If you’ve watched a San Antonio Spurs game lately, you’ve probably seen something that looks less like a basketball player and more like a mythological creature. That’s Victor Wembanyama. He’s currently the answer to who is the tallest NBA player, but even that simple title comes with some weird asterisks and "growing pains"—literally.
The NBA used to be a bit loose with heights. For decades, players would get measured in their sneakers, or sometimes they’d just tell the team trainer to add an inch for the media guide. That changed a few years ago when the league cracked down, requiring official "socks-only" measurements. This shift makes the current crop of giants even more impressive because we know exactly how much steel and bone they’re packing.
The King of the Clouds: Victor Wembanyama
As of the 2025-2026 season, Victor Wembanyama is the tallest NBA player on an active roster. He is officially listed at 7 feet 5 inches.
Kinda crazy, right? Honestly, what makes "Wemby" different from the giants of the 90s isn't just the height; it’s the way he moves. Usually, when someone is that tall, they run like their knees are made of glass and prayers. Wembanyama handles the ball like a wing and shoots threes. He’s basically a 7-foot-5 Kevin Durant with the defensive instincts of a prime Rudy Gobert.
Recent reports from the Spurs camp and insiders like Brian Windhorst suggest he might even be pushing closer to 7-foot-6 now. He’s 21. People that size sometimes keep growing well into their early twenties. If he hits 7-foot-7, he moves into the "tallest ever" conversation, which is currently occupied by some legendary names.
The Rookie Rivals and the 7-Foot-3 Club
Wembanyama isn’t the only one making necks hurt in the front row. There’s a serious influx of height coming into the league right now.
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Zach Edey: The Memphis Grizzlies center is a massive human being. He’s listed at 7-foot-4 and weighs over 300 pounds. While Wemby is lean and wiry, Edey is a throwback to the old-school physical centers. He’s basically a walking double-double who makes other seven-footers look small.
Bol Bol: The son of the legendary Manute Bol stands 7-foot-3. He has one of the strangest skill sets in the league—tall enough to block shots without jumping but talented enough to lead a fast break.
Rocco Zikarsky: A newer name for many, this Minnesota Timberwolves prospect (via the NBL) is officially 7-foot-3. He’s young, energetic, and currently splitting time between the big league and the G-League, but his size is undeniable.
Dereck Lively II: Here is a wild fact—Lively was drafted at 7-foot-1. By the start of the 2025 season, the Dallas Mavericks officially updated his height to 7-foot-3. Yes, he actually grew two inches after getting to the NBA.
Who Is the Tallest NBA Player of All Time?
To understand the scale of today's players, you have to look back. The history of the league is littered with "outliers" who made the rim look like a hula hoop.
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The record for the tallest player in NBA history is a tie. Gheorghe Mureșan and Manute Bol both stood at 7 feet 7 inches.
Mureșan, a Romanian giant who played for the Washington Bullets, was slightly heavier and had a soft touch around the rim. He actually led the league in field goal percentage twice. On the flip side, Manute Bol was famously thin—so thin people wondered how he didn't snap in half during a post-up. Bol once blocked 15 shots in a single game. Twice. He also had a weirdly effective (and hilarious) three-point shot that used to drive coaches crazy.
The Hall of Fame Giants
Height doesn't always equal greatness. A lot of the tallest players struggled with foot injuries because the human frame isn't really designed to carry that much weight at high speeds. But a few giants conquered the league:
- Yao Ming (7-foot-6): The most skilled giant ever. He had a turnaround jumper that was literally unblockable.
- Ralph Sampson (7-foot-4): Before Wembanyama, Sampson was the original "unicorn." He was a number one pick who could run the floor like a guard.
- Mark Eaton (7-foot-4): A defensive wall for the Utah Jazz. He once averaged nearly 6 blocks per game for an entire season.
Why Height is Changing in 2026
The NBA is in a "size" renaissance, but it’s different this time. In the past, being the tallest meant you stood under the hoop and waited for the ball. Now, coaches expect 7-footers to switch onto point guards and hit corner threes.
The medical side has changed too. Teams are obsessed with "prehab." They use biomechanics and specific yoga routines to keep these guys flexible. That’s why Wembanyama is able to do things that would have ended a career 20 years ago. They aren't just big; they’re athletes who happen to be enormous.
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The Next Steps for Fans
If you're following the race for the tallest, keep an eye on the official NBA roster updates every October. That's when the "real" numbers come out.
Don't just look at height, though. Look at wingspan. Wembanyama’s wingspan is roughly 8 feet. That means he can effectively guard two people at once just by standing in the middle of the lane. If you want to see the future of the league, watch how the Grizzlies use Zach Edey’s bulk versus how the Spurs use Wemby’s reach. It’s a fascinating contrast in how to use massive human beings to win games.
For now, the crown stays in San Antonio. Unless someone like Olivier Rioux (the 7-foot-9 college sensation) makes it to the league in a few years, Victor Wembanyama is the undisputed king of the tall guys.
Check the Spurs' official roster page periodically to see if Wembanyama's listing climbs even higher—at his age, 7-foot-6 isn't just a possibility; it's likely.