{"id":37013,"date":"2024-01-17T03:50:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T09:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/?p=37013"},"modified":"2024-05-14T03:58:33","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T08:58:33","slug":"average-nba-player-height","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/average-nba-player-height\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Statistics: What Is The Average NBA Player Height?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Everybody knows the NBA is a league full of giants. The average height of an NBA player is a whopping 6’6.5″ inches<\/strong>. This means the average player on an NBA court will tower 9.5 inches above an average male in the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we’ll look at the average NBA player height by position, the average height of players over the years, and the average height of teams in the NBA vs their win rate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are five traditional positions on a basketball team<\/a>. Point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. In general, any “short” NBA player<\/a> is a point or shooting guard, while centers are usually the tallest players on the court. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As of 2022, the average height of an NBA point guard was 6’2.5″. Although this is shorter than the overall average height for NBA players, it’s still over five inches taller than the average man. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, there are still lots of examples of successful NBA players under this height.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All time greats Allen Iverson (6\u20190\u201d), John Stockton<\/a> (6\u20191\u201d) and Chris Paul (6\u20191\u201d) all played at point guard (and shooting guard in the case of Iverson) in the NBA. This is because the point guard position often favors ball handling, agility, speed and game IQ over height.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the 2023-24 season, the shortest player in the league is the Toronto Raptors Markquis Nowell, who stands at just 5\u20197\u201d. The next shortest is Jacob Gilyard of the Memphis Grizzlies, who is just 5\u20198\u201d. Both players are point guards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, two of the most exciting and talented players to ever grace the NBA hardwood, were both primarily shooting guards. They were both 6’6″, which is slightly bigger than the 2022 average of 6’4.5″.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On average, shooting guards are two inches taller than points guards, and two inches shorter than small forwards. They are often required to combine the skills associated with both positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Especially in the modern era of the NBA, it\u2019s not unusual to see \u201cswingmen\u201d who can play multiple positions with a range of skills. These include shooting guards like James Harden, Tracy McGrady, Klay Thompson, and of course Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite being named \u201csmall\u201d forwards, NBA players in this position have an average height of 6’6.4″. This is slightly above the overall average NBA player height. Maybe the league could consider renaming them \u201cabove average\u201d forwards instead?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The greatest small forwards in the history of the NBA have combined outstanding basketball skill and athleticism with height and power to give their opponents nightmares. These include LeBron James (6’9″), Larry Bird (6’9″), and Scottie Pippen (6’8″).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like the name suggests, power forwards generally have a pretty intimidating stature. On average, power forwards in the NBA have a height of 6’8.2″, which is nearly a foot bigger than the average American male.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to their height, power forwards are expected to rebound, set screens and generally play closer to the basket than guards and small forwards. However, in the modern game, it\u2019s not uncommon to see a power forward with the skill of a guard, but the height of a center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Giannis Antetokounmpo (6’11”), Kevin Garnett (6’11”), Kevin Durant (6’11”) and Dirk Nowitzki (7’0″) are all giants that had a combination of ball handling, shooting, passing and IQ that was generally reserved for smaller players in eras gone by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Centers are on average the tallest players on any basketball court. Centers and power forwards can interchange, and as previously mentioned, some of the greatest power forwards in the modern era are bigger than centers, but on average an NBA center is 6’10.3″.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They generally play closest to the basket of any position, and their primary responsibility is to rebound, set screens<\/a>, block the opposing team\u2019s shots, and to score in the paint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Boban Marjanovic of the Houston Rockets are the two tallest players currently active in the NBA. They are both 7’4″ and play as centers (although Wembanyama can also play as a power forward). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The tallest player in NBA history was Gheorghe Mure\u0219an (pictured below), who was a whopping 7’7″, and you guessed it, played as a center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the centuries, the average height of humans has steadily risen thanks to improvements in healthcare, nutrition and living conditions. In the US, the average height of a man increased by 1.5 inches between 1960 and 2002. So, \u200b\u200bhas the average basketball player height continued to increase in the same way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The graph below shows the average height of an NBA player per decade, starting from the 1960s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The average player height in the 2002\/2003 NBA season was 6’6.9″, which was exactly 1.5 inches taller than in 1960, like the general population. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the NBA has not seen a taller decade since the noughties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The mid 80s was known as the era of the big men, so it makes sense that average NBA player height peaked in 1986\/87 (at 6’7.2″). Since then and over time, the league has moved away from an overreliance on height, and is more focused on skill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the table below, we list the average height of each NBA team alongside the team’s win rate. All data is for the 2023\/24 season:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tallest NBA team is the Denver Nuggets, who clock in at 6’7.9″ on average. That\u2019s 1.4 inches taller than the 6’6.5″ league average, and a significant 2.5 inches more than the shortest team in the league, the Golden State Warriors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The below graph shows the teams in order of average height (starting with the tallest), plotted against the season’s current win rate percentage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Average NBA Height By Position<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Average NBA Point Guard Height: 6’2.5″<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
NBA Shooting Guard Average Height: 6’4.5″<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Average Height Of A Small Forward In The NBA: 6’6.4″<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Average Height Of A Power Forward In The NBA: 6’8.2″<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Average NBA Center Height: 6’10.3″<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Average Height In The NBA By Year<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Average NBA Height By Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Team<\/strong><\/td> Average Height<\/strong><\/td> Win Rate<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> Denver Nuggets<\/td> 6’7.9″<\/td> 41.3%<\/td><\/tr> Phoenix Suns<\/td> 6’7.4″<\/td> 57.4%<\/td><\/tr> Boston Celtics<\/td> 6’7.2″<\/td> 77.1%<\/td><\/tr> Orlando Magic<\/td> 6’7.1″<\/td> 56.8%<\/td><\/tr> Utah Jazz<\/td> 6’7″<\/td> 49%<\/td><\/tr> San Antonio Spurs<\/td> 6’6.9″<\/td> 21.3%<\/td><\/tr> Los Angeles Lakers<\/td> 6’6.8″<\/td> 49%<\/td><\/tr> Brooklyn Nets<\/td> 6’6.7″<\/td> 42.1%<\/td><\/tr> Minnesota Timberwolves<\/td> 6’6.7″<\/td> 70.3%<\/td><\/tr> Washington Wizards<\/td> 6’6.7″<\/td> 19.6%<\/td><\/tr> Los Angeles Clippers<\/td> 6’6.6″<\/td> 66.7%<\/td><\/tr> Houston Rockets<\/td> 6’6.6″<\/td> 47.8%<\/td><\/tr> Milwaukee Bucks<\/td> 6’6.6″<\/td> 68.1%<\/td><\/tr> Oklahoma City Thunder<\/td> 6’6.6″<\/td> 68.1%<\/td><\/tr> Portland Trail Blazers<\/td> 6’6.6″<\/td> 29.8%<\/td><\/tr> Dallas Mavericks<\/td> 6’6.4″<\/td> 55.3%<\/td><\/tr> Sacramento Kings<\/td> 6’6.4″<\/td> 60%<\/td><\/tr> Indiana Pacers<\/td> 6’6.3″<\/td> 56.3%<\/td><\/tr> Miami Heat<\/td> 6’6.3″<\/td> 51.1%<\/td><\/tr> Philadelphia 76ers<\/td> 6’6.3″<\/td> 63%<\/td><\/tr> Chicago Bulls<\/td> 6’6.3″<\/td> 45.8%<\/td><\/tr> Atlanta Hawks<\/td> 6’6.2″<\/td> 42.6%<\/td><\/tr> Detroit Pistons<\/td> 6’6.2″<\/td> 13%<\/td><\/tr> New Orleans Pelicans<\/td> 6’6.2″<\/td> 55.3%<\/td><\/tr> Cleveland Cavaliers<\/td> 6’6.1″<\/td> 63.6%<\/td><\/tr> Toronto Raptors<\/td> 6’6″<\/td> 39.5%<\/td><\/tr> Memphis Grizzlies<\/td> 6’6″<\/td> 37.8%<\/td><\/tr> Charlotte Hornets<\/td> 6’5.8″<\/td> 22.9%<\/td><\/tr> New York Knicks<\/td> 6’5.7″<\/td> 64.6%<\/td><\/tr> Golden State Warriors<\/td> 6’5.4″<\/td> 45.5%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n