The Tallest NBA Players in League History
While height may not be a requirement for masterful performance, these players put their extra inches to great use.
Everyone knows that having an above-average height puts basketball players at a great advantage. And some NBA players are blessed with ABOVE-above-average height, radiating a larger-than-life presence on the court that certainly never hurt their performance.
With that said, let’s talk about some of tallest NBA players in league history:
Shawn Bradley
Standing at a whopping 7’6” tall, Shawn “The Stormin’ Mormon” Bradley played during 1994-2005 for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, and Dallas Mavericks. Leading the NBA in blocks during his initial season with the Mavericks, Bradley ranked in the top five in swats on seven occasions.
Along with the NBA’s shortest player Muggsy Bogues, Bradley also made a special appearance in Space Jam, and was also featured in TV series like Walker, Texas Ranger.
Slavko Vranes
Also Standing at 7’6”, Slavko Vranes was an exceptionally tall player with an exceptionally short NBA run. Vranes was drafted by the New York Knicks in the 2003 NBA Draft as the 39th pick, and then went on to play for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2004 for a total of exactly three minutes.
While Vranes didn’t have much lasting power I the U.S., he had a long and successful career oversees where he became a Eurocup champion and three-time winner of the Serbian Cup.
Manute Bol
While there is still a debate over whether Manute Bol was 7’7” or 7’6” tall, “The Dinka Dunker” had one heck of a presence with a knack for shot blocking. Playing for the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat, Bol led the league in swats in both 1986 and 1989, and ranked in the top 10 in blocked shots on seven occasions during the span of his 1986-1995 career.
Perhaps one of the most notable moments of Bol’s career was when he hit six treys in a historic game against the Phoenix Suns.
Gheorghe Muresan
Standing the tallest at 7’7”, Gheorghe Muresan played for both the Washington Bullets and New Jersey Nets across his 1994-2000 NBA career. In back-to-back seasons, Muresan led the league in field goal percentage and two-point field goal percentage, and was even named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 1996 when he played for the Bullets, averaging 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.
Sadly, the crutch to Muresan’s six-season-long basketball career was a severe back injury that gave him no choice but to throw in the towel.
Hard to beat at over 7 feet
Using length as a strength, these towering players left a lasting impression on the NBA and in the hearts of many fans.