The average height of a National Basketball Association (NBA) player is 6’6”. Already, that’s higher than the average American man who stands at 5’9. These players are tall because height plays a big advantage in the game. That said, some are extremely tall, standing above 7 feet.
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Over the years, the game has produced several of them, and we will list the tallest NBA players below.
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Manute Bol – 7’7”
Manute Bol was one of the tallest NBA players in history, with a height of 7 feet 7 inches. In 1985, the Washington Bullets drafted him as a second-round, 31st overall pick. He played for them until 1988 when he joined the Golden State Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat. He didn’t win much, but you couldn’t escape his on-court presence.
Tacko Fall – 7’5”
Currently, Tacko Fall doesn’t play in the NBA but he was one of the tallest NBA players when he played for the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Standing at 7-foot-5-inches, he was an undrafted player but the Celtics signed him, played for the Summer League and featured in the Maines Celtics, its affiliate.
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Victor Wembanyama – 7’4”
Today, Victor Wembanyama is among the tallest NBA players, standing at 7-foot-4-inches. His arrival in the league was marked with great expectation, after being drafted as a first-round first pick by the San Antonio Spurs in 2023.
The Frenchman is still in the early days of his career and will perhaps have a chance to win more.
Priest Lauderdale – 7’4”
Lauderdale’s NBA career lasted for only two years. The Atlanta Hawks drafted him as a first-round, 28th-overall pick in the 1996 draft. He played for a season and then moved to the Denver Nuggets. This was his last season in the league. He’s featured in several other basketball leagues in China and Iran.
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Ralph Sampson – 7’4”
Ralph Sampson built a decent career in the NBA. And at the same time, he was one of the tallest players. In the 1983, NBA draft the center cum power forward was a first-round, first-overall pick of the Houston Rockets. During his time with the team, Sampson was listed:
- NBA All-Star four times
- NBA All-Star MVP
- NBA Rookie of the Year
- NBA All-Rookie Team.
After he left the team in 1987, Sampson played for several teams including:
- Golden State Warriors
- Sacramento Kings
- Washington Bullets
He’s a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Bol Bol – 7’3”
Bol Bol joined the Phoenix Suns in 2023 from the Orlando Magic. The 7-foot-3 inches player’s entry into the NBA came after the 2019 draft in which the Miami Heat made him their second-round 44th overall pick, but was then traded to the Denver Nuggets. His NBA career hasn’t produced much in the way of titles and accolades.
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Moses Brown – 7’2”
Moses Brown joins our list of the tallest NBA players, with a height of 7-foot-2 inches. The basketball player joined the league as an undrafted player in 2019, signing with the Portland Trail Blazers. After a season, the center moved to the Oklahoma City Thunders and then bounced around in other teams:
- Dallas Mavericks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Brooklyn Nets
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Hakeem Olajuwon – 7’0”
Hakeem Olajuwon was one of the tallest NBA players and had a successful career. He played for the Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors and most of his success came with the former. The Nigerian-American basketballer is a:
- Two-time NBA champion.
- Two-time NBA Finals MVP
- The Most Valuable Player (MVP)
Olajuwon was part of the American team that won gold during the 1996 Atlanta Games. This explains why he was a first-round first pick for the Rockets in the 1984 NDA draft.
Joel Embiid – 7’0″
Our list of the tallest NBA players wouldn’t be complete without Joel Embiid. He’s a one-man team having played only for the Philadelphia 76ers, since they drafted him in 2014.
The center has attained relative success in the league, earning the NBA Most Valuable Player recognition in 2023 and making the list of players in the NBA All-Star First Team. Embiid is also a seven-time NBA All-Star and has received other accolades.
These are the tallest NBA players throughout the game’s history. It’s fascinating to see such men at such heights play and how they compare to other players and even, the general population.
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