When compared to the average human, professional basketball players are tall.
An NBA player’s average height is a whopping 6 feet 7 inches. Is this the minimum height requirement for basketball?
There are no height requirements for NBA players; it’s all about the skills. It also depends on the position. For example, a 6’3″ point guard should not play center because he is not built to withstand the physical pounding that a center must endure.
The ideal height and weight for basketball are 6’4-6′10 and 200–250 pounds.
More on this subject in continuation of this article. Enjoy!
Do you have to be tall to play in the NBA?
While being tall is a known advantage in basketball, it is not the only factor determining how successful you will be as a player. Being tall is an advantage, but the ability to play is the most important requirement.
A player being 6 feet tall will find it much more difficult to advance in the professional leagues as the height of players with the same skill sets with greater height.
Altough there isn’t a height requirement for NBA, anyone under 6’0′′ will be dwarfed by the other players on the court. To appear tall on an NBA basketball court, you need to be at least 6′10′′ tall; if you are taller than 6’11”, you are a giant.
Muggsy Bogues, who was 5’3′ tall, was the shortest player ever.
If you have the talent, you can be 5’2′′ or 7′ 2′′ tall.
They could get into the league with freakish height in the old days, until the early 2000s.
They were, however, usually sluggish and clumsy, and their only job was to block shots, rebound, and dunk or layup balls.
These players would be waived or not drafted today. Today’s bigs are primarily required to spread the floor.
And, like me, Thomas is short. If he can stay healthy, he can play. They can run, steal, pass, and shoot. The defense can be a bit sluggish at times. Any size with talent, however, can play.
Is it necessary to be tall to succeed in NBA?
You don’t have to be a certain size to succeed in the NBA. Great players have always found a way to overcome challenges, including height.
This is nothing new. And you don’t get into the NBA unless you’re at the very least a decent player.
Let’s explain the connection between height and positions a bit further…
The role of the point guard is to be quick, shoot the ball, drive the lane, and dish the ball to open teammates.
The center’s role is to block shots, clog the lane so that point guards are intimidated when they drive the lane, crash the boards, grab rebounds, and play close to the basket to get easy shots off the glass.
When it comes to height, NBA teams know what they want. Because you’re too short, everyone can take advantage of you, shoot over you, go around you, and so on. Too tall, and usually, the tallest players do not have the fastest feet or the quickest reaction times.
An NBA point guard’s (the shortest of the listed positions) prototypical size is probably around 6’3′′, which is the listed height of explosive players like Westbrook, Curry, Lillard, and Rose.
But, as the millions of 6′3′′ men walking around on the street can attest, height does not make the player.
In a vertically oriented game centered around a 10′ rim, height is simply a tool that makes it easier to make certain plays.
Any competent NBA coach will take you over a player who has the requisite size on paper but lacks the same playmaking ability on the court if you can demonstrate an ability to make the plays you need to make without having that height.
How tall do you have to be to play basketball in the NBA?
Anyone can play in the NBA, but your chances improve dramatically if you are taller than average. Consider it for a moment.
How many NBA players do you see with a height of 6 feet and under? One, possibly two. Is there a reason for this?
Although I hate to be the bearer of bad news, the reality is that players 6 feet 5 inches and taller possess all of the skills and speed that smaller guards exploit to gain an advantage over their opponents.
Which player would you choose if you were a scout or a coach: the six-footers or the six-and-a-half-footer?
They have the same skill set and are both fast. However, one player will stand out on offense and defense because of his height.
Shorter players are more of a defensive liability because they can’t cover as much ground as someone with broomstick arms.
If you’re of average height and want to play in the NBA, keep dreaming; if you aim for the stars, you might end up hitting the moon instead.
Basically, if you aim for the NBA but end up playing professional basketball in another country, that’s still an incredible achievement.
If you want to play in the NBA, never give up, but keep in mind that, contrary to popular belief, not everyone can make it.
Is Height a Crucial Factor in Basketball?
Basketball players are typically tall, slender athletes because their height allows them to reach the basketball goal and defend the ball against opposing players.
According to Dr. Steven Halls of Halls.MD.com, professional basketball players are about 8 inches taller than the average American male.
Height is often associated with other important characteristics for a basketball player, such as arms reach and hand span.
Manute Bol (7’7″), Gheorghe Muresan (7’7″), and Shawn Bradley (7’6″) are among the game’s tallest centers. They are tall, but we’re not the best players in the league and didn’t last long.
The constant pounding on the joints from running and being physical in the paint against opponents takes its toll on the body when a person reaches that height, especially on body frames that are over 7′2′′.
In terms of height, the sweet spot for centers is between 6′10′′ and 7′2′′.
In the NBA, it appears that the trend is moving toward bigger point guards. Magic Johnson was 6′ 9′′ tall, which is unusually tall for a basketball player who will drive the lane and distribute the ball. Ben Simmons of the 76ers is also 6’8′′ to 6’9′′ tall.
NBA teams know how much height they require and look for it in the draft or free agency.
These short players made it
Muggsy Bogues, a 5’3″ NBA player who played from 1987 to 2001, is well-known. However, Earl Boykins (5′5′′high-energy role player) was finishing up a 13-year career in the league as recently as 2012.
Players like Nate Robinson (5′9′′ former dunk champion and high-energy role player) and Isaiah Thomas (5′8 – 5′9′′ all-star with the Celtics) have obviously had very successful careers of their own. Spudd Webb stood 5’7″ tall.
Going up a notch, Chris Paul is listed at 6′0′′, and everyone knows that this is a generous measurement, as Paul is a slam-dunk Hall of Famer who will go down as one of the game’s all-time greats.
He still manages to be an elite defender despite giving up several inches in most matchups, and he’s a world-class passer and efficient scorer in his own right.
These are quick point guards who, on defense, created a mismatch because their opponents were usually much taller than them and could take advantage of their own height.
What is the average height of NBA players?
The average NBA player stood 6’6′′ tall (198.8cm) during the 2019-2020 season, nearly 8 inches taller than the common American male (5’9 1/2′′)!
In contrast to my last study in 2018, the average height of NBA players from previous seasons has been corrected downwards. This, I believe, is due to updated height measurements of the players.
NBA teams were required to submit actual height numbers (without shoes) measured by their team doctors beginning with the 2019-2020 season. Previously, “politics” skewed many numbers.
Kevin Durant used to joke that he’s 7 feet tall but 6 feet 9 inches tall in basketball circles when talking to women.
If we look at the average height of NBA players throughout the league’s history, we can see that in 1952, basketball players were almost 3 inches shorter than they are today! After that, players continued to grow taller until reaching a peak of 6’7′′ in 1987. (201.2cm).
Since then, we’ve noticed a slight drop in player heights, which could be due to the recent change in player measurement.
While average player height stopped increasing in 1987, players continued to gain weight until 2011, when they peaked at 221 pounds. The NBA is becoming more athletic, powerful, and muscular due to this.
This trend has slowed in recent years as basketball has evolved into a much faster, perimeter-oriented game, so, understandably, players are becoming leaner once more.
