French sensation Victor Wembanyama (or Wemby, as he likes to call himself) is one of the tallest players in the world at just 18 years old. His skills and finesse attached to his 8-foot wingspan and a near 10-foot standing reach have made him the most sought-after player heading into the 2023 NBA draft. Wembayama has caught the attention of many NBA greats, including Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James who described him as “an alien.” So where does the new prodigy stand amongst the tallest players in NBA history?
Wembanyama’s height has been a significant source of discussion, with his listing ranging from 7-foot-2 to 7-foot-5 across different media outlets.
But what’s Wembanyama’s real height?
The French “alien” confirmed his height to be 7-foot-3 without wearing shoes. He speculated that he could be around 7-foot-4 or 7-foot-5 with shoes.
“I am 7-foot-3 (2.21-meter) bare feet,” Wembanyama confirmed to ESPN. “Actually, I have never measured myself with shoes. But it’s [height] gotta be like 7-foot-4 or 7-foot-5, I guess.”
– Victor Wembanyama
So, where does Wembanyama stand amongst the tallest players in NBA history?
7-foot-7 Players in NBA History
1) Gheorghe Mure?an
Height: 7-foot-7 (2.31 m)
Weight: 315 lb (143 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-8 (2.39 m)
– Won MIP in 1996
2) Manute Bol
Height: 7-foot-7 (2.31 m)
Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
– Played with Muggsy Bogues (the shortest player in NBA history)
– Father to current NBA player Bol Bol of the Orlando Magic, who some believe will join the list of greats in a couple of years
7-foot-6 Players in NBA History
3) Tacko Fall
Height: 7-foot-6 (2.29 m)
Weight: 311 lb (141 kg)
Wingspan: 8-foot-3 (2.54 m)
4) Yao Ming
Height: 7-foot-6 (2.29 m)
Weight: 310 lb (141 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-4 (2.26 m)
– Made 8 All-Star appearances
– 5x NBA All-Defensive Team
– Tallest player inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame
5) Slavko Vraneš
Height: 7-foot-6 (2.29 m)
Weight: 302 lb (137 kg)
6) Shawn Bradley
Height: 7-foot-6 (2.29 m)
Weight: 275 lb (125 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-4 (2.26 m)
7-foot-5 Players in NBA History
7) Sim Bhullar
Height: 7-foot-5 (2.26 m)
Weight: 359 lb (163 kg)
Wingspan: 8-foot-1 (2.49 m)
– First Indian-born NBA player
8) Pavel Podkolzin
Height: 7-foot-5 (2.26 m)
Weight: 305 lb (138 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-5 (2.27 m)
9) Chuck Nevitt
Height: 7-foot-5 (2.26 m)
Weight: 217 lb (98 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-5 (2.26 m)
– Tallest player to win an NBA championship
7-foot-4 Players in NBA History
10) Priest Lauderdale
Height: 7-foot-4 (2.24 m)
Weight: 325 lb (147 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-5 (2.28 m)
11) Boban Marjanovi?
Height: 7-foot-4 (2.24 m)
Weight: 290 lb (132 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-8 (2.39 m)
12) Mark Eaton
Height: 7-foot-4 (2.24 m)
Weight: 290 lb (132 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-5 (2.29 m)
13) Rik Smits
Height: 7-foot-4 (2.24 m)
Weight: 250 lb (113 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-5 (2.30 m)
14) Ralph Sampson
Height: 7-foot-4 (2.24 m)
Weight: 235 lb (107 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-6 (2.33 m)
– 1993 #1 pick
– Inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame
7-foot-3 Players in NBA History
15) Peter John Ramos
Height: 7-foot-3.5 (2.22 m)
Weight: 290 lb (132 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-5 (2.30 m)
16) Ha Seung-Jin
Height: 7-foot-3 (2.21 m)
Weight: 305 lb (138 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-4 (2.26 m)
– First and only Korean player in NBA history
17) Arvydas Sabonis
Height: 7-foot-3 (2.21 m)\
Weight: 292 lb (132 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-4 (2.27 m)
– Disallowed from playing in the NBA in 1996 due to restrictions set by the former Soviet Union after being drafted in the first round
18) Hasheem Thabeet
Height: 7-foot-3 (2.21 m)
Weight: 290 lb (132 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-6 (2.31 m)
– First and only Tanzanian player in NBA history
19) Walter Tavares
Height: 7 -foot-3 (2.21 m)
Weight: 265 lb (120 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-7 (2.36 m)
– First and only Cape Verdean player in NBA history
20) Randy Breuer
Height: 7-foot-3 (2.21 m)
Weight: 263 lb (119 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-5 (2.31 m)
21) Žydr?nas Ilgauskas
Height: 7-foot-3 (2.21 m)
Weight: 260 lb (118 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-5 (2.27 m)
22) Tibor Pleiß
Height: 7-foot-3 in (2.21 m)
Weight: 256 lb (116 kg)
23) Aleksandar Radojevi?
Height: 7-foot-3 (2.21 m)
Weight: 250 lb (113 kg)
24) Kristaps Porzi??is
Height: 7-foot-3 in (2.21 m)
Weight: 240 lb (109 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-5 (2.29 m)
– Tallest player to win the NBA Skills Challenge
25) Swede Halbrook
Height: 7-foot-3 (2.21 m)
Weight: 235 lb (107 kg)
26) Victor Wembanyama
Height: 7-foot-3 (2.21-meter)
Weight: 229 lb (104 kg)
Wingspan: 8-foot wingspan (2.43 m)
– Youngest Player to Win MVP in French All-Star Game
-Pro A champion
– 2× Pro A Best Young Player
27) Keith Closs
Height: 7-foot-3 (2.21 m)
Weight: 212 lb (96 kg)
Wingspan: 7-foot-3 (2.22 m)
– Holds NCAA Division 1 record for highest block per game average (5.9)
Where Victor Wembanyama stands amongst the tallest players in NBA history
On this list, 2-time Defensive Player of the Year Mark Eaton stands out. Eaton played the most games (875), grabbed the most rebounds (6939), and blocked the most shots (3,064). However, Yao Ming was the best scorer, putting up 9,196 points on an incredible 52% FG in just 481 games. Yao also shot the highest free throw percentage (83%) amongst this group of giants.
Out of the players on this list, Kristaps Porzingis would be the closest to Victor Wembanyama’s height and skill set. Most of the bigs on this list barely shot threes, except for Porzingis, who has made 658 3-pointers through 369 games.
Much like Porzingis, Wembanyama isn’t afraid to let it fly from the arc, the mid-range, and he has baby-soft touch around the rim. Wembanyama is also agile and fluid in movement, with capabilities of dribbling around multiple defenders in tight-knit scenarios. He runs the floor well and excels in the pick-and-roll and the pick-and-pop. You pick your poison.
On the defensive end, Wembanyama has a ridiculous 8-foot wingspan, making him an elite presence in the paint and a shot-blocking specialist. But don’t be fooled. Through his agility and length, Wembanyama can cover immense space by running out to the arc and moving his feet with fast-footed guards.
Through a long, healthy career with a significant amount of games played, Wembanyama has the potential to stuff the stat sheets and go down as one of the greatest tall players in NBA history.
