Tallest NBA Players of All Time

Data

Source: Wikipedia — Tallest players in NBA history. Heights are listed/official measurements as recorded by the NBA.

Note: What You Should Know About the Tallest NBA Players

The giants at the very top of the list

Standing at 231 cm (7 ft 7 in), Gheorghe Mureșan and Manute Bol are officially the tallest players ever to appear in an NBA game. They share the record, which is why the chart above shows both of them at the top spot. Mureșan spent his NBA career with the Washington Bullets and New Jersey Nets, while Bol bounced between several teams over a 10-year career.

A tight group right behind the record-holders

Just one notch down at 229 cm (7 ft 6 in) sit three more giants: Shawn Bradley, Yao Ming, and — according to his listed measurement — Slavko Vraneš. Yao is probably the most famous of the bunch, an eight-time All-Star center who anchored the Houston Rockets and helped grow the game's popularity in China. Further down the list you'll find Tacko Fall (226 cm), a fan favorite known for his huge presence on defense, plus Mark Eaton (224 cm), a two-time Defensive Player of the Year with the Utah Jazz.

Does height by itself win basketball games?

Not quite. Being extremely tall is a huge natural advantage in basketball — it makes it easier to grab rebounds, block shots, and score close to the rim without even jumping. That's why front offices spend so much time scouting tall athletes. But the NBA is full of players who dominated without elite size, which shows how much skill, footwork, conditioning, and basketball IQ matter. Some very tall players also dealt with injuries, especially to their feet and knees, since the body has to support so much height and weight on the court.

What's the NBA average anyway?

• The average height of an NBA player is roughly 6 ft 7 in (about 201 cm) — many of today's point guards are taller than the average person's entire body!
• Centers, not surprisingly, are the tallest position on the floor, which is why nearly every player on this list manned the middle.
• Being in the top 10 here means being at least a solid 5+ inches taller than the league average.

Tips for young players who dream big

• You can't control your height, so focus on what you can improve: shooting fundamentals, passing, and defensive positioning.
• If you're tall, work on your coordination and footwork early — raw height only goes so far without agility.
• Take care of your knees, ankles, and feet. Big frames put extra strain on joints, and smart recovery habits keep you on the court.
• Watch how bigs like Yao Ming used positioning and touch near the basket instead of relying purely on size.
• Durability and conditioning often separate the "very tall" from the "very tall AND very good."

Fun facts worth sharing

• Manute Bol had one of the most incredible build-and-skill combos ever — a 7 ft 7 in center who was also a surprising three-point shooter late in his career.
• Yao Ming was listed at 229 cm, but he was famously reported (and measured) taller in person, sometimes cited around 236 cm with shoes.
• Tacko Fall became a cult hero not just for his size but for his easygoing, humble personality off the court.
• Listed heights in older eras were sometimes generous at the margins, so official records may not perfectly match real-world tape-measure results.
• Rim height is 305 cm (10 ft), so these players could dunk while barely leaving the ground.
• Despite their size advantage, only a handful of giants in history have become NBA All-Stars — proving the game is about way more than how tall you stand.