Who is the tallest NBA player? Does Victor Wembanyama make the 10 tallest NBA players ever?

In a sport heavily defined by size and where physical advantage often determines on-court success, height remains a key factor in the game of basketball.

Given the competitive nature of the NBA, some of the tallest athletes on the planet have stepped foot in the league, as teams shape squad dynamics and strategies around these dominant figures.

The NBA features some of the world's biggest men, but there remain a few who stand out among the rest, and here Sports Mole takes a look at the tallest players in the league.

WHO IS THE TALLEST NBA PLAYER?

The Minnesota Timberwolves center Zach Edey enters the 2025-26 NBA regular season as the tallest player in the league, albeit not by much as Victor Wembanyama and Bol Bol are listed at 7 foot 3.

Having led the Purdue Boilermakers to the NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game, Zach Edey was drafted into the NBA by the Timberwolves in the 2024-25 draft.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a decent debut season in the league, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves to an 8th-placed finish in the Western Conference table before their early exit from the playoffs at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

ZACH EDEY HEIGHT

© Imago

Minnesota Timberwolves man Zach Edey stands at a remarkable 7 foot 4 and boasts a 7-foot-10 wingspan, making him one of the most dominant figures in the league.

The 23-year-old caught the eye at Prude, where he became a record career points holder (2,516) and record career rebounds holder (1,321) before leaving as a two-time Naismith College Player of the Year.

Edey became the first to win the college MVP award in successive years since Ralph Sampson in 1982 and 1983 before opting to sign for the Timberwolves as the ninth overall pick in the 2024 draft.

In his debut season, the Canadian made 66 appearances for Minnesota, averaging 9.2 points, 1.3 blocks and a rookie-leading 8.3 rebounds per game as the Timberwolves fell 4-0 against eventual champions Oklahoma Thunder in the playoff first round.

WHO IS THE TALLEST NBA PLAYER EVER?

© Imago

Gheorghe Muresan remains the tallest basketballer to ever feature in the NBA, playing for the Washington Nets (now Washington Wizards) and New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) between 1993 and 2001.

Drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1993, the Romanian big man spent seven seasons in the league before signing for French franchise Elan Bearnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez.

Muresan finished with the best field-goal percentage in the 1995-96 season, where he shot 58.4% en route to picking up the NBA's Most Improved Player award while also leading the league in shooting percentage for the second consecutive year in the 1996-97 campaign (60.4%).

Alongside Muresan, the NBA has housed some of the most dominant athletes in the world, including Shawn Bradley who also stood at a staggering 7 foot 6, and 7-foot-5 Chuck Nevitt.

In the 1981 NBA draft, 7-foot-8 giant Yasutaka Okayama was picked by the Golden State Warriors, becoming the tallest player ever drafted, but failed to feature in the league after opting to stay in his home nation Japan.

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA HEIGHT

© Imago

Yao Ming is arguably the best and most well-known of the NBA's tallest-ever players, but at 7'6" he is 'only' joint-second in the all-time list of the competition's biggest men.

Victor Wembanyama, who stands at a towering 7’3”, is one of the most dominant forces currently in the NBA, and after averaging 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the 2024-25 campaign, the San Antonio Spurs man will be one to watch this season.

The French center was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft by the San Antonio Spurs and immediately established his name as a generational superstar.

In his rookie season, Wembanyama became just the 10th player in NBA history to average 20 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks, joining an elusive list comprising the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal.

Ten tallest players in NBA history

1. Gheorghe Muresan — 7'7"

2. Manute Bol — 7'6"

= Tacko Fall — 7'6"

= Shawn Bradley — 7'6"

= Yao Ming — 7'6"

6. Sim Bhullar — 7'5"

= Slavko Vranes — 7'5"

= Pavel Podkolzin — 7'5"

= Chuck Nevitt — 7'5"

10. Priest Lauderdale — 7'4"

= Mark Eaton — 7'4"

= Rik Smits — 7'4"

= Ralph Sampson — 7'4"

= Boban Marjanovic — 7'4"

= Zach Edey — 7'4"