Why Are Basketball Players So Tall:
Have you ever wondered why most basketball players are tall like the former Shaquille O'Neal and Gheorghe Muresan? The height of these two legends was sure a significant advantage during their time in the NBA.
The height is one thing that is considered in basketball apart from your talent and the ability to perform on the court. Because most of the short players in the NBA, find it quite challenging when it comes to dunking. Therefore, this is the reason why most of the league's players are tall and energetic.
When you tall in this game, you have the advantage in all areas, and this has been proven by some of the tallest players in the NBA. They have shown many who are interested in joining basketball that you can do anything with the height, especially when you are on the court.
Gheorghe, an NBA player, had a total height of about 7' 7'' feet tall, and he took this to be an advantage in his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Unfortunately, not all the tall people are basketball players; however, you might lack a reason for that until you face them and ask why; this way, you will understand why they are misusing their height.
In this article, you will find out why most of the basketball players are tall; you will also know the average height required for an NBA player and, lastly, some of the tallest players in the history of the National Basketball Association.
Moreover, it is a type of sport that is greatly dominated by tall players. Therefore, for those who have the required skill and, most importantly, the height, you can join the basketball team with no doubts.
However, in the NBA, not all the height will determine the position you want to play on the court, but some of the positions will require you to have the skill to win that position. In most cases, you might have the height advantage, but you do not qualify to play in certain team positions.
Additionally, in this situation, what can save you even you are not that tall is your high IQ in basketball. When you have this, you will not need to be tall for you to be given a chance to showcase your talent to the world.
For example, Steph Curry, he is no tall, but his talent, skills, IQ, and the ability to dribble the ball on the court made him noticed by many. This gave him an open spot in the NBA, which is an excellent transformation for a basketball player.
Therefore, it is clear that some positions in the NBA are favored by height while others need skill and the ability to control the ball. This is why you will notice that in a basketball team, positions are shared with both the tallest, tall, and medium height.
The Average Height in The NBA
You will agree with me that the average height in NBA keeps on changing every season, and this is why you might not be able to predict the average height of the following season or some years to come. The NBA's average height in 1987 was about 6' 7,'' which the sources have.
However, from that time, the NBA's average height has been descending, and the reason behind this was how the player developed more muscles until in the present season, where that began to make a change.
Moreover, the average height went back to the normal one of 6' 7'', this was due to the weight, good health, and the improvement in athletic skills that the players experienced. Lastly, the scouts involved in searching for the potential basketball players in the future always look for those that will match up to the average height when they are fully matured.
NBA Player’s Height by Position
Point Guard Average Height
This was the position with the shortest players in the NBA back in 1952 with an average height of 6’. However, with time the average height started ascending as by the end of 1987's season, the average height was already at 6' 3''. The only tallest player that played in this position was Magic Johnson, with a total height of 6' 9'', and it was a height that is never common in the guarding position.
The continuous increment in height was an indication that you will never find a constant average height in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Furthermore, this is one of the NBA positions that do not require the player to have the height but the skills, talent, and ability to control the ball in every sector. The average height for a player who wants to play in the position of point guard will always range between 6’ and 6' 3''; more than that, you are not qualified.
The average height's ascending will never change the average height need for a player in a point guard. However, in the present, point guard player who is also the tallest is at a total of 6' 10,'' and the NBA free agents also confirmed this.
Shooting Guard’s Average Height
Generally, players who play in this position are gradually taller than those who play in a point guard. The average height needed in this position rages between 6' 3''and 6' 5''. However, the recommended average height was 6' 1'' back in 1952 but this increased up to 6' 5'' in early 2000.
Moreover, some years, the point guard players became heavier and taller than the shooting guard players. This was evident in Ben Simmons, who had a total height of 6' 10'' who was a point guard player and Corey Brewer who was a shooting guard player with an average height of 6' 9''.
Small Forward Average Height
It is clear that the average height in this position keeps on increasing each year, and unlike the other positions, this one is considered to be having the most ironical names in the NBA. When this position was introduced in the basketball in 1952, it started with an average height of about 6' 4'' and it only lasted for a season.
However, in 2015-2016 season the height ascended up to 6' 8''. Therefore, this made the NBA officials set the average height between 6' 5'' and 6' 10''. Finally, it was evident that this position's average height kept on changing every year, according to the NBA trades.
Power Forward Average Height
This is one of the NBA positions that has gone through a lot of changes from 1952. Power forward players were so huge, and it was the position with the tallest and energetic players in the NBA. However, they were much concentrated around the rebounds and the post-ups, but this changed as time went by. This was at the time they directed their concentration in making three-pointers in the game.
The average height of the power forward never changed that much despite the change in their gameplay. This is one position in the NBA that has maintained the average height for a long time.
Their average height falls between 6' 7'' and 6' 11''. However, the other thing that keeps on changing in power forward is the weight of its player. The players' weight has descended by about 10 lbs. in 4 years, and this greatly changed the gameplay of the power forward players.
Centers Average Height
This is one of the positions with the tallest player in who of the NBA. Most of the height you will find here goes up to 7' 5''. The average height of a central player was 7 in 1996, and it became the highest height that was ever recorded in a central position.
It has an average height of about 6' 7''. The only thing that has experienced change is the players' weight since 1996, and the weight has been ascending until 2014 when it reached a peak of 229 lbs.
Advantages of The Height in The NBA
When you ask most of the fans if they know the talented Laker’s power forward player, Anthony Davis, they will surely tell you who he is. However, he was mostly referred to as the little guy when he was still in high school, where he used to shoot his threes from the corner but this came to a change this player grew up to a height of 6’ 4’’ by the end of the sophomore. But this did not just end from there because his average height now is about 6’ 8’’.
Moreover, His way of playing with his height has proven that tall players have the advantage of basketball. Below are some of the advantages that the players enjoy when they are playing;
It helps you to block shots and protect the rim on defense.
When you are a tall basketball player, the height will help you make sure that you block the shots that come from the opposing team. This is something that does not require you to have skills only but the height too because this will be an added advantage to your team.
The funny part is that even if you are not planning to block the shot, the offense will always be thinking that you will block his shot, thus reducing the number of shots that your team had to protect.
It is easier to finish at the rim.
At this point, only your height is going to save you. Their so no way you are going to reach a 10 feet basketball hoop when you are short. Therefore, those tall players have an advantage over this because they will not struggle to finish the rim. Moreover, most of the tall players dunk easily compared to those that have medium height.
Taller players have longer strides.
The taller you are with the tall legs, the faster you can run from one place to another. Players with long legs will always have an advantage over those players that are small. The taller ones will always be ahead of the smaller players when they are on the court. It will also be easy for the taller players to reach the basket quickly, which is why the height is essential in the NBA.
Taller players get more rebounds.
Generally, the person’s wingspan will always equal the player's height, especially the tall one. However, most of the players' wingspan is excellent compared to their height, which becomes an added advantage to them.
Therefore, it will be easier for them to go for the rebounds under the basket. This is what makes the taller player outsmart the shorter ones in terms of getting more rebounds. However, according to the NBA draft 2020, you might find the taller players have a lower speed compared to the shorter ones, and for those that are tall, this might be quite an embarrassment.
Some of The Tallest Players Ever in The NBA
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Gheorghe Muresan, 7’7’’
This was a Romanian basketball player. He played for a period of 7 years from 1993 to 2000 and later retired from the game. It goes without recognition that the height of this player was a great attribute to his career. The was awarded as the most improved player in the year 1996, and that as far he was able to go.
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Manute Bol, 7’7’’
He was an NBA player for a total of 10 seasons. He began his career in 1985 and ended it in 1995; he later died in 2010. He will always be remembered of his ability to block shots with his legendary height that caught many. His tallness was inherited from his family. His great-grandfather had a total height of 7'10'', with his parent having 6'10'' each.
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Shawn Bradley,7’6’
He played for New Jersey Nets and then transferred to Dallas Mavericks from 1993 to 2005, then retired. Unfortunately, this player never gained anything in all his career despite having a promising one during his time.
Bottom Line
Whether you admit it or not, it is evident that height is an essential element when it comes to basketball. When you are tall, you will improve your performance every time you step on the court to play. However, despite its advantages, it is something as a player, you do not have to rely on it that much because just like any other sport, you will need to have skill.
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