Tallest NBA player (ever)

The tallest player ever in the NBA is Gheorghe Muresan (Romania) of the Washington Bullets, at 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in).

Muresan was drafted with the 30th pick by the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) in 1993. He won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award (MIP) for the 1995-96 season.

History of the Tallest NBA Records

Since its foundation in 1946, the NBA has been a land of giants. As of 2024, there were 29 active players who measured at least 213 cm (7 ft) tall. Many of the league’s greatest names have been among its tallest – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal. But at 231 cm (7 ft 7 in), Gheorghe Mureșan stood tallest of all. Although some sources credit Manute Bol as being the same height as Gheorghe, Bol was measured by Guinness World Records in the 1980s and found to be just shy of 231 cm. The Japanese center Yasutaka Okayama, who stood 234 cm (7 ft 8 in) tall, was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 1981 NBA draft but never made it on to the court.

Gheorge Muresan Early Life & Career

Gheorghe Mureșan grew up in a small town in the Romanian region of Transylvania, without electricity or hot water. His startling growth, caused by a pituitary-gland disorder, began at the age of six. He was 205 cm (6 ft 9 in) by the age of 14. It was then that a visit to the dentist changed Gheorghe’s life – the dentist, who also looked after the national basketball team, urged the towering teen to take up the sport. Five years later, Gheorghe starred for Romania at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship. He spent two years playing in France before making the 1993 NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Washington Bullets in round 2 as the 30^th overall pick. 

Performance in the NBA

Gheorghe needed time to adapt to the demands of the NBA, but the giant in the No.77 jersey – worn in celebration of his height – would eventually become a fan favourite. In 1995/96 and 1996/97, he led the league in field-goal percentage, converting 58.4% and 60.4% of his attempts; he was also named the NBA’s Most Improved Player. But even as Gheorghe flourished, the physical strain on his huge frame was already beginning to take its toll. In 1999, he left Washington for the New Jersey Nets, but could only manage  31 games in two seasons. Calling time on his NBA career, he returned to Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez in the French League, where he won the 2001 championship.

Where is Gheorge Muresan now?

After the end of his playing career, Gheorghe returned to the US and opened a basketball academy. His sons, George and Victor, have both played college basketball. Off court, Gheorghe’s remarkable stature has also offered him opportunities in the world of acting. In 1998, he made his big-screen debut in the Hollywood comedy-drama My Giant, starring alongside Billy Crystal, and the following year appeared as a ventriloquist in the music video for Eminem's 1999 smash hit “My Name Is”. More recently, Gheorge can also be seen in the 2023 Jessie Eisenberg drama Manodrome.

But it's his record-breaking appearances in the NBA that form Gheorge Muresan's greatest legacy.