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It’s no secret that the heaviest NBA players are also some of the strongest. Aside from height, weight can also be an important factor when it comes to basketball. The added mass can be useful when it comes to banging bodies in the paint. Below, we counting down to the heaviest NBA player of all-time.
Heaviest NBA player
The average weight of an NBA player is 217 lbs. Unsurprisingly, point guards are the lightest while centers are the heaviest. Usually, the taller and heavier the player, the stronger he is.
Here are the seven heaviest NBA players of all time.
7. Priest Lauderdale
Listed at 7’4″ 325 lbs, Priest Lauderdale seemed like a promising player for the Hawks. With Dikembe Mutombo starting, Lauderdale has the potential to become a solid backup center.
However, Lauderdale played only for 35 games and averaged less than six minutes per game with the Hawks. He was eventually traded to the Nuggets the following season but he also failed to make an impact from the bench. Lauderdale was out in the league after two seasons.
6. Thomas Hamilton
Thomas Hamilton entered the league with weight problems. When the Celtics signed him in 1995, he was listed at 7’2″ 330 lbs. Later on, there are reports that his weight reached 360 lbs.
There’s not much to say about Hamilton’s career since he was either riding the bench or injured most of the time. As a result, Hamilton didn’t last in the NBA and only played for two seasons. Throughout his career, he averaged 3.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game on 40% shooting.
5. Mike Sweetney
New York selected Mike Sweetney with their ninth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. The Knicks drafted him since he was a promising big man out of Georgetown University. After all, he was named Naismith College Player of the Year in his junior year.
However, Sweetney fell flat when he came to the NBA—primarily due to his weight issues. The 6’8″ forward weighed 348 lbs and there are reports that he weighed nearly 400 lbs at one point. Sweetney only averaged 7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in his two seasons with the Knicks. Eventually, he was traded to the Bulls but only lasted for two seasons.
4. Eddy Curry
Called “Baby Shaq”, Eddy Curry is one of the heaviest NBA players ever. The Bulls drafted the 7’0″ center straight out from high school with the fourth-overall pick. He entered the league with a weight of 300 lbs but rose to 350 lbs as he grew older.
Chicago eventually traded him to New York due to some controversies regarding his heart condition. His best season was with the Knicks when he averaged 19.5 points and 7 rebounds per game on 58% shooting.
3. Sim Bhullar
Sim Bhullar made history when Sacramento gave him a 10-day contract in 2015. He was the first-ever player of Indian descent in the NBA. Moreover, he was one of the tallest players in the NBA with a listed height of 7’5″ and a weight of 360 lbs.
Bhullar didn’t last long in the NBA. He only played for a combined two minutes over three games with the Kings. Before he was signed, he averaged 10.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game on 72% shooting with the Reno Bighorns of the G-League.
2. Shaquille O’Neal
It’s no secret that Shaquille O’Neal is one of the strongest NBA players of all time. He entered the league around 290 lbs but then ballooned to 360 lbs—possibly even up to 380 lbs during his time in Los Angeles.
Shaq was very athletic despite his weight. The 7’1″ center used his humongous frame to dominate the paint on offense and protect the rim on defense. This translated to winning an MVP, three Finals MVPs, and four championships.
1. Oliver Miller
Oliver Miller is the heaviest NBA player of all time. Upon entering the league in 1992, he was only listed at around 260 lbs which was already considered heavy for his size at 6’9″. His weight skyrocketed to 375 lbs later in his career which drastically reduced his endurance and mobility.
Even though Miller had weight problems throughout his ten seasons in the NBA, he had a nice career averaging 7.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists per game on 53% shooting.
