Who holds the record for being the tallest player in the NBA? Who are amongst the tallest players in NBA history?
If you want to know more about them then check out my list below!
10 Tallest Players In NBA History
Here’s the compilation of the tallest NBA players in the league’s history. Keep reading to find out more!
1. Gheorghe Muresan Height: (7-foot-7)
Played for:
- Washington Wizards
- New Jersey Nets
Gheorghe Muresan will go down as the tallest basketball player in NBA history.
Listed as 7’7, he played for multiple franchises, namely, the Washington Bullets and Nets. He was also one of the tallest people in the entire world.
2. Manute Bol Height: (7-foot-7)
Played for:
- Washington Bullets
- Golden State Warriors
- Miami Heat
- Philadelphia 76ers
Over the years, Manute Bol’s height has been constantly debated as there are two different measurements.
However, despite this issue, he is regarded as one of the tallest NBA players in league history.
While his lean frame leaves something to be desired, he was most notable for blocking shots while sinking three-point shots at a high rate, a rare combination among the players on our list.
One of his most outstanding records is having more blocked shots than points scored in his entire career. He once drilled six three-pointers against the Phoenix Suns.
3. Tacko Fall Height: (7-foot-6)
Played for:
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Boston Celtics
During his time, he was listed as 7-foot-7-inches; however, after the NBA changed its standards for measuring an NBA player’s height, he was listed as 7’6.
Despite his height falling an inch short of the top spot, Tacko Fall was still the tallest NBA player for the last three seasons, where he played for different franchises, including the Cavaliers and Celtics.
4. Slavko Vranes Height: (7-foot-6)
Played for:
- Portland Trail Blazers
- New York Knicks
Slavko Vranes might be one of the tallest NBA players on our list, but he was also the shortest-tenured player.
He was the second-round draft pick of the New York Knicks, but he didn’t have much success as he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers and amassed a whooping 3-minutes of game-time action before moving to Europe.
He enjoyed most of his success playing in Europe and was notable for having a long career.
5. Shawn Bradley Height: (7-foot-6)
Played for:
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Dallas Mavericks
- New Jersey Nets
Shawn Bradley was picked second in the 1993 draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He spent most of his playing career donning the Dallas Mavericks jersey.
He was nicknamed the “Stormin’ Mormon” and enjoyed a career spanning 12 NBA seasons.
He was most notable for playing alongside the NBA’s greatest German NBA player, Dirk Nowitzki, who also happens to be a 7-footer.
6. Yao Ming Height: (7-foot-6)
Played for:
- Houston Rockets
Yao Ming enjoyed an illustrious career playing for the Rockets, including eight-time NBA All-Star appearances. Several foot injuries shortened his NBA career.
Still, he had a lot of success while playing for the Rockets franchise and his partnership with Tracy Mcgrady brought some enthusiasm to the city.
While he might be one of the tallest NBA players in the league, he will go down as one of the most popular 7-foot players to ever grace the NBA court.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
7. Pavel Podkolzin Height: (7-foot-5)
Played for:
- Utah Jazz
- Dallas Mavericks
Pavel Podkolzin is always one of the tallest players on his team. Unfortunately, the only thing that basketball fans were impressed with was his height.
His towering stature didn’t translate well in the NBA, as he was quite slow and was often exploited in defenses.
He played for two seasons in the NBA before his career was hampered by multiple foot injuries, a common occurrence among the tallest players in the NBA.
In addition, the Russian big man bounced from different NBA teams playing for a few games before playing in Europe.
8. Chuck Nevitt Height: (7-foot-5)
Played for:
- Detroit Pistons
- Houston Rockets
- San Antonio Spurs
Chuck Nevitt was one of the tallest basketball players to play the game in the 70s and 80s, but he was also the tallest NBA player ever to win the NBA championship.
His lone championship came while playing for the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers, featuring hall-of-fame players such as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
9. Sim Bhullar Height: (7-foot-5)
Played for:
- Sacramento Kings
While he might be one of the tallest NBA players, he is relatively unknown among basketball fans.
It is because he played for the tanking franchise, the Sacramento Kings. In addition, he also has a very short NBA career and subsequently played in different G-league teams.
10. Mark Eaton Height: (7-foot-4)
Played for:
- Utah Jazz
Mark Eaton played in the Utah Jazz uniform for the entirety of his career. He had a long tenure and is one of the greatest shot-blockers.
He spent 11 seasons before eventually retiring, and his jersey has since been retired in the Utah Jazz franchise. He led the league for most shots blocked in four seasons, winning awards for two defensive player of the year in back-to-back seasons.
Most of his time in the league struck fear among his opponents for being able to block shots at a high rate.
He is the record holder of the highest block average in the history of the NBA. He also holds the single-season average for blocked shots at 5.6 a game.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you have further questions about some of the tallest NBA players, you might find the answers below.
What Is the Average Height in the NBA Game?
The average height among NBA players is six-foot-six inches.
It is 8 inches taller than the US average but is dwarfed by the tallest player in the NBA by 13 inches. Gheorghe Muresan stands at a whopping 7-foot-7 inches.
Who Is the Current Tallest NBA Player?
Tacko Fall.
While he might not be in the NBA, he plays for the NBA’s G-league. He plays for the Cleveland Charge, Cleveland Cavaliers’ G-league affiliate team.
Who Is the Most Successful Tallest Player in the NBA?
From our list, the most successful tallest player in the league happens to be Yao Ming.
He was an eight-time all-star and played every NBA all-star game when he was selected. No player on our list has won multiple NBA championships.
Conclusion
Gheorghe Muresan has held the record for the tallest NBA player in league history for quite some time now, and it will take years or even decades before someone can surpass him.
Were you surprised by how many 7-foot players there are in the NBA? I hope this article satisfied your curiosity and left you amazed with the height of these players.
Feature Image credit: Claire Powers, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
