Who Is The Shortest Center In The NBA?

At just under 7-feet tall, Houston Rockets center Tyson Chandler is the shortest player in the NBA.

Introduction

At just under 7 feet tall, Kristaps Porzingis of the Dallas Mavericks is the shortest center currently playing in the NBA. Standing at an even 6 feet tall, Jamaal Wilkes was the shortest center to ever play in the NBA. He played for several teams during his 14-year career, including the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers.

Shortest Centers In NBA History

There have been a number of short players in the NBA over the years, but the shortest center in NBA history was Mel Hirsch, who played for the Indianapolis Olympians in the 1950s. Hirsch was just 5’9” tall.

Other short centers include Earl Lloyd (6’0”), Nat Clifton (6’1”), Johnny Egan (6’2”), and Ernie Vandeweghe (6’2”). These players were all able to have successful careers despite their lack of height.

Shortest Current NBA Centers

There are a few different ways to answer this question. The first way is to simply look at the average height of all current NBA centers and compare it to the average height of all NBA players. The second way is to look at the tallest and shortest centers in the NBA and compare them.

The average height of an NBA player is around 6’7”, while the average height of an NBA center is around 6’11”. So, when looking at just these two averages, it would appear that the shortest center in the NBA is probably around 6’9”. However, when looking at the tallest and shortest centers in the NBA, the shortest center is actually only around 6’6”. This is because there are a few very tall centers in the NBA (7’0”+) who skew the average height up.

The shortest current NBA center is Boban Marjanovic, who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is 7’3” tall and weighs 290 pounds.

Why Height Matters In The NBA

Although being tall gives players an advantage in many sports, it is especially important in basketball. Players who are taller have an easier time shooting over shorter defenders, they can more easily block shots and they have a longer wingspan, which allows them to snag more rebounds.

In the NBA, the average height of a player is just over 6 feet 7 inches, but there are some players who are much taller and some who are much shorter. The shortest player in the NBA is guard Earl Boykins, who is just 5 feet 5 inches tall. The tallest player in the NBA is center Yao Ming, who is 7 feet 6 inches tall.

Interestingly, height does not seem to be as important for centers as it is for other positions. In fact, the shortest player to ever start at center in an NBA game was Muggsy Bogues, who is just 5 feet 3 inches tall. While there have been shorter players in the NBA, most of them have been guards or small forwards.

So why is height less important for centers? One reason may be that Centers tend to spend less time on the perimeter and more time near the basket, where they can use their size to block shots and grab rebounds. Additionally, many of the tasks that Centers need to perform—such as setting screens and passing the ball—do not require them to be particularly tall.

Conclusion

At 6’9”, Boban Marjanović is the shortest center currently playing in the NBA. He is also the tallest player on the Dallas Mavericks. Born in Serbia, Boban began his professional career in Europe before signing with the San Antonio Spurs in 2015. He has since played for the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers, before joining the Mavericks in 2019.