NBA

12 Top Tallest Players in the NBA History

tallest players in nba history

Basketball is a sport that thrives on height, jumping, and physicality. With a fixed hoop 10ft above the ground, the height of the players is very important in this sport. Although the game is dominated by tactics, height is still a prerequisite for this sport. Consistent dunking, alley-oops and all the other various activities in this sport are made easier with height. Luckily, the NBA have been blessed with the tallest players in history.

Here is a list of the 12 top tallest players in the NBA history:

  1. Manute Bol (7 ft 7 in)

tallest players in the nba

photo source: “R Manute Bol” by United to End Genocide is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Height: 7 feet, 7 inches

Manute Bol, who died in 2010, was famous for his height. Standing 7 feet, 7 inches tall, Bol was known for his incredible defensive ability, as well as for blocking more shots than he had ever scored in his time in the NBA. And because Bol – who played for the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat – was hired to play in the United States from Sudan and did not know how old he was, his former college coach believes Bol may have been in his late 40s or even 50s while playing in the NBA.

  1. Gheorghe Muresan (7 ft 7 in)

tallest players in the nba

photo source: “former NBA player Gheorghe Muresan” by Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Geheorghe Muresan has a height equal to Manute Bol. He shares a screen with his height 7 ft 7 in. The player’s weight is about 143kg which puts him in second place on the list. In line with the rise, Gheorghe and Manute shared the same team as Muresan also played for the Washington Bullets back in 1993. He finished his playing career in the New Jersey Nets. Muresan has played 307 games in a span of 7 years. In this short time, he has a pituitary gland disorder.

  1. Shawn Bradley (7 ft 6 in)

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Shawn Bradley is a German-American actor ranked third on this list of tallest players in the NBA history. Towering with a height of 7 ft 6 in, is one of the tallest of the groups. Bradley began his career playing for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1993. He continued to play for seven years as he then finished with the Dallas Mavericks.

Shawn Bradley has 832 games in his name where he also has 6753 points. Bradley was born to American parents but a German as he shares both the nationalities.

  1. Yao Ming (7 ft 6 in)

tallest players in nba

photo source: “Courtside with Yao Ming” by Asia Society is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Yao Ming ranks 4th  on this list of tallest players in the NBA history with his 7 ft 6 height. The Chinese player has played for only one team, the Houston Rockets from 2002 – 2011, In his 481 games he has played, he has scored 9196 points with his shots. Ming is the tallest player ever to appear in at least one All-Star game. He is the tallest man who ever been in the Hall of Fame and also one of the richest players in the NBA. His remarkable height and ability to find a basket earned him fame in his own words.

  1. Pavel Podkolzin (7 ft 5 in)

Placing at no. 5 on this list of the tallest players in the NBA history, Pavel is another athlete with a height of 7 ft 5 in. His playing career saw him play for 2 years for the Dallas Mavericks and that was the only thing he could manage in the NBA.

The Russian have played only six games in every 2 years. The total number of points was only four points in total. He currently plays for Russia Basketball Super League 1.

  1. Chuck Nevitt (7 ft 5 in)

tallest players in the nba

photo source: “Chuck Nevitt” by akulawolf is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

No. 6 place on the list goes to Chuck Nevitt with his 7ft 5 height. The American got into professional basketball in 1982 as he played until 1993. Starting his career with the Houston Rockets, he switched various teams over the years. Eventually, he retired from San Antonio Spurs.

In 11 years of operation, Nevitt played 155 games and scored a total of only 251 points. Although Nevitt is the tallest player to ever win the NBA Championship. Chuck Nevitt was a member of the Lakers’ 1985 winning list that saw him win the championship.

  1. Tacko Fall – 7 ‘5

photo source: “Tacko Fall at the Boston Garden” by Rusty Russ is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The 24-year-old Senegalese player ranks 7th in the top 12 tallest players in the NBA history at the moment. He has set the NBA record for the tallest player in shoes (7 ‘7), the highest standing reach (10’ 2) and the biggest wingspan (8 ‘2) in 2019. After going undrafted in 2019, he currently has a contract with Boston Celtics.

He became the talk of the town because of his eye-catching shot-blocks and standing dunks. Although he has not really played for the boston Celtics this year but he is among the most exciting players to watch in the years to come.

  1. Sim Bhullar

tallest players in the nba

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Sim Bhullar is remarkable for his height alone (7 meters, 5 inches). He is the first Indian-born player to ever play for an NBA team. (Bhullar’s parents are Punjab, and they emigrated to Canada in the 1980’s.) Bhullar played for the Sacramento Kings for just one season.

  1. Mark Eaton

At 7 meters, 4 inches, Mark Eaton was the NBA record-breaking player during his time with Utah Jazz. Eaton holds the record for most shots blocked  during a single game, as well as blocking multiple shots throughout his NBA career. Not surprisingly, he became known as “The Master of blocking shots.”

Now a motivational speaker, Eaton used to be uncomfortable with his height but now says, “I’ve found that if there is something about you that makes you uncomfortable, or difficult for you, it can be your greatest asset.”

  1. Slavko Vranes (7 ft 4 in)

With a height of 7 ft 4 in, Slavko Vranes is ranked 10th on the list. The player was part of the Portland Trail Blazers in 2004 but did not stay long in the competition.

Vranes has only one game in his name where he has no points at all. He played just one game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and was on the field for three minutes. At that point, he took one open shot which he missed. Some sources say Vranes has grown taller since the last draft took his measurements.

  1. Kristaps Porzingis – 7 ‘3

photo source: “Kristaps Porzingis And Elfrid Payton” by jrg1975 is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The 25-year-old Latvian player is one of the most talented players of this generation. At 7 ‘3 “, he can shoot a ball from a distance make plays for others and dominate the opponent in the paint, he made his All-star debut in 2018, as part of the new york knicks.

Because of his various abilities, he was aptly named ‘Unicorn’ by Kevin Durant. Along with teammate Luke Doncic, Porzingis is looking to elevate the Dallas Mavericks to higher ground in the years to come.

  1. Tyson Chandler – 7 ‘1

tallest players in the nba

photo source: “63169360” by dannyb is licensed under CC BY 2.0

At 37, Tyson Chandler is the oldest player on the list. After being drafted to the NBA in 2001, Chandler has represented eight different teams over the past two decades.

After winning the NBA title with Dallas Mavericks in 2011, he was named Defender of the Year in 2012. Chandler is currently a bench player for the Houston Rockets.