever play in the NBA. Let’s dive in.
10. Mark Eaton (2.24m- 7’ 4”)
Mark Eaton spent his entire career playing for the Utah Jazz between 1982 and 1993. The seven-foot giant remains one of the best defensive centers in NBA history leading the league in blocks in four consecutive seasons; the 1983/1984 season to the 1997/1998 season. He won the Defensive Player of the Year trophy in 1984 and 1989. Eaton set the record for most blocks in a single season in the 1984/1985 season; 456.
When you’re that tall, making blocks becomes a breeze.
9. Tacko Fall: (2.26m- 7’5”)
Tacko Fall played briefly for the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was the tallest player in the 2020/2021 season. The Senegalese center is currently signed to a team in Puerto Rico. He didn’t play very long in the NBA so his NBA stats are quite low.
8. Sim Bhullar (2.26m- 7’5”)
In 2015, Bhullar became the first player of Indian descent to play in the NBA. He had been given a 10-day contract by the Sacramento Kings after going unselected in the 2014 NBA draft. Sim Bhullar only played three games in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings.
7. Pavel Podkolzin (2.26 – 7’5”)
Pavel had a very short NBA career. The Russian only has six NBA appearances in total for the Dallas Mavericks after being chosen for his height from the Utah Jazz in 2004.
6. Chuck Nevitt (2.26m – 7’5”)
Nevitt played from 1982 to 1994 for the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, and the Los Angeles Lakers where he won a title in 1985.
5. Yao Ming (2.29m -7’6”)
Probably the most special and famous player on this list, Yao Ming played his entire NBA career for the Houston Rockets. He played eight seasons (2003 – 2011) for the Rockets during which he averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game in 486 regular season games. He retired in 2011 due to various injuries. He was selected to play in eight all-star games. Yao Ming was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2016 and is still considered the greatest Asian to play in the NBA with a plethora of personal awards to boot.
4. Shawn Bradley (2.29m – 7’6”)
Bradley had a long career spanning 11 years (1994-2005), during which he played for the 76ers, the Nets, and the Dallas Mavericks. In the 1996/1997 season, he had the highest number of blocks per game in the league; 3.4, and in the 2000/2001 season, made the highest number of blocks in the league; 288.
3. Slavko Vranes (2.29m – 7’6”)
He had a very short NBA career. He was selected by the New York Knicks in the second round of the 2003 NBA draft. He returned to Europe after a 10-day stint with the Portland Trailblazers in January 2004.
2. Manute Bol (2.31m – 7’7”)
The second tallest player in NBA history just a few millimeters behind the first, Manute Bol played 10 years in the NBA. He played for the Washington Bullets, the Miami Heat m, the Golden State Warriors, and the Philadelphia 76ers. He was best known for his blocking ability. He set the record for the most blocks by a rookie when he scored 397 blocks in 80 games in his rookie year averaging 4.96 per game. He has a career average of 3.3 blocks per game.
1. Gheorghe Muresan : (2.31-7’7”)
The tallest player in NBA history, Gheorge Muresan played seven years in the NBA for the Washington Bullets and then the New Jersey Nets.
He received the NBA Most Improved Player award in the 1995/1996 season and after a series of important injuries, he retired in 2000 before he turned 30.
The NBA has had giants in its ranks, but sadly, while height is an advantage in basketball it doesn’t always translate to skill or guarantee an exceptional career.
Victor Wembanyama is currently tied with Boban Majanovic as the tallest active player in the NBA at 7’4” (2.24m); the same height as the last person on this list.