How Many 7 Footers Are In The NBA? Big Hint: It’s Shockingly Less Than You Think
Basketball has always been the game where height can be the biggest advantage. Throughout the years teams have looked for dominant 7 footers who can control the paint, block shots around the rim and get rebounds on both sides of the ball.
But lately, the NBA has been shifting towards a more skill-based small ball. Did that impact the number of 7 footers in the league and how many 7 footers are in the NBA? This is what this article will help you find out.
Currently, throughout the NBA there are thirty-seven NBA players who are 7 feet or taller. On average that’s just above one per team. But in the global population, there are far fewer 7 footers. How many 7 footers are in the world? We do not really know, but we can estimate. It is estimated that in our population that is slowly creeping towards 8 billion, there are close to three thousand 7 footers.
Since they are so rare, most teams can’t resist the temptation of drafting a tall kid, hoping he will develop into an unstoppable force on both ends. If you are living in the States and you are 7 feet tall, you have a one in six chance to play in the NBA. You might wonder who are these giants that dominate the average NBA arena, and which one of them is the tallest. This brings us to our next point of discussion:
Who is currently the tallest player in the NBA?
The tallest NBA player currently is Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. He’s also one of the tallest NBA players ever. The rookie phenom enters the league measuring up at 7 feet 4 inches tall and still growing.
Boban Marjanovic Height
The 34 year old free agent center last played for the Houston Rockets, Boban Marjanovic is formerly the tallest NBA player. The Serbian kindhearted giant or walking double-double, stands at an amazing 7 foot 4 inches. Originally undrafted in 2010, Marjanovic recently finished his seventh season in the NBA. Cool fact: Marjanovic enjoys acting and made an appearance in John Wick, Chapter 3.
Even if these NBA giants give their teams a great advantage, there are still some teams that do not have a true 7 footer on their team. Here are the tallest players on the teams that do not have 7 footers:
Atlanta Hawks – Mouhamed Gueye, 6″11″, Clint Capela and Bruno Fernando are both 6′ 10″.
Brooklyn Nets – Ben Simmons, Noah Clowney and Nicholas Claxton just barely missing the mark by being 6′ 10″ and 6 feet 11 inches tall.
Chicago Bulls – Their tallest NBA player currently is Andre Drummond standing at 6′ 11″.
Cleveland Cavaliers– Evan Mobley and Damian Jones are their tallest basketball players both standing at 6′ 11″.
Indiana Pacers – Myles Turner stands at 6′ 11″.
Golden State Warriors– Dario Saric is 6′ 10″. JaMychal Green, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney all measure up at 6′ 9″.
Houston Rockets – Jabari Smith, Alperen Sengun and Jock Landale are all 6′ 11″ falling shy of being 7 footers in the NBA.
Miami Heat – Nikola Jovic, Thomas Bryant and Orlando Robinson stand at 6′ 10″.
New Orleans Pelicans – The Pelicans currently do not have any 7 footers. Their tallest players are Willy Hernangomez, Jonas Valanciunas and Cody Zeller all standing at 6′ 11″.
Orlando Magic – The Magic currently have no NBA players over 7 feet. Moritz Wagner and Goga Bitadze are 6′ 11″.
Washington Wizards– After trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics, the Wizards have no 7 footers in the NBA right now. Their tallest players are Mike Muscala, 6′ 11″, Daniel Gafford 6′ 10″ and Danilo Gallinari 6′ 10″
7-Foot NBA players current: On Every NBA Team
How many 7 footers are currently in the NBA? Here is our list of every 7 footer on every team:
Boston Celtics – Kristaps Porzingis, 7′ 3″, Luke Kornet is 7 feet 2 inches tall.
Charlotte Hornets – Nick Richards and Mark Williams are both 7 footers in the NBA.
Dallas Mavericks – Dereck Lively is their tallest NBA player at 7′ 1″ and Javale McGee is a 7 footer.
Denver Nuggets – Nikola Jokic and DeAndre Jordan fall just shy of 7 footer status both standing at 6′ 11″. But Jay Huff is currently their tallest NBA player standing at 7′ 1″.
Detroit Pistons – Their tallest basketball player is James Wiseman at 7′ 0″.
Los Angeles Clippers – Standing at 7′ 0″, Ivica Zubac and Mason Plumlee are both included in the answer of how many 7 footers are in the NBA.
Los Angeles Lakers – Jaxson Hayes far surpasses the average NBA height as the on 7 footer on the roster standing at 7′ 0″.
Memphis Grizzlies – Santi Aldama is the tallest NBA player on the Grizzlies roster at 7′ 0″.
Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks currently have the most 7 footers in the NBA on one roster with a total of 4. Brook Lopez, 7′ 1″, Giannis Antetokounmpo 7′ 0″, Robin Lopez, 7′ 0″ and Meyers Leonard, 7′ 0″.
Minnesota Timberwolves – The Wolves have two 7 foot NBA players in Rudy Gobert, 7′ 1″ and Karl-Anthony Towns, 7′ 0″.
New York Knicks – The Knicks currently have two 7 footers in the NBA right now. Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein are both 7′ 0″.
OKC Thunder – There are two 7 foot basketball players currently on the Thunder’s roster. Aleksej Pokusevski stands at 7′ 0″ and Chet Holmgren at 7′ 1″
Philadelphia 76ers – The Sixers have two players that stand well above the average NBA height. Joel Embiid and Mo Bamba are both 7′ 0″.
Phoenix Suns – The Suns recently acquired the 7′ 2″ Bol Bol, one of the tallest players in the NBA. They also have DeAndre Ayton, who stands at 7′ 0″.
Portland Trailblazers – The Blazers have three players included when tallying up how many 7 footers are in the NBA. Jusuf Nurkic and John Butler Jr are both 7′ 0″ and Ibou Badji is 7′ 1″.
Sacramento Kings – The Kings match the Trailblazers when counting how many 7 footers are in the NBA. The three players over 7 feet tall. Alex Len, 7′ 2″, Domantas Sabonis, 7′ 1″, and Neemias Queta, 7′ 0″.
San Antonio Spurs – Who is the tallest player in the NBA? The tallest NBA player crown goes to the rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama measuring up at 7′ 4″.
Toronto Raptors – The Raptors boast two 7 footers in the NBA. Jakob Poeltl, 7’1″ and Christian Koloko, 7′ 0″
Utah Jazz – The Jazz have two 7 footers in the NBA right now. Walker Kessler, 7′ 0″ and Lauri Markkanen, 7′ 0″
Notable Free Agent – Hassan Whiteside, 7′ 0″, Boban Marjanovic is 7 feet 4 inches tall, Frank Kaminsky is 7′ 0″.
Now let us look back at some of the greatest 7 footers in NBA history.
There have been many 7 footers in the history of the NBA who have dominated the league. Here are some of the greatest to ever play the sport.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Standing at 7 foot 2, but mobile a big, Jabbar is according to some the third-best player in the history of the league. Six-time champ, 19 times All-Star, and six-time MVP
Shaq O’Neal
One of the most dominant forces to ever grace the NBA floor. Four-time champion 2 times scoring champ and 15-time All-Star
Wilt Chamberlain
The first extraordinary athletic 7-footer who changed and dominated the league. The only player to score100 points in a game.
David Robinson
A great two-way force who managed a rare feat in winning both the scoring title and being the Defensive Player of the Year
Hakeem Olajuwon
One of the most dominant two-way players in league history, probably the best center when it comes to steals and blocks per possession. Won two titles and two Defensive Player of the Year awards.
This concludes our inquiry into the question “How many 7 footers are in the NBA?” As you can see, even with the rise of small ball, there is still a large percentage of 7 footers and just under 7 footers in the NBA. There are approximately 450 players in the NBA. Of the approximate 450 players, there are currently thirty-seven 7 footers on an NBA roster which equates to 8.2 percent.
If you combine size with mobility, there is and always will be a place for 7 footers in the NBA. But unlike times past when they were exclusively a presence around the rim, 7 footers and just under 7 footers today like Lauri Markkanen are sharpshooting 3 point experts and playmaking generational centers like Nikola Jokic.
Basketball is becoming more and more position-less, but height, especially that of 7 foot or more will always be an advantage and sought after skill in the NBA.
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