Top 10 tallest and smallest NBA player

Top 10 Tallest Players in NBA History

Here are the 10 tallest men to play the game of basketball in the NBA. Some are lucky to be here just for their height and are hardly known to anyone not deeply involved with basketball, while others completed a very respectful and successful career in the NBA.
Here are those giants of the league throughout it’s history, with recaps of their career and some highlights for those who did enough to deserve a highlight clip. (hint: there’s more than one player on this list that didn’t get one. I guess when your career in the NBA carried on for a total of 3 minutes, you don’t deserve one).

8th (Shared) – Ralph Sampson

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Height: 7′ 4” (2.24 meters)
NBA career length: 9 seasons (1983-1992)

Ralph Sampson to this day is still considered one of the greatest players in the college level, leaving Virginia with 3(!!!)  Naismith national player of the year awards. He was expected to dominate the game once becoming pro and hyped as being an heir to Chamberlain and Russel. He started out pretty well, winning Rookie of the year award for the 83-84 season after being picked 1st by the Rockets in the 1983 draft. The 1984 draft added the Rockets with another big man phenom, Hakeem Olajuwon. The two were nicknamed “The twin towers” and enjoyed a fruitful partnership their first 2 seasons together, reaching the NBA finals in 1986, losing to the Boston Celtics.
Following the 1986 season Sampson began picking up injuries that riddled the rest of his career and never allowed him to return to the level of this first seasons, and after being traded to the Warriors in the 87-88 season never managed to become a significant contributor to any team he was on, finally retiring in 1992 after playing 8 games for Spanish club Unicaja Ronda. Sampson left the game at the age of 32, finishing a short and disappointing career as to what was expected of him when he came out of college.
NBA stats: 9 seasons, 456 games, 29.8 minutes per game, 15.4 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game and 1.6 blocks per game. He played for 3 All-Star teams.

8th (Shared) – Rik Smits

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Height: 7′ 4” (2.24 meters)
NBA Career length: 12 seasons (1988-2000)
The Dunkin’ Dutchman played his entire NBA career for the Indiana Pacers and is still one of the all-time fan favorites there. He was drafted by the Pacers in the 1988 draft coming out of Marist College as the no.2 overall pick. Despite starting his first season as back up for Steve Stipanovich he took over as starting center after Stipanovich ended his career with a terrible injury. Smits took the chance with both hands and ended up on the All-Rookie first team that year, which was followed by a solid and successful career in which Smits scored in double figures each season he played, 95-96 being his best when he averaged 18.5 points per game.
Rik Smits went to the 2000 NBA Finals with the Pacers where they would lose to the Lakers in 6 games, and following that series Smits retired, stating his career long foot problems as the main cause.
NBA career stats: 12 seasons, 867 games, 26.6 minutes per game, 14.8 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game and 1.3 blocks per game. He participated in 1 all-star game.

8th (Shared) – Mark Eaton

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NBA career length: 11 seasons (1982-1993)
It’s probably a freak accident that Eaton got to play in the NBA. He preferred Water Polo to Basketball during high school and served as auto mechanic for a few years after high school, only to be discovered by an assistant coach from Cypress Junior College. He played there before transferring to UCLA where he received very little playing time.
Despite not making any real impression with UCLA he was picked by the Utah Jazz in the 1982 draft,, going in the fourth round. Eaton made an immediate impression showcasing his defensive abilities, and soon grabbed on to the starting center job for most of his career with the Jazz.
In his prime Eaton was an amazing shot stopper and defensive force, winning NBA defensive player of the year twice(1985, 1989). During the 1985-1986 season Eaton blocked 5.56 shots per game, an NBA record. His career average of 3.5 is higher than any other player who played in the NBA. Eaton remained a premier shot blocker and defender during the late 80′s and early 90′s until injuries started taking their toll and forced Eaton to retire after the 92-93 season.
NBA career stats: 11 seasons, 875 games, 28.8 minutes per game, 6 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game and 3.5 blocks per game. He took part in one all-star game.

5th (Shared) – Slavko Vranes

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Height: 7′ 5” – 7′ 6” (2.26-2.29 meters according to different sources)
NBA career length: 1 season ( 1 season is kinda exaggerating, we’ll tell you about it later).
Vranes probably suffered from being so tall at such a young age, cause people actually expected him to be as good as he is tall. At 18 was already snatched by Turkish giant Efes Pilsen but was moved around until the Knicks (of course) saw some sort of potential in him and decided to pick him in the 2nd round of the 2003 draft. He didn’t get to play for the Knicks and was signed by the Portland Trailblazers, only to play one game for the team before his NBA career came to an end. Since he has moved back to Europe, playing for Partizan Belgrade currently in Serbian League and the Euroleague.
NBA career stats: 1 season, 1 game, 3 minutes, 1 missed field goal, 1 personal foul. Competes with Lauderdale for the worst player on this list.

5th (Shared) – Pavel Podkolzin

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Height – 7’5, 2.26 meters
The 21 overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft, Podkolzin amassed a total of six NBA games, scoring 4 points, playing for the Dallas Mavericks. Since then, it’s been the Russian League for him.

5th (Shared) – Chuck Nevitt

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Height: 7′ 5” (2.26 meters)
NBA career length: 1982-1994 (12 seasons)
There’s an old basketball saying by Red Auerbach which said “You can’t teach height” and that’s pretty much the story about Chuck Nevitt. He was in and out of the league, he was on and off teams. He got to play for the Lakers, Bulls, Pistons, Rockets and Spurs and even got to be on the 1985 Lakers championship squad. If you add up his career minutes played total you get 18 total games played. He never played more than 43 games in one season, about half an NBA season. At least he got to be around some true legends.
NBA career stats: 9 seasons, 155 games, 5.3 minutes per game, 1.6 points per game, 1.5 rebounds per game.

3rd (shared) – Shawn Bradley

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Height: 7′ 6” (2.29 meters)
NBA career length: 12 seasons.
Bradley got picked no.2 in the 1993 draft by the 76′ers and that probably hurt the beginning of his career, as he was expected to be a savior of a sick franchise at the time. Bradley, like Eaton was a great shot blocker but wasn’t as big as Eaton, thus suffering against strong inside men. Bradley was notorious for picking up fouls very quickly which limited his playing time. Only after moving to Dallas in 1997 it seemed Bradley was picking up and really getting comfortable with the NBA game, but after a few seasons, like every tall and lanky player, injuries started mounting up on his back and legs and his playing time and availability slowly started diminishing until he eventually retired after 2004-2005 season.
NBA career stats: 12 seasons, 832 games, 23.5 minutes per game, 8.1 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game and 2.5 blocks per game.

3rd shared- Yao Ming

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Height: 7′ 6” (2.29 meters)
NBA career length: 8 seasons
Recently retired, Ming hardly played any basketball after going down in the 2009 NBA playoffs against the LA Lakers. Heading up to the 2011-2012 season, Ming announced his retirement, sparking debated about his eligibility regarding the NBA hall of fame. Probably the most talented offensive player on this list, Ming, while certainly a game changer in terms of spreading NBA popularity across the globe, didn’t do enough in eight seasons with the Rockets to claim a berth in the Hall of Fame, in my opinion.
NBA career stats: 8 seasons, 486 games, 32.5 minutes per game, 19.0 points per game, 9.2 rebounds per game and 1.9 blocks per game. He has taken part in 6 all-star games, usually receiving more votes than any other player because the vote is available on the Internet for users from all over the world.

1st Place (Tied) – Gheorghe Muresan

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Height: 7′ 7” (2.31 meters)
NBA career length: 6 seasons
He shares the title of the NBA’s tallest player ever with Sudanese born Manute Bol. Muresan, born in Romania has a pituitary disorder that is the cause for his great height. After playing for Cluj University he moved to France to play for Pau-Orthez, where he caught the eye of NBA scouts, and in the 1993 draft was picked by the Washington Bullets (Wizards today). Despite a promising start, injuries plagued his rookie season.
A good 94-95 season was followed by an even better 95-96 in which Muresan scored 14.5 points per game, grabbed 9.6 rebounds per game, blocked 2.3 shots per game and led the league in field goal percentage. He won the most improved player of the year award in the end of that season.
96-97 Wasn’t as good, and injuries plagued  the rest of his career in which he was able to play only 32 games in the next 2 seasons for the New Jersey Nets. He played another 3 seasons back in Europe before retiring and moving to live in the United States.
NBA career stats: 6 seasons, 307 games, 21.9 minutes per game, 9.8 points per game, 6.4 rebounds per game and 1.7 blocks per game.

1st place (tied) – Manute Bol

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Height: 7′ 7” (2.31 meters)
NBA career length: 10 seasons (1985-1994)
Together with Romanian giant Manute Bol is the tallest player to play in the NBA, and one of the nicest and popular among fans and teammates. Manute Bol had a tough time before starting his NBA career, being declared ineligible to play after being picked in the 1983 draft. It took him another 2 years before finally making it, being picked in 1985 draft by the Washington Bullets.
In his first season he set an NBA record for Rookies, blocking 397 shots, averaging just under 5 blocked shots per game. Despite his blocking skills Bol had many problems in the game because of his super-thin physique which troubled him against many of the stronger inside men of the league.
Later in his career Bol became fond of shooting 3′s, which in one season he hit 20 of them. In blow out games it became a very popular habit for him and fans who enjoyed watching the giant chucking uncontested 3′s. In the 92-93, playing for the 76′ers, Bol hit 6 out of 12 in one game, with fans chanting “shoot” each time he touched the ball around the arc.
Like most players on the list, after the first few healthy years Bol started missing large portions of the season due to injuries that eventually ended his career in the middle of the 94-95 season. His final 2 seasons were more of a teacher job for him, mentoring Shawn Bradley and Gheorge Muresan as they developed into legitimate NBA Centers.
NBA Career stats: 10 seasons, 624 games, 18.7 minutes per game, 2.6 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game and 3.3 blocks per game. He is the only player in NBA history to block more shots than he has made, and is ranked 2nd behind Mark Eaton in Career blocks per game with 3.34.

Top 10 Shortest NBA Basketball Players

When you think about basketball players, you probably think of a taller-than-average man who is strong, fast, and able to make a slam dunk with no problem. However, this isn’t always so. Even though the average height in basketball is about 6’7, there have been players and the past, and even in today’s world, that are much shorter than 6’7. Many of these players have been recognized not only for being short, but doing moves and plays that tall players can’t do. Most of these players are able run faster, quicker, and jump even higher than those who are tall. Below is a list of the 10 shortest basketball players to ever play the game. To put it easily, short men can jump!

10. Terrell Brandon – 5’11”

After attending the University of Oregon, Terrell Brandon was picked 11^th total in the 1991 NBA Draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him onto their team and he played for six years as a point guard. He was picked to play in the NBA All-Star Game in both 1996 and 1997 and was called “The Best Point Guard in the NBA” in Sports Illustrated in 1997. The same year Brandon was given the NBA Sportsmanship Award. After playing on the Cavaliers, he decided to leave and play for the Milwaukee Bucks and was then traded to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sadly, Brandon became highly susceptible to injuries and in 2002 he was placed on the injured list and never returned to playing on the court.

9. Damon “Mighty Mouse” Stoudamire – 5’10”

Damon Stoudamire was first brought into the NBA scene by the Toronto Raptors. After being picked 7^th overall in the 1995 NBA Draft, he was able to set his feet on the court and start his career. In 1995 and 1996, he was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, scoring an average 19 points per game, and has since allowed his career to flourish. In February 1998, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers and his stats didn’t stay as high as they were with the Grizzlies, and he was sadly usually benched during the 2001-2002 season. However, he was able to play a lot in the playoffs. Eventually his career took off again and he scored a franchise record of 54 points against the Hornets. After being traded again he went back to play for the Grizzlies in 2005 but tore his patellar tendon and had to miss the season. He was again traded off and settled a deal with the San Antonio Spurs in 2008. Today, Stoudamire is part of the coaching team for the Memphis Grizzlies.

8. Avery “Little General” Johnson – 5’10”

Johnson, after graduating in 1988, wasn’t picked to go into the NBA Draft. After playing for the USBL Palm Beach Stingrays, Johnson was signed by the Seattle SuperSonics and played a total of 16 years within the NBA. He also played for teams including the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and the Dallas Mavericks. He is most popularly known for his seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. He is best known for his help in winning the 1999 NBA Championship against the New York Knicks after scoring a last shot in Game 5. The Spurs eventually retired Johnson’s number in 2007 and was most recently inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame on February 20, 2009. Besides being an NBA player, Johnson also coached the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA finals and now is basketball analyst for ESPN.

7. Michael Adams – 5’10”

Michael Adams started his basketball career at Boston College and after a successful college career was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the 3^rd round of the 1985 NBA Draft. As a rookie he only scored about 2.2 a game but once he became part of the Denver Nuggets team his career became more successful. In 1990-1991, he averaged 26.5 points and 10.5 assists per game. After this season he went back to play for the Bullets and played his first NBA All-Star Game in 1992. He then became known for his “push shot” and played a few more seasons. In 1996, while playing for the Charlotte Hornets, he retired, ending a career with 9,621 points and 4,209 assists total.

6. Calvin Murphy – 5’9”

Calvin Murphy was a guard for the Houston Rockets during 1970-1983. At 5’9”, he has been able to accomplish plenty, despite his height. In totally he played 1,022 games and scored 17,949 points throughout his entire career. In 1971 he was part of the NBA All-Rookie Team, and in 1979 he was on the NBA All-Star Team. Through 1980-1981, he held the record for the second highest free throw percentage in a season. In 1980 he was also known for having the most NBA consecutive free throws made. In 1993 he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Today, Murphy is actively involved with the Houston Rockets team.

5. Nate Robinson – 5’9″

Nate Robinson plays for the New York Knicks. After having a very successful college career by leading the Washington Huskies to two NCAA basketball tournament appearances, he was the 21^st pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. The Phoenix Suns picked him up but he was soon after traded to the New York Knicks. During the 2006 All-Star Weekend, Robinson won the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest. His best dunk was when he jumped over Spud Webb and got the perfect score of 50. Nate topped that performance at the 2009 Dunk Contest by leaping over the 2008 Dunk Contest winner, Dwight Howard (6’11″).

4. Wataru “Kilo Wat” Misaka – 5’7”

Wataru Misaka is one of the very few well known Asian NBA players. Though he is now retired, he is well known as the first Asian player as well as the first non-Caucasian player to be part of the NBA, which was at the time known as the Basketball Association of America. He was born in Utah and played basketball at the University of Utah where he was able to help take his team to the 1944 NCAA and the 1947 NIT championships. Even at just 5’7”, he was a valuable player and was the first round pick by the New York Knicks. Wataru had a very short career (1947-1948),  and he was able to play only three games before being cut from the team. In 1999 he was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.

3. Anthony “Spud” Webb – 5’7″

Anthony Webb stands as the third shortest player to be part of the NBA. After attending Midland College and North Carolina State University, he was the 4^th round draft pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1985 Draft. In 1986, Webb entered the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and despite being the shortest, had the highest jump of 42 inches and went on to win the contest. He spent most of his time with the Atlanta Hawks, playing six seasons with the team. Statistically, Webb had his best seasons with the Sacramento Kings where he was a starter from 1992-1995. In 1998, Webb retired from basketball after playing just one season with the Orlando Magic. He played 814 games total and scored 8072 points throughout his entire career.

2. Earl Boykins– 5’5”

Standing only 5’5”, Earl Boykins is the second smallest player to ever be in the NBA. Though second smallest, he stands as the lightest player ever, weighing in at only 133lbs. Even though he was never officially drafted by a team, he often signed short-term contracts with teams to play as the point guard. He spent most of his career with the Denver Nuggets. He is well known for his scoring techniques after he was able to score 32 points in a game on November 11, 2004. He also played for the L.A. Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats, and many others. Today, Boykins plays for the Washington Wizards.

1. Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues – 5’3”

Born and raised in Baltimore, MD, Tyrone Bogues is the shortest man to ever play in the NBA. Despite being only 5’3”, he used his height to his advantage by becoming known as a player who was a great passer, ball-stealer, and definitely one of the fastest on the court. His career was set in stone on June 22, 1988 when he was signed to play for the Charlotte Hornets during an expansion draft as a point guard. After settling in, he was able to play for the Hornets for 10 years and became one of the team’s most popular players. He was definitely seen as a play-off contender.