The basketball hoop is 3.05 meters (10 feet) above the floor. For some players, reaching it requires a tremendous jump. For others, simply raising their arms is enough to put the ball within easy reach.
Throughout basketball history, the sport has produced some truly extraordinary giants. Here are ten of the tallest players ever to play professional basketball.
1 Suleiman Ali Nashnush
Libyan basketball player Suleiman Ali Nashnush is often listed at around 245 centimeters (8 feet) tall, making him one of the tallest people ever associated with professional basketball.
Nashnush played for the Libyan national basketball team in the early 1960s. His extraordinary height was also noticed by the film industry: he appeared in Federico Fellini’s “Fellini Satyricon,” playing one of the attendants in the film. Some historical sources note that he reached his greatest recorded height after his basketball-playing days, so comparisons with players measured during their professional careers should be treated with caution.
2 Alexander Sizonenko
Alexander Sizonenko was one of the tallest basketball players in history and one of the tallest people ever recorded in the Soviet Union.
The Ukrainian-born Soviet basketball player was officially measured by Guinness World Records at 239 centimeters (7 feet 10 inches) in 1991, although some sources have reported greater heights later in his life. Sizonenko played professionally for Spartak Leningrad and Stroitel Kuybyshev. His extraordinary stature eventually caused severe mobility problems.
3 Gheorghe Mureșan
Romanian basketball player Gheorghe Mureșan stands 231 centimeters (7 feet 7 inches) tall and is officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the tallest player ever to appear in an NBA game.
Mureșan played for the Washington Bullets and New Jersey Nets between 1993 and 2000. He won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in the 1995–96 season and finished his NBA career with averages of 9.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
He also appeared in the 1998 comedy film “My Giant,” starring Billy Crystal.
4 Manute Bol
Sudanese basketball player Manute Bol was officially listed at 231 centimeters (7 feet 7 inches), putting him level with Gheorghe Mureșan in most NBA records.
Bol played ten NBA seasons for several teams, including the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat. He became famous primarily for his extraordinary shot-blocking ability and twice led the NBA in blocked shots per game.
5 Slavko Vranes
Montenegrin center Slavko Vranes is officially listed by FIBA at 230 centimeters (7 feet 7 inches).
Vranes played for numerous European clubs and also briefly appeared in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2003–04 season. He later continued his career in European basketball, including with Serbian club Metalac.
6 Yao Ming
Chinese basketball star Yao Ming was listed at 229 centimeters (7 feet 6 inches) and became one of the most recognizable players in the history of the NBA.
Yao played his entire NBA career with the Houston Rockets from 2002 to 2011 and was selected to eight NBA All-Star Games. He also represented China at three Olympic Games and was one of the country’s most prominent athletes.
7 Pavel Podkolzin
Russian center Pavel Podkolzin stands 226 centimeters (7 feet 5 inches) tall. He began his professional career in Novosibirsk before moving to Italy and eventually entering the NBA.
Podkolzin was selected by the Utah Jazz in the 2004 NBA Draft and was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He played six NBA games during the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons.
8 Mark Eaton
American center Mark Eaton stood 224 centimeters (7 feet 4 inches) tall and spent his entire NBA career with the Utah Jazz.
Despite entering professional basketball relatively late, Eaton became one of the NBA’s greatest defensive players. He was a four-time NBA blocks leader, a five-time All-Defensive selection and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. He was also selected to one NBA All-Star Game.
9 Rik Smits
Dutch-born American basketball player Rik Smits stood 224 centimeters (7 feet 4 inches) tall and spent his entire 12-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers.
Known as “The Dunking Dutchman,” Smits was selected to the 1998 NBA All-Star Game. He finished his NBA career averaging 14.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
10 Arvydas Sabonis
Lithuanian basketball legend Arvydas Sabonis stands 221 centimeters (7 feet 3 inches) tall. He was one of the greatest European players of his generation and enjoyed a remarkable career both in Europe and in the NBA.
Sabonis won Olympic gold with the Soviet Union in 1988 and was a world and European champion. He later played in the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers and was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010.
