Average height of NBA player is 6 foot 6.74 inches in 2023. Basketball players are benefited from how tall they are.

While playing basketball, the verticle length of the player adds a plus point to the player's command at the court. 

Especially in the main position like the Center, height is significant to make a good command over a team. The center position is the toughest position in basketball, where you need to be physically domineering, tall, and defensive.

In 2019, the NBA ordered its teams to measure the height of their players in the presence of the team's medical examiner to avoid counterfeits and ensure accuracy in data. The players are calculated barefoot and almost yearly by their teams.

Here is the average height of NBA players according to their positions and height trends from previous years.

Average Height of NBA Center Player

The average height of the center position players in the NBA is 6 feet 11 inches. The highest standing reach is 9 feet 9 inches, as in the 2022-23 season.

The Center player plays near the basketball hoop and is mostly taller and stronger than the rest of the team members. They are needed to be physically domineering and athletic for rebound and block on the basketball court.

The player at the center tries to score in short and from under the basket and rebound at offense. They also block and protect the rim and rebound the opponent's misses at defense which is why the center position is the toughest in Basketball.

The shortest Center player of NBA Montrezl Harrell on the left and tallest center player Boban Marjanovic on the right..
Source : instagram

As per the 2023 league roster data provided by the NBA, there are currently 22 players with an average height of 6'11" in the Center position. The shortest height of the NBA Center is of Forward-Center player Montrezl Harrell who stands at 6'7". The tallest center player in the NBA as of 2023 is Houston Rockets player Boban Marjanovic who stands at 7'4" in measurement.

In six teams of the National Basketball Association, there are nine center-positioned players with a height of 6'8" and 16 players of 6'9". The Washington Wizards Forward-center player Kristaps Porzingis is the second-tallest NBA player with a height of 7'3".

Charlotte Hornets Mark Williams at Vegas on 29 November 2021 match.
Source : instagram

The representative height of a center-positioned player in the NBA in the year 2021-2022 was 6'10". The average height of the center-positioned player has mostly been in the range of 2.08m to 2.11m since 1952, as per the data collected by The Hoops Geek. But there has been an uprise in the recent stature of basketballers in the NBA, with a remarkable measure of 2.13m.

In the Atlantic Team of the NBA, the common height of the players in the center position is 6'9" out of a total of 15 center players. While in the Central team, the average is 6 feet 11 inches, followed by the Southeast team with the measurement of 6 feet 10 inches.

The standing reach of Charlotte Hornets Center Mark Williams is 9'9" while Christian Koloko of Toronto Raptors has the maximum vertical leap of 33.50. The 7'0.25" tall Walker Kessler has a standing reach of 9'5".

Some center-positioned basketballers in the NBA with representative height are Deandre Ayton, Steven Adams, Tony Bradley, James Wiseman, Lauri Markkanen, and Kelly Olynyk.

Average Height of NBA Power Forward Player

The average height of a power-forward player is 6 feet 8 inches as of 2023. 

The forward-power player in basketball is responsible for taking longer shots and playing in both offense and defense. Unlike in the past, nowadays, power forwards attempts more three-pointers than ever.

The tallest power forward Kristaps Porzingis at Capital One Arena.
Source : instagram

The tallest power forward in the league roster is Kristaps Porzingis from Washington Wizards, who stands at 7'3", alongside the shortest power forward, David Roddy, who is 6'4" tall.

The best standing reach of power forward is 9'4" by John Butler Jr., who is 6'11.5" taller. The 2022 draft pick power forward, E.J. Liddell, has the highest standing vertical leap of 35'50" and a maximum vertical leap of 38'00" as per the latest data of the NBA draft.

Dominick Barlow reached the standing point of 9'0.50" with a height of 6'8.75". Other power forwards like Tari Eason, Jabari Walker, and Jake LaRavia also heed the measurement of six feet.

The vertical length of power forwards has not changed much in the past few years. Athletes have regularly been tall nearer to 6'8", since 2015.

Average Height of Small Forward Player

The small forward players in the NBA are 6 feet 6.4 inches tall on average.

Small Forward player gives long and short shots on the basketball court. They are in a critical position in the court and face head-to-head with the opponents in the match. This is why the players in the Small forward position are of medium height and good at shooting.

Small Forward Leonard Miller at Toronto, Ontario.
Source : instagram

The average measurement of small forward players in the previous seasons has fluctuated between 6'7" and 6'6" since 2000. But the recent record has shown the chances of them growing up to the range of 6'8" tall.

The small forward players were measured about 6'6.3" tall in 2019/20, which increased in 2020/21 to 6'6.7". Although it decreased by a few points in 2021/22, the players measured up to 2.06m in the recent 2022/23 season.

In the recent season of 2022-23, the Washington Wizards small forward Deni Avdija is recorded as 6'9" tall. The 2.06m taller Partick Baldwin Jr. of the Golden State Warriors measured 9'2.50" standing reach in the 2022-23 season as per the NBA draft combine.

In the recent season, the Indiana Pacers' round two draft pick Kendall Brown has a standing vertical leap of 31'00" and a maximum vertical leap of 41'00". Kendall is a 2.01m taller small forward player.

Small Forwards Leonard Miller is 2.08m tall and has achieved a standing vertical leap of 30'00" in the recent season draft combine. The league player has the maximum vertical leap of 36'50" as per the recent data.

The small forward has the majority of players measuring in the range of 6'5" to 6'7", indicating the gradual and significant growth of the player's vertical length in the league.

Average Height of Point Guard Player

The NBA Point guards are 6 feet 2 inches tall on average as of 2023.

The point guards are usually the team's best dibbler and passer who defends the opponent's point guards while trying to snatch the ball from them. The height of the point guard has always remained smaller than other position players in basketball.

The former American professional basketball player Muggsy Bogues was only 1.6 m taller. As the shortest player to ever play in NBA, he played point guard for four teams in his career of 14 seasons.

The Boston Celtics point guard JD Davison at Portland Expo on November 2022.
Source : instagram

The height of the point guard-positioned players has increased in the past years. Previously, the average measurement of a point guard ranged between 6'00" to 6'1," but it has remained 6'2" since 2017/18.

The point guards were vertically measured 6'2.6" taller in the previous season of 2020/21. In the recent season, McKinley Wright IV and Kennedy Chandler stood at 5'11" and were the shortest point guards in the drafted NBA roster.

The 1.8 m Point guard from Memphis Grizzlies, Kennedy Chandler, had his maximum vertical leap of 41'50" in his current draft. While Jonny Davis recorded an 8'7.50" standing reach with a stature of 6'4.25".

Point Guard JD Davison of the Boston Celtics was 6'0.50" taller without wearing his shoes and marked 8'3.50" standing reach in the 2022-23 draft.

As the point guard position is more focused on strategies and understanding of the game, the height of players has always been secondary within the team. This is the reason for having relevantly smaller players in this position.

Average Height of Shooting Guard Player

The average height of a shooting guard player in the NBA is 6 feet 5 inches.

The Shooting Guard is responsible for being a good dibbler and throwing long-range shots in basketball. The Shooting Guards seem to be slightly taller than the point guards. But like in the point guard, the player's height is an additional requirement in the shooting guard position.

Shooting Guard Dyson Daniels against Chicago Bulls in 2022 preseason.
Source : instagram

Over the decade, the standard inches of athletes in the Shooting guard position have made steady changes in them. The athletes mostly marked their standard stature between 6'4.5" to 6'4.7" since 2015/16.

The NBA saw the peak of its sportsmen's inches in 2014/15 when the athletes were measured 6'5" taller.

In the recent seasonal draft released by the National Basketball Association, Dyson Daniels from New Orleans Pelicans was calculated as 6'6.00" taller along with Dalen Terry from Chicago Bulls, who also marked 6'6.00".

The standing reach of the shooting guards Gabriele Procida, Dalen Terry, and MarJon Beauchamp were 8'10.00". Jalen Williams and Christian Braun have their highest standing vertical leap of 33'00" in the current season.

Christain Braun also had his maximum vertical leap at 40'00", followed by Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Williams with the maximum vertical leap of 39'00".

As basketball has been more inclined to the 3-point shot, the Shooting guard position is also fixing its value towards the IQ of the game rather than in the vertical value of the athletes.

Average Wingspan of NBA Players

The average wingspan of the NBA player is 6 feet 10 inches as of 2023.

The wingspan of players in basketball is measured from the fingertips of one hand to the fingertips of another hand. It can be said to be the distance between a person's right hand's fingertips and the left hand's fingertips while stretching both arms.

The wingspan is very important in basketball as it helps players block opponents' shots and give long-range shots. The wingspan helps players dunk easily, get steals, and keep their dribbles low while playing. It also plays a vital role in measuring the Ape Index in basketball.

In NBA history, the power forward Kevin McHale had the longest wingspan, almost 8'00". He was one of the best power forwards and was relatively best at both offense and defense.

Ochai Agbaji for Utah Jazz at United Center on January 2023.
Source : instagram

In the 2022-23 season, Charlotte Hornets center-positioned Mark Williams has the highest wingspan of 7'6.50" among other League athletes. He is 2.13m taller without wearing his shoes.

The American professional Point Guard from Denver Nuggets, Collin Gillespie, has the lowest wingspan among 2022-23 season players. He has a 6'4" wingspan, which is common in comparison to his 1.85m height.

In the current season of the NBA, the wingspan of some of the players are as follows:

  • Christian Koloko = 7'5.25"
  • Kofi Cockburn = 7'4.25"
  • Walker Kessler = 7'4.25"
  • Orlando Robinson = 7'4.00"
  • Jalen Williams = 7'2.25"
  • MarJon Beauchamp = 7'0.75"
  • Dalen Terry = 7'0.75"
  • Wendell Moore = 7'0.50"
  • Shaedon Sharpe = 6'11.50"
  • Dominick Barlow = 7'3.00"
  • Justin Lewis = 7'2.50"
  • John Butler Jr = 7'2.25"
  • Tari Eason = 7'2.00"
  • Leonard Miller = 7'2.00"

Although the height and wingspan come in proportion, a person can have a longer wingspan than their height. Some examples of league members who have higher wingspan than their stature are Kobe Bryant, John Wall, Russell Westbrook, and Michael Jordan.

Average Weight of NBA Players

The average weight of NBA players is 214 lbs as of 2023.

In basketball, having a proper weight in accordance with your height is very important as enough weight can help you to avoid bad injuries and also helps you to build muscles in your body. 

The proper weight helps a player to be agile, flexible, and have good speed in the game. It also plays a role in the development of strength in the player's body.

The weight of athletes in the league has significantly increased since 2000 but has slowed down in recent years.

Boban Marjanovic (290 lbs) with Luka Doncic (229.27 lbs) on his left.
Source : instagram

The standard weight of a basketballer was 216 lbs in the year 2019/20, which remained the same in the year 2020/21. In the 2022-23 season NBA draft, Kofi Cockburn has the maximum weight of 293 lbs, while the shooting guard Terquavion Smith has the lowest weight of 165.2 lbs. 

Among 102 center position players in the NBA league roster, the maximum weight is marked by Houston Rockets Center Boban Marjanovic. He has a weight of 290 lbs. The minimum weight in the roster league is of Center-Forward Chet Holmgren, who is 195 lbs.

The average weight of center positioned player was 246 lbs in the 2021-22 season. The standard weight of the point guard was 192 lbs, and the shooting guard was 200 lbs. The power-forward athletes were measured 227 lbs, followed by the small forward player with the standard weight of 213 lbs.

In the NBA's recent season draft, Julian Strawther marked the lane agility of 10.30. Andrew Nembhard has a lane agility of 10.46, and Jake LaRavia has a 10.58 lane agility, among others.

Although basketball players are highly recognized due to their height, the weight of a sportsperson is also a part to be considered.

Does Height Determine Basketball Victory?

A player's height can support the victory but cannot determine it.

Basketball has been seen as the game of a tall person for the past many years and is supposed that the taller person can win in the game but there is no direct relation between winning and height in basketball.

Detroit Pistons visited the Eiffel Tower in January 2023.
Source : instagram

While you play a game, you focus on the team's coordination and opponents' playing tactics. A game can be influenced by how to plan to counter-attack the opponent's shot, injuries, training, understanding of the game, and many other known and unknown factors.

This is why height is not the only single important aspect of the basketball game. If you have a taller proportion, it might add some benefits to your game, but you may need more to seal the victory and become professional in this field of sports.

NBA Requirements In Height

There is not any official requirement of height in the NBA for players.

Although the association has given the order to its team members to measure the height, weight, wingspan, and other criteria of basketball, there are not any official conditions for having a particular height.

Muggsy Bogues and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the Fourth Annual Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Awards.
Source : instagram

There are many famous and brilliant players in the NBA with a height range of 5-7 feet. Yao Ming, who played for Houston Rockets, was 7'6", and Muggsy Bogues, who played for Toronto Raptors, was 5'3" taller.

The NBA focuses on strategies, agility, points, player's ability, and many other factors while drafting the player. Therefore, the height of the player is not an obstacle for those who want to do better in the basketball game.