A physical sport like the NBA requires players with a heavy structure, significantly impacting the game and the opponents.
Height helps NBA players defend the basket, makes the distance needed to dunk or layup the basketball shorter, and helps them to be able to shoot over other players.
However, players’ weight is an often overlooked aspect of this increased height.
While we’re data nerds, we don’t like pulling information without guidance or backing behind the numbers.
The average NBA player’s weight is 217 lbs. Unsurprisingly, point guards are the lightest, while centers are the heaviest. Usually, the taller and heavier the player, the stronger he is.
While the data regarding average team weight is more interesting than useful, the average player weight by position is more useful for basketball fans and aspiring players.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the average weight of NBA players by position.
In addition, we will look at the average weight of each NBA team and determine if a higher or lower average weight correlates with an increased number of games won and further advancement through the playoffs.
Average NBA Weight in 2022/2023 Season
Utilizing data provided by Basketball-Reference, we can pull in a list of all active and current players from the 2022-23 NBA season.
With this data, we can further drill down to the average weight of each team.
While we expect the center position to weigh the most, with a decrease by position numbering played, the data agree with those assumptions.
According to the data, generally, the heaviest players on the court will play the center position, with a decrease in average weight by player position.
Center -> 247.79 pounds
Power Forward -> 228.63 pounds
Small Forward -> 213.93 pounds
Shooting Guard -> 201.53 pounds
Point Guard -> 190.72 pounds
According to BallAreLife, the Utah Jazz was the heaviest team in the NBA, with an average weight of 225.41 pounds. On the other end of the spectrum, the lowest-weighing team was the Golden State Warriors, averaging just 204.64 pounds, or nearly 15 pounds less than the average NBA player.
Interestingly enough, the second-heaviest team was none other than the Boston Celtics. Averaging 221.07 pounds, the Celtics were a hair above 6 pounds more than the average weight of all NBA players.
With that information, and dependent on the position played, you should look to be within the average range of the players within your position.
Now, that’s not to say that you should go and gain 30-pounds to reach the 247-pound average of an NBA center.
Rather, the data suggest that certain positions benefit from the added weight on a per-position basis while others are better suited for less weight.
A point guard needs to be quick and agile; too much-added weight will slow them down.
Similarly, a center needs to have some additional weight to be able to effectively box out, grab rebounds, and withstand the hits and whacks coming from the opposing team.
The Lightest Players Today
- Tyrell Terry – 160 lbs
- Trae Young – 164 lbs
- Isaiah Joe – 165 lbs
- Kira Lewis Jr – 170 lbs
- Kennedy Chandler – 171 lbs
- Dennis Schröder – 172 lbs
- Bones Hyland – 173 lbs
- Ja Morant – 174 lbs
Tyrell Terry, who weighs 160 pounds, is now the league’s lightest player.
As of the start of the 2022–2023 NBA season, none of the eight lightest players in the league made the list of the eight lightest players in NBA history.
Tyrell Terry, the player who weighs the least, is still 7 pounds too heavy to be included on the all-time list.
Because several more athletes, including future Hall of Famer Chris Paul, are tied at 175 pounds, I stopped the list at eight guys.
It’s important to point out that all of the weights given here were obtained from Basketball Reference’s list of weights.
At this point, I should also point out that I am aware that many of the weights stated are not totally true. I am aware that my weight can change over the course of days, weeks, and months, and I am certain that the same is true for the athletes on this list.
Additionally, rather than re-evaluating each player’s weight annually, it’s probable that the given weights for current players are based on their weights at the NBA Draft combine.
As accurate as they possibly may be, these lists are correct. The weights were obtained from a reliable source. But, every day of a player’s NBA career, are they all the same weight? I have my doubts.
Regarding history, Muggsy Bogues, Earl Boykins, and Spud Webb are the three NBA players who weigh the least.
The Heaviest NBA Players in the 2022/2023 Season
You are 100% correct if you assume that one of the NBA’s biggest players is Zion Williamson. But does he rank among the top five, or is he the heaviest?
There may be some guys that are heavier than Williamson because many of them are taller than the Pelicans’ budding star.
However, enough with the conjecture. As we approach the 2022–23 season, let’s examine the four NBA players that are the heaviest:
#4 Nikola Jokic (284 pounds)
Nikola Jokic shares the same weight as the player after him on this list, 284 pounds. However, I choose to rank Jokic fourth because he had disclosed that he had dropped considerable weight before his 2021–22 MVP season.
He remains one of the four heaviest NBA players based on his registered playing weight.
The 6′ 11″ big man is a force to be reckoned with in the paint. He makes room for himself underneath the hoop with the help of his wide frame, then throws up hook shots or floaters in the lane with precise accuracy.
Jokic possesses a soft touch from the outside and can make shots from all the way out to the three-point line despite having good upper body strength.
#3 Zion Williamson (284 pounds)
It is simple to believe that the 6′ 7″, 22-year-old forward could weigh close to 300 pounds just by looking at him.
Williamson, meanwhile, is a high-flying forward who leaps through the air for potent dunks despite his weight.
Many NBA spectators are impressed by how quickly he jumps on his second and third attempts. By the way, the majority of his spectators have become followers.
Only three things can often occur when he approaches the painted area: he will make a layup/dunk, get fouled, or both. That demonstrates how skillfully Williamson uses his body.
#2 Jusuf Nurkic (290 pounds)
Jusuf Nurkic, an NBA big man who weighs about 300 pounds, is the cornerstone of the Portland Trail Blazers’ interior defense.
He provides the Blazers with a deterrent for opponents who dare not enter the shaded lane, thanks to his presence underneath.
Although Nurkic, who is 6′ 11″, isn’t as quick as some NBA players his size, he has good touch around the basket and knows how to create a few baskets to aid his teammates in attack.
In addition to grabbing rebounds at the same nine-per-game clip as last season, Damian Lillard needs him to score a few points.
#1 Boban Marjanovic (290 pounds)
The Houston Rockets’ Boban Marjanovic is now the heaviest player in the NBA.
Although Marjanovic doesn’t get much playing time with the Rockets, he effectively uses his time on the court despite being the same weight as Nurkic at 290 pounds and being higher at 7′ 4″.
Marjanovic is a career 77.4% shooter from the line, and last season, he averaged a career-high 81.6%, making it tough to understand how someone as big as he can easily shoot the ball.
When this cheerful monster of a guy gets the ball close to the hoop, it’s virtually always a two-point play since he frequently only hops a little bit of dunking the ball or tiptoes to a layup.
Off the court, Marjanovic is a humorous guy who enjoys using social media to make NBA fans smile and laugh.
Gaining Weight: Is It a Good Thing?
We all know that the majority of NBA players are enormous individuals, with the league’s average player height in recent seasons being 6’6″.
Furthermore, despite the fact that NBA players frequently stand taller than the average person, there is no connection between height and success in the NBA.
In truth, some of the NBA’s shortest players have ever had a big impact on the game and their teams.
Does having more weight for each player, though, help to guarantee success in both the NBA regular season and playoffs?
It’s critical to comprehend how additional weight might benefit an NBA player before diving into the data.
First off, extra weight, especially muscle strength, can help a player on the court by improving their ability to box out, defend against, and protect against a smaller opponent.
These players are typically stronger than their rivals, thanks to the weight’s extra force.
The additional weight can also be helpful in the NBA by creating space and separation between an opponent’s player and the basketball.
A little extra weight can go a long way since the circumference of the athlete as a whole act as a barrier and creates distance between the basketball and the other player.
However, an NBA player’s general health and ability to play in the league may suffer from carrying too much weight.
Weight gain can slow down a player, aggravate chronic knee discomfort, and make lifting oneself off the ground more challenging for a jump shot, layup, or slam.