Although it is not necessary to be tall to succeed in the NBA, height will certainly help. The tallest players in NBA history have often become icons of the sport, and as such, they are adored by the sport’s followers for both their ability and presence on the court.
Being tall in the NBA
George Mikan won four of the first five NBA Championships while playing in the NBA. He formerly held the record for being the NBA’s tallest player and won 22 MVP honors. The cause of this accomplishment is straightforward. All players will be able to observe defenses, grab rebounds with ease, and make quick 3-pointers if they are tall.
The majority of NBA outsiders would likely assume that some of the tallest players are barely over seven feet tall, but there has been a handful that has edged closer to eight feet. Thoughts of walking around at well over seven feet tall may be difficult for some who are vertically challenged to comprehend, yet doing so has aided many in reaching the playoffs.
Some of the league’s current most promising stars are tall for basketball players.
This article will not only list the tallest current NBA players, but also the tallest NBA players of all time.
Who are the tallest NBA players? (2022-2023)
Boban Marjanovic and Kristaps Porzingis are currently the tallest players in the NBA’s database at 7 feet 4 inches and 7 feet 3 inches respectively because of Tacko Fall’s participation in the Chinese Basketball Association. The following group of the 10 tallest NBA players are all classified as being over 7 feet tall.
NBA.com was used to construct the list below. The class of the 2022 NBA Draft is not yet included.
| PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | HEIGHT | WEIGHT | COLLEGE | COUNTRY |
| Boban Marjanovic | HOU | 34 | 7-4 | 290 | None | Serbia |
| Kristaps Porzingis | WAS | 27 | 7-3 | 240 | None | Latvia |
| Alex Len | SAC | 29 | 7-2 | 250 | Maryland | Ukraine |
| Bol Bol | ORL | 23 | 7-2 | 220 | Oregon | Sudan |
| Luke Kornet | BOS | 27 | 7-2 | 250 | Vanderbilt | USA |
| Moses Brown | LAC | 23 | 7-2 | 245 | UCLA | USA |
| Brook Lopez | MIL | 34 | 7-1 | 282 | Stanford | USA |
| Domantas Sabonis | SAC | 26 | 7-1 | 240 | Gonzaga | Lithuania |
| Jakob Poeltl | SAS | 27 | 7-1 | 245 | Utah | Austria |
| Rudy Gobert | MIN | 30 | 7-1 | 258 | None | France |
Top 10 Tallest NBA Player (of all time)
10: Mark Eaton (tied with Boban Marjanovic, aforementioned)
Mark Eaton Height: 7 feet 4 inches
Basketball Team Names:Utah Jazz
Playing Years: 1982-1993
Being tall is generally advantageous in basketball, therefore Mark Eaton was presumably content with his height of 7’4″ The player played for the Utah Jazz for the entirety of his lengthy NBA career.
Eaton was an outstanding defensive player and his height definitely helped. He was so good that he was frequently chosen to the NBA All-Defensive team and twice even won the title of Defensive Player Of The Year. Some people attribute Eaton’s contribution to the Utah Jazz’s success in his tenure of play.
the Utah Jazz’s success in his tenure of play.
9: Tacko Fall
Tacko Fall Height: 7 feet 5 inches
Basketball Team Name:Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers
Playing Years: 2019-2022 (now plays in CBA)
It is not desirable to have to jump in order to dunk. Tacko Fall has several superpowers, and this one is one of them.
Regrettably, the NBA statistics for Fall are a little less impressive. Particularly, during his two seasons in Boston, Tacko Fall averaged just 3.1 PTS and 2.4 REB per NBA game.
8: Pavel Podkolzin
Pavel Podkolzin Height: 7 feet 5 inches
Basketball Team Name:Dallas Mavericks
Playing Year: 2005-2006
Everyone enjoys amassing stamps and trading cards. The Dallas Mavericks enjoy acquiring athletes that are over seven feet tall. Pavel Podklzin is an example. The Russian athlete played six games at the center during two seasons.
The names of the basketball teams Pavel Podklzin later played for were difficult to pronounce, mainly European sides.
7: Sim Bhullar
Sim Bhullar Height: 7 feet 5 inches
Basketball Team Name:Sacramento Kings
Playing Year: 2015
Sim Bhullar nevertheless managed to dazzle a lot of people with his height, even though he may not be as renowned as some of the other tallest players in NBA history.
Being the first Indian player in the NBA, he has subsequently inspired many of his compatriots to take up basketball and try to make it in the sport. This is great for the game as India is a huge country that mainly focuses on cricket and field hockey. There could no doubt be many Indian basketball players in the NBA if the nation focused more on basketball.
Although his NBA career did not last long, he is still playing, albeit in Taiwan Hsinchu JKO Lioneers.
6: Chuck Nevitt
Chuck Nevitt Height: 7 feet 5 inches
Basketball Team Names:Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers,
Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs
Playing Years: 1983-1994
Chuck Nevitt is notable not only for his extraordinary height but also for the sheer number of elite teams he played for. He played for the Rockets, Lakers, Pistons, Bulls, and Spurs throughout his career.
Nevitt played his center position in the NBA for about nine years, very much always being the biggest man on the court. In 1985 he won the NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, Nevitt has held the record for being the tallest man to do so.
5: Yao Ming
Yao Ming Height: 7 feet 6 inches
Basketball Team Name:Houston Rockets
Playing Years: 2002-2011
Yao Ming, a Chinese basketball star, played for the Houston Rockets from 2002 until 2011. Ming amazed the world despite not having a championship to his name during his stint in the NBA.
The man was named to five different All-NBA Teams and went on to become an eight-time NBA all-star. Although he wasn’t necessarily the best player in the league at the time, he was always a strong candidate for MVP.
He outclassed his opponents with his enormous frame and superior talent. As an ambassador of basketball, Yao Ming entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall.
Over the course of eight seasons, the NBA player from Shanghai averaged 19.0 PTS, 9.2 REB, and 1.9 BLK per game. He retired at the age of 30 due to persistent foot injuries.
4: Shawn Bradley
Shawn Bradley Height: 7 feet 6 inches
Basketball Team Names:Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks
Playing Years:1993-2005
In Texas, everything seems bigger. At least from 1997 through 2005, when Shawn Bradley took over as the Dallas Mavericks’ center, things were that way. The Dallas Mavericks’ “The Stormin’ Mormon” was the NBA player with the most blocks in a single season. He was the leading tallest NBA player in swats up to 7 times.
It is obvious that the big man was destined for greatness because he was selected in the first round and second overall in the 1991 draft. He never received any significant awards outside of being named to an All-Rookie team, but he nonetheless had a successful career as a vital member of each squad.
He played basketball for 12 years before quitting. However, his extraordinary height and amiable personality led him to appearances in some big-budget movies like Space Jam.
3: Slavko Vranes
Slavko Vranes Height: 7 feet 6 inches
Basketball Team Names:Portland Trail Blazers
Playing Years: 2004
Many NBA basketball fans may find the name Slavko Vranes unusual. In the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks selected him as their 39th pick. Afterwards, he changed teams to the Portland Trail Blazers, where Slavko Vranes saw only three minutes of action.
Despite not having much success in the United States, Slavko Vranes was able to build a prosperous and long-lasting career. He won three Serbian Cups, as well as the Euro Cup.
2: Manute Bol
Manute Bol Height: 7 feet 7 inches
Basketball Team Names:Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat
Playing Years: 1985-1995
Bol was one of the tallest men in the world, yet the exact measurement of his height appears to be in dispute as it has been recorded as 7-6 and 7-7 over the years.
Bol, who competed during the 1980s and 1990s, is remembered as one of the NBA’s greatest shot blockers. He was so effective on defense that he actually has more shots blocked than points scored. Few people can possibly match Bol’s remarkable records.
Overall in his NBA career, Bol averaged 2.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 3.3 blocks per game, playing an average of 18.7 minutes. He finished his career with 1,599 points, 2,647 rebounds, and 2,086 blocks. He appeared in 624 games over 10 seasons.
1: Gheorge Muresan
Gheorge Muresan Height: 7 feet 7 inches
Basketball Team Names:Washington Bullets, New Jersey Nets
Playing Years: 1993-2000
Who is the tallest player in the NBA? You guessed it! Gheorghe Muresan. The tallest player in NBA history is without a doubt Gheorghe Muresan, as there isn’t much disagreement over his height. He played with the Nets and Wizards for most of his NBA career, which was in the 1990s. He was more than a novelty act.
Gheorghe Muresan averaged 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game while he was a member of the Washington Bullets. As a result, Gheorghe Muresan received the league’s 1996 Most Improved Player Award.
Unfortunately, the tallest NBA player in history had to end his brief NBA career due to a crippling back ailment. After only 6 seasons and 307 basketball games, he was compelled to put the size-19 Nikes away. He left a lasting impression on the court with his commanding presence.
Final Considerations
So there you have it, the definitive list of the tallest players in the NBA, both for 2022 and of all time. Hopefully, you have found this article informative. Of course, some players may have been omitted from the list if they had heights equalling those chosen, that is a purely editorial decision and has no reflection on the players left out. Nevertheless, rest assured that Gheorge Muresan is the tallest NBA player ever.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who is the tallest NBA player? Boban Marjanovic
Who was the tallest NBA player? Gheorge Muresan
Who is the tallest NBA player 2021? Tacko Fall
Who is the tallest NBA player ever? Gheorge Muresan
Who is the tallest NBA player right now? Boban Marjanovic
Yao Ming Height: 7 feet 6 inches
Tacko Fall Height: 7 feet 5 inches
Sun Mingming Height: 7 feet 9 inches (non NBA)