Who Was The Tallest Player In The NBA?

At 7’7″, Shaquille O’Neal was one of the tallest players in the NBA during his playing days. But he wasn’t the tallest player ever. That honor belongs to Manute Bol, who was 7’7″ tall.

Introduction

At 7’7”, Gheorghe Muresan was the tallest player ever to step onto an NBA court. Born in Romania, Muresan began his basketball career early, joining the Romanian junior national team when he was just sixteen years old. After moving to the United States to play college basketball at Seton Hall University, Muresan was drafted into the NBA by the Washington Bullets in 1993. He spent four seasons with the Bullets, before being traded to the New Jersey Nets in 1997. Muresan’s NBA career came to an abrupt end in 2000, when he was forced to retire due to a recurring back injury.

Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal was the tallest player in the NBA for most of his career. He is 7 feet 1 inches tall, and heplayed center. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 1992 and he played for them until 1996. He then played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2004. In 2004, he was traded to the Miami Heat, and he played for them until 2008. He then played for the Phoenix Suns from 2008 to 2009. In 2009, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he played for them until 2010. He then played for the Boston Celtics from 2010 to 2011. He retired from playing in 2011.

Yao Ming

Yao Ming is the tallest player in the NBA. He is 7 feet 6 inches tall. He was born in China and played for the Houston Rockets.

Manute Bol

Manute Bol was born on October 16, 1962, in Turalei, Sudan. He was the son of a Dinka tribal chief. Bol began playing basketball at the age of nine, and by the time he was a teenager he was already 6’7″. When Bol was eighteen years old, he was recruited by the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut to play on its NCAA Division I basketball team.

At 7’7″, Bol was one of the tallest players in college basketball history. He quickly became a fan favorite due to his extraordinary height and his impeccable shot-blocking ability. In his four years at Bridgeport, Bol averaged 20.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 8.3 blocks per game. He is still the all-time leader in blocked shots per game in both the NCAA and NBA.

Upon graduation from college, Bol was drafted by the Washington Bullets in the second round of the 1985 NBA Draft. He would go on to play for six different teams during his ten-year NBA career. In total, Bol appeared in 624 NBA games and averaged 4.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game.

Conclusion

As of the 2019-2020 season, the tallest player in the NBA is Tacko Fall of the Boston Celtics, who stands at an incredible 7 feet 5 inches (2.26 meters). He is closely followed by Sudanese-born center Hasheem Thabeet (7 feet 3 inches, or 2.21 meters), who plays for the San Antonio Spurs. Other notable tall players include Boban Marjanović (7 feet 3 inches, or 2.21 meters), Ivica Zubac (7 feet 1 inch, or 2.16 meters), and Kristaps Porzingis (7 feet 0 inches, or 2.13 meters).