SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Spurs top draft pick Victor Wembanyama was introduced to the city and the Spurs family this past weekend and one thing is already for certain -- he stands well above the crowd.
Wembanyama, 19, is one of the most hyped and publicized prospects the NBA has seen since the introduction of LeBron James back in 2003.
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Part of the fascination with “Wemby” is that the teenager is something that the league has never seen before: a player standing roughly 7 feet, 3 inches tall — huge for even a center — but has the abilities and athleticism of a much smaller guard.
READ MORE: The incredible stats on Victor Wembanyama — from his wingspan, to his shoe and hand size
Under intense grilling from an elementary school student, Victor Wembanyama says he’s 7’3” pic.twitter.com/35Vn83yGg7
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) June 21, 2023
Add it all up and his draft selection has brought enormous optimism to the Alamo City that he’ll be the next great big man for the Spurs, someone to lead them back to championship contention.
But how have players with his height typically fared in their careers?
Wembanyama will soon join a select group of the tallest players ever to play in the NBA. Here’s a look at those players taller than him that have played 100 or more games, according to NBA.com.
The tallest: Gheorghe Muresan & Manute Bol, 7-foot-7
The two tallest players in NBA history, Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, played a combined 932 games over their respective careers.
Muresan played in Romania professionally before being drafted by the Washington Bullets and was the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 1995-96, with averages of 14.5 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game and 2.3 blocks per game. Injuries, unfortunately, ended his prime and career early.
Bol, during his career, was regarded as one of the best defenders in the league and even led the NBA in blocks his rookie season, averaging an NBA record of five blocks per game. He was named to the All-NBA Defensive Team in 1985-86 and ranks second all-time for the highest career blocks per game average (3.34) over his 10 NBA seasons, NBA.com said.
Shawn Bradley & Yao Ming, 7-foot-6
The next two players on the list entered the league as top-five lottery selections, and both were expected to turn around the fortunes of their NBA teams. And while they both managed to play well for a while, neither were able to ultimately win a championship and retired, leaving fans desiring for more.
Shawn Bradley was drafted No. 2 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1993 NBA Draft out of BYU and immediately began a stellar defensive career. Bradley played over 12 NBA seasons with the Sixers, Nets and Mavericks, averaging only 8.1 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. His influence, however, was felt greatly on the defensive end of the floor, where he averaged 3.4 blocks in his first five NBA seasons.
Yao Ming was drafted No. 1 overall by the Houston Rockets after playing professionally in China, where he became a household name and won an MVP award in 2001. After arriving in the United States, he made eight straight All-Star teams and averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks over eight NBA seasons. He never brought the Rockets a title but was ultimately inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 for his efforts.
Chuck Nevitt, 7-foot-5; Mark Eaton, Ralf Sampson, Rik Smits, Boban Marjanovic, 7-foot-4
Chuck Nevitt, a former Spur, is the tallest player to ever win an NBA championship, with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1985. Nevitt played for five teams over nine NBA seasons after being selected by the Houston Rockets, NBA.com said.
Mark Eaton’s defensive career with the Utah Jazz is that of legend, winning Defensive Player of the Year twice (1985, 1989) and he’s the NBA’s all-time leader in blocks per game for a career (3.5) and single season (5.6 in 1984-85). In nine of his 11 seasons, he played 80-plus games.
Ralph Sampson was the No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Rockets in 1983 after an amazing career with the University of Virginia and immediately became rookie of the year, averaging 21 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. He averaged 20 points per game for three seasons before three knee surgeries eventually took their toll, but he still managed to play 12 total seasons and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. He retired in 1995 as a four-time NBA All-Star and the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player in the 1985 NBA All-Star Game.
Rik Smits, nicknamed “the Dunking Dutchman,” was the second pick in the 1988 NBA draft and went on to average double figures in points for the entirety of his career. An All-Star in 1998, Smits retired in 2000 with career averages of 14.8 points (50.7 FG%), 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. He led the Indiana Pacers to the 2000 NBA Finals.
And lastly, there’s Boban Marjanovic, a name Spurs fans know well, as Boban joined San Antonio in 2015 after a professional career in Europe. He’s since bounced around the league as a reserve, playing for the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets as a fan favorite. He’s played in 317 career games, averaging just 5.6 points.