Although height has always been an advantage for a basketball player, not all the giants who featured in the most competitive professional basketball league in the world have managed to have an impact on the game.
Tallest NBA players of all-time
Here is a list of all the tallest NBA players of all-time.
10. Boban Marjanovic (7’4)
Shot blocking machine Mark Eaton played for the Utah Jazz between 1982-1993, totalling 875 appearances and a whopping 5,216 career points, averaging 6.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 3.5 BPG.
He set the record for most blocks in a single season: 456 (5.56 blocks per game) in 1984-85. Boban Marjanovic had a season where he averaged 5.6 BPG and played all 82 games, hence why he is regarded as one of the greatest shot blockers of all time.
9. Sim Bhullar (7’5)
Sim Bhullar was the first player of Indian descent to play in the NBA.
He signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings in 2015, after going unselected in the 2014 NBA Draft. He appeared in only 3 games before they released him.
8. Tacko Fall (7’5)
Tacko Fall, who signed a two-year contract with the Boston Celtics in 2019, is the tallest active player. He seems to toy with his opponents on the offensive end, and he can almost dunk without jumping.
He’s active in 2021-22 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, so you’ll still be able to see his name when you check your bet slip if you like wagering.
7. Pavel Podkolzin (7’5)
Pavel Podkolzin had a very short career in the NBA, featuring in just six games in his two years with Dallas Mavericks.
He suffered from a disorder known as acromegaly, which is caused by excess growth hormone, that makes your hands and feet enlarged, generates inflammation and extensive joint pain.
6. Chuck Nevitt (7’5)
Having spent played 10 seasons in the league, Chuck Nevitt is the tallest player to ever win an NBA title. Although he didn’t get much playing time, he was a member of the 1985-86 Lakers championship team.
Nevitt was part of successful teams, including the Chuck Daly-led Detroit Pistons and the Bulls of Michael Jordan (10-day contract). He couldn’t collect many minutes on the court, but still won a ring, and that’s something nobody will take away from him.
5. Yao Ming (7’6)
Yao Ming is the tallest player to feature in an NBA All-Star game, and the most talented offensive player on this list. The Chinese star spent his entire NBA career playing for Houston – 8 seasons. His injury-proneness and other health issues eventually forced him into retirement.
Ming is also the tallest player to make it to the Hall of Fame. In the 2006-2007 season, he averaged an impressive 25 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 2.0 APG.
4. Shawn Bradley (7’6)
By the age of 16, young Shawn Bradley was elected to play in the McDonald’s All-American game and won MVP. Plus, he still holds the record for most block shots (18) in a NCAA game at Utah State.
Bradley had the longest NBA career compared to any of the other players on this list: he played 832 games across 14 seasons, and he was the first player to ever record a 20/20/10 triple-double with blocks off the bench.
3. Slavko Vraneš (7’6)
In contrast to the aforementioned Shawn Bradley, Slavko Vranes had the shortest career compared to any of the other giants on this list.
The Montenegrin featured in a single NBA game for a total of three minutes. He took an open shot but missed the target.
2. Manute Bol (7’7)
Only a few millimetres behind the Romanian Gheorghe Muresan, Manute Bol weighed only 200 pounds and played in the NBA between 1985 and 1995 for the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat.
Bol was a masterful shot blocker. He recorded 397 blocks in 80 games in his first season, averaging 4.96 per game which represents an all-time record for a rookie. He managed to keep an average of 3.3 blocks per game throughout his career.
1. Gheorghe Muresan (7’7)
“Ghiță” – as he was known in his homeland Romania takes the #1 spot despite being tied with Manute Bol in terms of height because of his size (315 lbs). Gheorghe Mureșan‘s career was cut short due to frequent injuries and health issues – something fairly common among incredibly tall players.
In his early days, in the 1995-1996 season, he averaged a decent 14.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. After leaving the NBA, he played one more season in the French league before retiring.
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