While height isn’t the only thing that matters in the NBA, it’s obviously an important factor to some degree, especially for centers. Some of the tallest players to grace the NBA have become icons of the sport, and are even often considered to be beloved by fans of the sport.

Most people who aren’t all that involved in the NBA might guess that some of the tallest players are just barely over seven-feet tall, but there have been a few that have crept their way closer to eight feet. For those who may be vertically challenged, thinking about walking around at well over seven-feet tall may be a hard thing to grasp, but it’s helped many make their way to the playoffs.

UPDATE: 2024/03/19 21:00 EST BY ROBERTH PEREZ

Tall players obviously dominate the NBA, because basketball is a sport of heights. These players were absurdly tall, and while they had a huge advantage over their opponents, their size also had a downside. Being so tall and heavy, these players tend to get injured more, and don't tend to withstand the intense pace of NBA play. Not to mention that some players were slow and did not have the necessary conditions to play in the best league in the world on a daily basis.

13 Boban Marjanovic (7'4")

Boban Marjanovic Has Never Been A Starter Despite His Great Performances

Marjanovic, better known by his nickname Bobi, is a fan-favorite in the NBA. In his rookie season, Bobi played for the San Antonio Spurs. He's since been traded around the league, playing for the Pistons, the Clippers, and the Sixers. Bobi is presently a member of the Houston Rockets. He's also made a few appearances in movies, including John Wick: Chapter 3, in which he plays an assassin named Ernest.

12 Ralph Sampson (7'4")

Ralph Sampson Was The First Overall Pick In The 1983 NBA Draft

Sampson was the number-one pick in the 1983 NBA Draft, selected by the Houston Rockets. He proved to be a very good investment for the team, as he went on to win Rookie of the Year that season. Not only was Sampson tall, but he was very agile, making him revolutionary for the center position. Sampson went on to become a four-time NBA All-Star and is now a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

11 Mark Eaton (7'4")

Mark Eaton Played For The Utah Jazz For His Entire Career

Being tall in basketball is pretty much always helpful, and Mark Eaton was probably quite happy with his height of 7’4. Throughout his lengthy NBA career, the man spent his time with a single team, the Utah Jazz.

Thanks to his height, Eaton was an incredible defensive player. He was so good that he was named to the NBA All-Defensive team multiple times, and was even named the Defensive Player Of The Year on two separate occasions. Some credit Eaton with the rise of the Utah Jazz during his era of play.

10 Victor Wembanyama (7'4")

Victor Wembanyama Made An Immediate Impact On The NBA

Frenchman Victor Wembanyama was the first overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, selected by the San Antonio Spurs. With this decision by the Spurs, Wembanyama became the first French player to be drafted as the first overall pick. He's currently tied with Boban Marjanovic for tallest current player in the league and is one of the most exciting young prospects in the NBA today.

9 Sim Bhullar (7'5")

Sim Bhullat Played Just Three Games In The NBA

While he may not be as legendary as some of the other biggest men in NBA history, Sim Bhullar still managed to impress plenty of people with his height. One of his biggest claims to fame is that he was the first Indian player in the NBA.

His NBA career didn’t last all that long, but he is still playing basketball in Taiwan. Some major teams he played for were the Sacramento Kings, and two NBA developmental teams, the Reno Bighorns and the Raptors 905.

8 Pavel Podkolzin (7'5")

Pavel Podkolzin Played Six Games In The NBA

While Pavel Podkolzin’s height is undoubtedly impressive, those within the NBA weren’t too impressed by the Russian big-man. He was only a part of the league for a few games, and he bounced around from team to team almost immediately.

Having been drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 2004 draft, they ended up trading Pavel to the Dallas Mavericks almost immediately. He only made a few appearances before he was eventually waived by the Mavericks, sending him back to Russia to continue on with the rest of his career.

7 Chuck Nevitt (7'5")

Chuck Nevitt Is The Tallest Man To Win The NBA Championship

His incredible height isn’t the only thing that is impressive about Chuck Nevitt, what’s also impressive is just how many great teams he played for. Throughout his career, he was on the Rockets, Lakers, Pistons, Bulls, and the Spurs.

Pretty much always being the biggest man on the court, Nevitt comfortably played his center position for roughly nine years in the NBA. To date, Nevitt is the tallest man to ever win the NBA Championship, something that happened back in 1985 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

6 Slavko Vranes (7'5")

Slavko Vranes Played Only One Game In The NBA

Many people may not remember the name Slavko Vranes, but that’s because he really wasn’t in the NBA for all that long. Originally a second-round draft pick by the New York Knicks back in 2003, he ended up being waived by the team that December.

He wound up signing on with the Portland Trail Blazers, but even that was only a 10-day contract. He only ended up playing a single game during the contract, and after that, he spent the rest of his career playing elsewhere in the world.

5 Yao Ming (7'6")

Yao Ming Is An NBA Hall Of Famer

Chinese basketball star Yao Ming was a staple for the Houston Rockets from 2002 to 2011. While he never won a championship during his time in the NBA, that didn’t stop Ming from aweing the world.

The man became an eight-time NBA all-star and was named to All-NBA Teams on five separate occasions. He may not have been the absolute greatest player in the league during his time, but he was definitely a contender for MVP each and every time he was on the court.

4 Shawn Bradley (7'6")

Shawn Bradley Had A 12-Year NBA Career

For over ten years, Shawn Bradley was a significant force within the NBA. During his long career, Bradley played prominently for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets), and the Dallas Mavericks.

He was a first-round pick back in 1991 and was drafted second overall, so it’s clear that the big man was destined for great things. While he never ended up with any major accolades outside of an All-Rookie team, he still enjoyed a long career as a key player on each team.

3 Tacko Fall (7'6")

Tacko Fall Played For The Boston Celtics & The Cleveland Cavaliers

Technically, Tacko Fall was considered 7’7 for quite a while, but after the NBA changed their measurement standards, he was knocked down to 7’6. Despite that, Fall is still one of the tallest men to have not only graced the NBA, but also the entire world.

He was recently re-acquired by the Cleveland Charge in the NBA’s G-League, but he has played for both the Celtics and the Cavaliers. While he doesn’t have a ton of speed, Fall absolutely makes up for it with his great blocking skills.

2 Manute Bol (7'7")

Manute Bol Played for 10 Years In The NBA

The actual measurement of Bol’s height has seemingly been up for debate as it has been listed as two different numbers over the years, but regardless of his actual height, he’s still one of the tallest men in the world.

Playing through the eighties and nineties, Bol has gone down in history as one of the most impressive shot-blockers in NBA history. He was so good in his defensive role that he actually had more blocked shots than points scored. Few can hope to reach Bol’s impressive records.

1 Gheorghe Muresan (7'7")

Gheorghe Muresan's Career Was Ruined By Injuries

Due to there not actually being much debate around his height, Gheorghe Muresan is undoubtedly the tallest man in NBA history. Most of his career in the NBA took place during the nineties, in which he played for the Nets and Wizards.

It's been said that Muresan had the potential to do great things in the NBA, but various injuries would stop him from going down in history. Luckily, while he wasn’t the most incredible player, he will always be remembered for his imposing presence on the court.