The Chicago Bulls were the NBA's tallest team in terms of average height (6-foot-7.55), while the Boston Celtics were the lowest (6-foot-4.49). Both teams had multiple players over 6 feet tall.
The next highest was the Los Angeles Lakers with an average height of 6-foot-5.95. They, too, had multiple players over 6 feet tall.
After those three there are several other teams with only one or two players over 6 feet that aren't guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. This means that if they don't make it in, they might not see another season with such heights.
In fact, only eight teams in NBA history have had all their players over 6 feet during at least one season. The Lakers, Bulls, and Celtics are three of them. The rest are the Washington Wizards in 2001, the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, and the San Antonio Spurs from 1972 to 1975 when David Robinson, Bill Russell, and Tony Parker played together.
Since 2007, every playoff team has had at least five players over 6 feet. Here are the current rankings after this year: Chicago, LA Lakers, Boston, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Denver, Indiana, Houston, Vancouver, New York, Toronto, Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Golden State.
The typical NBA player stands 6-foot-7, only a little higher than the 5-foot-9 average American guy. The NBA's tallest players, on the other hand, are all over seven feet tall, and some of them exploit their extraordinary height as a stepping stone to Hollywood. Here are the top 10 tallest players in NBA history.
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Now that we have an idea of how tall they are, we can look at the statistics for evidence of any correlation with performance. First, we'll start with the average height of all NBA players.
According to stats.nba.com, the average height of all NBA players is about six feet five inches, or 1.88 meters. That's pretty close to the reported average height of 703 pounds, or 34 kg. For comparison, the average American man is about six feet three inches, or 192 cm, so most NBA players are just under two feet taller than the average American man.
There are several reasons why most NBA players are not that much taller than the average American man. One reason is that most NBA teams have some level of size diversity within their rosters. Some players are taller, others are shorter.
The cumulative height of all NBA players is 6'7". Point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards, and centers are all included. There have been many great players that did not reach this mark, such as Orville "Red" Auerbach (6'1") or Walt Frazier (6'3"). It is also worth mentioning that there have been many short players in the NBA, such as Wes Unseld (6'5" - 6'6") or Manute Bol (7'1").
The maximum height of an NBA player is currently 7'2" by Dwight Howard. The record was set by the Winklevoss twins when they played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2008. They were both listed at 7'2", which made them the first twins in NBA history to be over 6 feet tall.
In conclusion, the average height of an NBA player is about 6'4". Some taller, some shorter. But on average, men's basketball players are around 6 feet tall.
Cartwright, Bill At 7-foot-1, Bill Cartwright, a former center and coach for the Chicago Bulls, is the league's tallest coach. The height restriction for coaches is 6-feet-4.
He was drafted by the Bulls in the first round of the 1969 NBA draft. That same year, the New York Knicks hired Cartwright as an assistant coach. In 1971, he became the team's head coach. He led the team to the playoffs each season except 1974-75 when they went winless. After one more season behind the bench, Cartwright left the Knicks to become the head coach at his alma mater, Illinois, where he stayed for three seasons before moving on to TCU after they were admitted into the NCAA tournament in 1978.
At Illinois, he developed a reputation for taking talented but troubled players under 18 years old and transforming them into productive members of the basketball program. His career record at Illinois was 80-40.
After ending his coaching career with the Chicago Bears in 1987, Cartwright returned to college basketball as an assistant coach under Lute Olson at TCU from 1988-91.
Tacko Fall, the center for the Boston Celtics, was the tallest NBA player in 2021, standing at 2.26 meters (7'7'5"). His weight was estimated to be between 360 and 400 pounds (159-183 kg). Tacko Fall was selected with the 45th pick in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft by the Celtics.
The next heaviest player in the NBA is Karl-Anthony Towns, who was listed as 359 pounds (160 kg) in 2019 when he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Towns also stood 7 feet 1 inch tall (2.13 m).
Next is Al-Farouq Aminu, who was also drafted by the Celtics in 2011. Aminu weighed about 365 pounds (170 kg) in 2013 when he played for the New York Knicks.
The next heaviest player in the NBA is Anthony Davis, who was listed at 370 pounds (168 kg) in 2017 when he played for the New Orleans Pelicans. Davis also stood 7 feet 1 inch tall (2.13 m).
After Anthony Davis, the next heaviest player in the NBA is DeMarcus Cousins, who was listed at 380 pounds (180 kg) in 2015 when he played for the Sacramento Kings.
Currently, the NBA's youngest teams The Oklahoma City Thunder are the NBA's youngest team, with an average age of 23.4 years. The Minnesota Timberwolves have an average age of 23.9 years, whereas the Memphis Grizzlies have an average age of roughly 24 years. The Brooklyn Nets are the oldest at 26.8 years old.
The youngest team ever was the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, who had an average age of 29.6 years. Since then, only the Denver Nuggets (age 30.1) and Sacramento Kings (age 30.5) have been below the 30-year-old mark.
In addition to being the youngest team in the NBA, the Thunder are also the only team this season to have all five starters be 21 years or younger. The other teams with at least one 21-or-younger starter are the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Toronto Raptors.
Nine other teams have two players 21 or younger, including the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs.
Finally, the Houston Rockets have three players 21 or younger, including two of their first-team selections in Josh Adams and Jacob Evans. They are joined by James Wiseman, who is 20 years old.
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