Victor Wembanyama, the Top Draft prospect, hopes to differentiate himself from the many big men who came before him through his shooting and dribbling skills, as well as his unique combination of size. He aspires to join a select group of NBA players who are taller than 7-foot-4.
Before Wembanyama’s NBA career begins, here’s a look back at players taller than 7-foot-4 who have played more than 100 NBA games.
Gheorghe Muresan — towering at 7-foot-7.
NBA first appearance: 1993 Matches participated in: 307.
Muresan, the tallest player in the NBA, professionally played in Romania before being drafted by the Washington Bullets. During his prime, he won the Most Improved Player award in the 1995-96 season, averaging 9.6 rebounds, 14.5 points, and 2.3 blocks per game. However, his career was derailed by injuries. Outside of basketball, Muresan gained fame by acting alongside Billy Crystal in the 1998 film “My Giant”.
Manute Bol — 7-foot-7.
NBA first appearance: 1985 Number of games participated: 625.
Bol Bol, the son of Sudan native and a political and humanitarian activist focused on human rights, currently plays for the Orlando Magic. Bol, who died at the age of 47 in 2010, had an impressive NBA career spanning 10 seasons. He holds the second-highest average blocks per game for his career, ranking only behind the all-time leader in 1985-86. Bol was also named to the All-NBA Defensive Team that season. In his rookie year, he had a record-breaking 5.0 blocks per game, the highest in NBA history. Bol made an immediate impact on defense and led the NBA in blocks. He was the 31st pick in the 1985 NBA Draft and took a unique route from Sudan to the NBA, playing for the University of Bridgeport in Division II NCAA before joining the Washington Bullets.
Shawn Bradley — towering at 7-foot-6.
NBA first appearance: 1993 Matches participated in: 832.
Bradley, who was involved in a devastating cycling accident in 2021, was left paralyzed. He retired with career averages of 2.5 blocks and 6.3 rebounds per game, and 8.1 points per game over 12 seasons. Before joining the Dallas Mavericks for his final eight-plus seasons, Bradley played for the Nets and Sixers. In his first five seasons in the NBA, he made his mark on defense with an average of 3.4 blocks. After a dominant collegiate season at BYU, Bradley was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 2nd overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft.
Yao Ming — 7 feet 6 inches tall.
NBA first appearance: 2002 Number of games participated: 481.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 as the current president of the Chinese Basketball Association. Over his eight seasons in the NBA, he retired with career averages of 1.9 blocks, 9.2 rebounds, and 19.0 points. He earned eight straight All-Star selections and averaged 20-plus points for three consecutive seasons (2005-08). As a rookie, he immediately made an impact, averaging 1.8 blocks, 8.2 rebounds, and 13.5 points. Before joining the NBA, he won the MVP in 2001 and played professionally in China for five seasons. He was selected by the Houston Rockets in 2002 and was already a global sensation. He was the No. Two overall pick on this list.
Chuck Nevitt — 7-foot-5.
NBA first appearance: 1982 Number of games participated: 155.
Nevitt, who played for five different teams over nine NBA seasons, was a member of the 1985 Lakers, the tallest player in NBA history to win a championship. He was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 63rd overall pick in the 1982 draft.
Mark Eaton — 7-foot-4 tall.
NBA first appearance: 1982 Number of games played: 875.
He died at the age of 64 in 2022. Eaton played over 80 games in nine of his eleven seasons. He is the most durable player on this list. He is the all-time leader in blocks per game for a single season (5.6) and for his career in the NBA. During his 11-year NBA career with the Utah Jazz (1985-89), he was selected to the All-Defensive team five times and won the Defensive Player of the Year award twice (1985, ’89). Eaton developed into one of the most dominant defensive players of the decade. Despite being selected as the 72nd overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft.
Rik Smits — 7-foot-4.
NBA first appearance: 1988 Number of games played: 867.
Born in the Netherlands, Rik Smits played collegiately at Marist College before being selected by the Indiana Pacers with the second overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft. During the 1995-96 season, Smits had a career-high average of 18.5 points, shooting 52% from the field. Throughout his career, he averaged double-digit points every season, with career averages of 14.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game (50.7 FG%). Smits retired in 2000 and was named an All-Star in 1998.
Ralph Sampson — 7-foot-4.
NBA first appearance: 1983 Number of games participated in: 456.
In 2012, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Throughout nine seasons, he retired in 1992 with average scores of 15.4 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, and 1.6 blocks per game. His professional journey was hindered by injuries. He achieved the honor of being an All-Star four consecutive times and was awarded Rookie of the Year after maintaining averages of 21 points per game, 11.1 rebounds per game, and 2.4 blocks per game in his initial season in the NBA. Sampson lived up to the immense hype surrounding his exceptional college career at the University of Virginia, as he was chosen as the first overall pick by the Houston Rockets in 1983, solidifying his status as one of the most highly anticipated rookies in NBA history.
Boban Marjanovic — seven-foot-four.
NBA first appearance: 2015 Number of games played: 296.
After a dominant professional career in Europe that included three MVPs in the Serbian league, Boban Marjanovic joined the San Antonio Spurs in 2015 as an undrafted free agent. Over the past eight seasons, he has carved out a role for himself on six different teams, primarily coming off the bench. Since then, Marjanovic has gained additional fame through his acting in “Parabellum – Chapter 3: John Wick,” before heading into the 2023-24 season with career averages of 5.6 rebounds per game and 5.6 points per game.