Ranking 10 tallest NBA player ever

Height has always played an important role in basketball, especially in the NBA – the world’s top league, which brings together players with outstanding physiques and excellent skills. The tallest NBA player not only impress with their incredible height but also leave a strong mark on the court thanks to their ability to score, defend and dominate the area under the basket. So who are the tallest NBA player in history and today? In this article, Premiumsoccertips.net will introduce a list of players with the most outstanding heights, and explore their important contributions to the tournament as well as the development of world basketball.

Who is the tallest NBA player ever?

Top 10: Mark Eaton (2m25)

Personal information:

• Full name: Mark Edward Eaton.
• Date of birth: January 24, 1957.
• Date of death: May 28, 2021.
• Place of birth: Inglewood, California, United States.
• Nationality: United States.
• Height: 2m25 (7 ft 4 inches).
• Weight: 125 kg.
• Professional career: 1982 – 1994.

Mark Eaton is not only known as one of the tallest basketball players in the world with a height of 2m25 (7 feet 4 inches), but also a symbol of loyalty in the basketball world. During his 12-year career in the NBA, he only played for one team – Utah Jazz. Although not highly regarded for his scoring skills, Eaton stood out for his excellent defensive abilities, especially his blocking skills. Thanks to his superior physique, he quickly became one of the NBA’s top defensive centers. Eaton holds the record for the highest average number of blocks in NBA history, with 3.5 blocks/game.

He also won the title of “NBA Defensive Player of the Year” twice (1985, 1989). However, due to serious back and knee injuries, he was forced to retire in September 1994. To honor Eaton’s great contributions, the Utah Jazz permanently retired his number 53 jersey in 1996 and inducted him into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, on May 28, 2021, Eaton passed away after a bicycle accident, leaving behind a sorrow in the hearts of basketball fans.

Top 9: Pavel Podkolzin (2m26)

Personal information:

• Full name: Pavel Nikolaevitch Podkolzin.
• Date of birth: January 15, 1985.
• Place of birth: Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia.
• Nationality: Russian.
• Height: 2m26 (7 ft 5 inches).
• Weight: 138 kg.
• Professional career: 2001 – 2019.

With a height of 2m26 (7 feet 5 inches), Pavel Podkolzin is always on the list of the tallest basketball players in the world. With his physical advantage, he is considered a potential center. In 2001, he started his professional career when he debuted for the Lokomotiv Novosibirsk club, playing in the second division of Russia. Thanks to his good defensive skills and outstanding height, he quickly attracted attention and was signed by Metis Varese, who took him to play in Italy.

In 2004, Pavel Podkolzin joined the Dallas Mavericks after being selected in the NBA Draft. However, he only played in two seasons in the NBA and made a total of 6 appearances, leaving little impression. Unable to compete for a place in the starting lineup, he returned to Russia in July 2006 and continued his career at Khimki BC before reuniting with Lokomotiv Novosibirsk. He played in the Russian Basketball Super League before retiring, ending his professional career.

Top 8: Chuck Nevitt (2m26)

Personal information:

• Full name: Charles Goodrich Nevitt.
• Date of birth: June 13, 1959.
• Place of birth: Cortez, Colorado, United States.
• Nationality: United States.
• Height: 2m26 (7 ft 5 in).
• Weight: 98 kg.
• Professional career: 1983 – 1994.

Chuck Nevitt, a former American professional basketball player, is notable for his height of 2m26 (7 feet 5 in), making him one of the tallest players in NBA history. However, he did not leave much of a mark in his career and did not achieve great success. Nevitt began his basketball career at North Carolina State University (NC State) and won the NCAA championship in 1983. His height gave him a chance to be drafted into the NBA but he never really became a star in the tough league.

In his 9 NBA seasons, Nevitt played for 5 big teams: Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs. Despite having the opportunity to play with strong teams, his playing time was very limited. He never played more than 45 games in a season and averaged only 5.3 minutes per game. Although he did not contribute much in terms of skills, his appearance still attracted attention because of his outstanding height. After retiring, Nevitt did not pursue a basketball career but turned to the business and technology fields.

Top 7: Sim Bhullar (2m26)

Personal information:

• Full name: Gursimran Singh “Sim” Bhullar.
• Date of birth: December 2, 1992.
• Place of birth: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• Nationality: Canadian.
• Height: 2m26 (7 ft 5 in).
• Weight: 163 kg.
• Professional career: 2014 – present.

Sim Bhullar, a Canadian professional basketball player of Indian descent, is 2m26 tall and is always on the list of the tallest players in the world. Thanks to his outstanding physique, he soon showed his basketball potential when he was in high school and was selected for the team participating in the FIBA ​​Americas tournament for the U18 age group. With his solid defense and physical strength, he quickly became one of Canada’s promising centers.

On August 14, 2014, Bhullar signed with the Sacramento Kings and made history by becoming the first Indian-born player to play in the NBA in 2015. However, his NBA career was short-lived as he left the team to play in the Pan American Games with Team Canada. Since 2015, Bhullar has played for various professional clubs around the world, including the Raptors 905 (Canada), Dacin Tigers (Taiwan), Guangxi Rhino (China), and Tainan TSG Ghost Hawks (Taiwan). With a career spanning multiple countries, Sim Bhullar continues to make a name for himself in the international basketball scene.

Top 6: Tacko Fall (2m29)

Personal information:

• Full name: Elhadji Tacko Sereigne Diop Fall.
• Date of birth: December 10, 1995.
• Place of birth: Dakar, Senegal.
• Nationality: Senegal.
• Height: 2m29 (7 ft 6 in).
• Weight: 141 kg.
• Professional career: 2019 – present.

At 2m29, Tacko Fall is one of the tallest basketball players in the world and often plays as a center. Thanks to his long arms and outstanding physique, he stands out with his excellent blocking ability. Born and raised in Senegal, Tacko Fall moved to the United States at the age of 16 to live and study. There, he began his basketball career playing for the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he quickly impressed with his defensive skills and control of the basket.

In 2019, Tacko Fall joined the Boston Celtics and became one of the tallest players in the NBA. After two seasons in Boston, he moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the G-League team Cleveland Charge. In August 2022, he signed a one-year contract with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers and played in China. However, on June 30, 2023, Tacko Fall returned to the NBA when he signed a contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, continuing his professional career.

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Top 5: Shawn Bradley (2m29)

Personal information:

• Full name: Shawn Paul Bradley.
• Date of birth: March 22, 1972.
• Place of birth: Landstuhl, West Germany.
• Nationality: United States, Germany.
• Height: 2m29 (7 ft 6 in).
• Weight: 125 kg.
• Professional career: 1993 – 2005.

Not only known for his tall physique, Shawn Bradley is also famous for his excellent basketball skills. This German-American professional basketball player inherited his height from his parents, with a height of up to 2m29. Shawn is always ranked in the list of the tallest basketball players in the world and is nicknamed “the giant Mormon” or “the stormy Mormon”.

Since his high school days, Shawn Bradley has been a famous basketball and baseball player in his school. In 1993, Shawn Bradley joined the Philadelphia 76ers (sixers) basketball team and began his NBA career. During his time in the NBA, he also played for the New Jersey Nets (1995 – 1997) and the Dallas Mavericks (1997 – 2005). Although his ball-catching ability was not very good, Shawn was excellent at blocking shots from opponents. He won many awards and titles during his peak playing career.

Top 4: Slavko Vranes (2m29)

Personal information:

• Full name: Slavko Vraneš.
• Date of birth: 30/01/1983.
• Place of birth: Pljevlja, SR Montenegro, SFR Yugoslavia
• Nationality: Montenegro.
• Height: 2m29 (7ft 6in).
• Weight: 137 kg.
• Professional career: 1997 – 2018.

Slavko Vranes, a former Montenegrin basketball player, is 2m29 tall and is one of the tallest players in the history of world basketball. Born in 1983, he started his career at the club FMP Železnik (Serbia), where he gradually asserted himself thanks to his solid defensive ability and outstanding stature. Vranes then moved to Türkiye to play for Efes Pilsen, one of the top teams in Europe at the time. Thanks to his ideal physique and skills in defending the basket, he quickly attracted the attention of NBA scouts.

In 2004, Slavko Vranes signed a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers and officially entered the NBA. However, he only played once in the 2003-2004 season before being released by the team. Unable to find a long-term opportunity to play in the world’s toughest league, he returned to Europe and continued his career at many famous clubs such as Crvena zvezda, Budućnost Podgorica and Partizan. Vranes is known as a center with good defensive ability thanks to his long arms and effective blocking ability. After more than a decade in professional basketball, he officially retired in 2018, ending the career of one of the tallest players in world basketball history.

Top 3: Yao Ming (2m29)

Personal information:

• Full name: Yao Ming.
• Date of birth: September 12, 1980.
• Place of birth: Shanghai, China.
• Nationality: China.
• Height: 2m29 (7 ft 6 inches).
• Weight: 141 kg.
• Professional career: 1997 – 2011.

Not only is Yao Ming the tallest ever NBA player at 2m29 (7 feet 6 inches), he is also a player with excellent basketball skills and an excellent basketball style. Although he has retired, Yao Ming is still considered a legendary basketball player in Asia and the pride of Chinese basketball.

Yao Ming started playing professional basketball at the Shanghai Sharks club (Shanghai – China) when he was just a teenager in 1997. In 2002, he signed a contract with the Houston Rockets and competed in the NBA.

During his 9 years playing for the club, Yao Ming was selected 8 times for the Western Conference basketball team to compete in the NBA All-Star Games, and 5 times was selected to the All-NBA Team. Due to many injuries during the competition, Yao Ming retired in 2011. To thank him for his contributions to the club, the Houston Rockets leadership decided to permanently retire the number 11 jersey he used to wear.

Top 2: Manute Bol (2m3)

Personal information:

• Full name: Manute Bol.
• Date of birth: October 16, 1962.
• Date of death: June 19, 2010.
• Place of birth: Turalei, Sudan.
• Nationality: Sudanese, American.
• Height: 2m3 (7 feet 6.75 inches).
• Weight: 91 kg.
• Professional career: 1985 -1996.

Manute Bol, the late Sudanese-American basketball player, was 2m3 tall and is the second tallest player in NBA history. Born into the Dinka people of South Sudan – one of the tallest people in the world – he has a family with outstanding height when his father, mother and sister are all over 2m tall. Manute Bol started playing for the Bridgeport Purple Knights before being drafted by the Washington Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) in 1985, officially entering his NBA career.

During his 11 years in the NBA (1985-1996), Manute Bol played for four different teams and became one of the best defensive players in the history of the league. He was known for his impressive blocking ability, holding the record for the highest block frequency at 1.76 times/minute. Off the field, Manute Bol was also a humanitarian, founding the Ring True Foundation and dedicating most of his fortune to supporting Sudanese refugees. He passed away in 2010 from acute kidney failure and was buried in his native South Sudan.

Top 1: Gheorghe Muresan (2m31)

Player’s personal information:

• Full name: Gheorghe Dumitru Mureșan.
• Date of birth: February 14, 1971.
• Place of birth: Tritenii de Jos, SR Romania
• Nationality: Romania.
• Height: 2m31 (7 feet 7 inches).
• Weight: 137 kg.
• Professional career: 1991 – 2001.

Gheorghe Muresan, with a height of 2m31, is the tallest nba player ever. Born in 1971 in Romania, he suffers from a pituitary disorder but his health is not affected. His professional career began in 1991 at CS Cluj-Napoca, where he won the Romanian national championship in 1992. In 1993, he joined the Washington Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) and officially played in the NBA. With his superior height, he quickly impressed with his scoring and defensive abilities.

Muresan’s career peaked in the 1995-96 season when he was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player. However, constant injuries affected his performance, forcing him to leave the NBA after the 1999-2000 season. However, Muresan continued to play professionally before officially retiring in 2006. After retiring from the court, he turned to coaching and youth basketball development. With his exceptional height and NBA legacy, Gheorghe Muresan is still remembered by fans as one of the most impressive players in the history of the league.

To Wrap It Up

The tallest NBA player not only create advantages on the court but also contribute to changing the gameplay and tactics in modern basketball. However, their success comes not only from their physique but also from their determination, hard work and persistent competitive spirit. They have left their mark in NBA history and become a source of inspiration for many generations to come. Don’t forget to follow Premiumsoccertips to update more interesting information about basketball and world sports!

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