In honor of NBA player Manute Bol, who died June 19th at the age of 47, we would like to honor the best 7’3, or taller, players in the history of the NBA.
Originally hailing from the Sudan, Bol returned home after the NBA to assist with humanitarian efforts, which included his position as a Board Member of Sudan Sunrise, an organization working on reconciliation in the country. Sadly, he passed away too soon from a combination of illnesses, including acute kidney failure and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a painful skin condition.
What interests me when we think about ranking the best NBA players 7’3 or taller is that these players have changed the way teams draft. Sometimes, it is as simple as the old adage that teams want to draft taller, bigger players, preferably centers or big men. That is not necessarily the case with extremely tall big men.
After the career of #1 overall pick in 1983 Ralph Sampson was derailed by injuries and three knee surgeries, it became less likely that teams would use a high draft pick to select a player of such substantial size. Since Sampson, only a few ‘giants’ have been selected that high, Rik Smits, #2 overall in 1988, and Yao Ming, #1 overall pick in 2002.
Now, when it comes to ranking this particular type of player, you obviously consider blocks, rebounds, and points, but you also have to think about longevity and consistency. Players this tall tend to suffer from debilitating foot and leg injuries that mar players’ careers. But, along with all of this, we should not overlook sheer talent and skill.
7. Shawn Bradley – 7’6, 235 lb.
| STATS | PPG | RPG | BPG |
| Career | 8.1 | 6.3 | 2.5 |
| Best Season | 13.2 | 8.4 | 3.4 |
Bradley earns this spot over Muresan mainly because Bradley was the only center (7’3 or over) to put up about 5 consistent seasons, scoring 10 or more ppg. At least, he held that distinction before the great Yao Ming entered the league. Also, Bradley was a substantially better defender, not to mention he was an adequate free throw shooter (71.6%). And, for a player his size, Bradley’s health maintained fairly well over his 12 seasons.
6. Manute Bol – 7’7, 200 lb.
| STATS | PPG | RPG | BPG |
| Rookie/Best | 3.7 | 4.4 | 5.0 |
| Career | 2.6 | 4.2 | 3.3 |
Although Bol’s scoring and rebounding were far from impressive, he currently holds the 2nd place record in bpg with 3.34. Of Bol’s 10 seasons, his rookie year was his best, in which he averaged an NBA record 5.0 bpg. In the playoffs his rookie season, Bol increased his blocks to just under 6 bpg. Bol stands 14th in total blocks.
5. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, “Big Z” – 7’3, 238 lb.
| STATS | PPG | RPG | BPG |
| Best | 16.9 | 8.6 | 2.1 |
| Career | 13.8 | 7.7 | 1.6 |
Despite having two of his first three seasons decimated by injury, Ilgauskas has recovered to produce a solid and consistent career, spanning 12 seasons (all with the Cavaliers). In those seasons, he averaged double-digit scoring in all of them, except in ’10 when he was relegated to the bench by the arrival of future Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neil. He is also the best 3-point shooting man 7’3 or taller, posting a career 31.3% from outside the arc. And, he’s second to Yao Ming, in free throw shooting (for those 7’3 and over) with 78%.
4. Rik Smits, “The Dunkin’ Dutchman – 7’4, 250 lb.
| STATS | PPG | RPG | BPG |
| Best | 17.9 | 7.7 | 1.0 |
| Career | 14.8 | 6.1 | 1.3 |
Even though “Big Z” was a better defender and rebounder, Rik Smits gets the nod because of his consistency. Unlike most centers his height, Smits had very little drop-off in production or health in his 12 seasons even though he played through a foot injury for his about his last 5 years. One knock on Smits, besides his defense, is that he never averaged 8 or more RPG.
3. Mark Eaton 7’4, 275 lb.
| STATS | PPG | RPG | BPG |
| Best | 9.7 | 11.3 | 5.6 |
| Career | 6.0 | 7.9 | 3.5 |
With Bol at 6th and Eaton at 3rd, clearly defense and total blocked shots are important on this list. Eaton’s body of work, rather than merely his bpg, puts him just slightly above Smits, Z, and Bol. Eaton (selected 4th round) is the all-time leader in blocks per game (Bol 2nd) and 4th in total blocks (Bradley 13th). A 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, Eaton played all his eleven seasons for the Utah Jazz. After about 6-7 seasons, his numbers started to go down hill.
2. Ralph Sampson 7’4, 228 lb.
| STATS | PPG | RPG | BPG |
| Best | 22.1 | 10.4 | 2.0 |
| Career | 15.4 | 8.8 | 1.6 |
Ralph Sampson was an amazing college player and was highly touted coming into the NBA. In his rookie year, he added a legendary playoff moment. Sampson averaged 16.6 ppg and shot 37.5% from three-point range. And, he will always be remembered for bringing Michael Cooper to his knees by defeating the Lakers in 5 games in the 1986 Western Conference Finals with an incredible turn-around jumper as time expired. Between his 4th and 5th seasons, his production decreased significantly and he was never the same as he was his first 3 seasons. Sampson may have become a better player than Ming, but we will never know because injuries severely hampered him during his career.
1. Yao Ming, “The Great Wall of China” – 7’6, 310 lb.
| STATS | PPG | RPG | BPG |
| Best | 25.0 | 9.4 | 2.0 |
| Career | 19.1 | 9.3 | 1.9 |
Despite sitting out last season due to injury, despite the uncertainty of his future career, and despite having a few injury-plagued seasons, Yao Ming is the only perennial all-star on this list and Ming will likely go down as the most talented player of his size ever! Through Ming’s 7 seasons, he has averaged 83.2% from the free throw line, 52.5% from the field, which easily makes him one of the best shooters of his size. With his career unfinished, his all-time numbers are hard to compare, but barring more severe injuries, Ming can continue to build his reputation as the best scoring and rebounding player 7’3 or taller.
Honorable Mention
Gheorghe Muresan 7’7, 303 lb.
| STATS | PPG | RPG | BPG |
| Career | 9.8 | 6.4 | 1.5 |
| Best Season | 14.5 | 9.6 | 2.3 |
Although his second season, above, showed Muresan’s promise, his third season was hampered by injury. His production was never the same after his 4th season. Overall, he underachieved in the rebounding department (in 5/6 seasons he averaged less than 6.8 boards). If a player is over 7’0, I do not think it’s unreasonable that they should average over 7 rebounds (given the minutes to do so).
*Note: when considering a player’s best season, I factored in more than just ppg, so you will notice that with Smits and Ilgauskas; for example, I did not choose their best scoring years. Rebounds and blocks were clearly other deciding factors.
Best of Yao Ming/Great Wall of China:
Sampson’s shot in 1986 WCF, game 5:
Best of Ralph Sampson:
Some of the Weakest Moments for Players over 7’3
Kobe dunks on Ming
Tyrus Thomas dunks on Ming
Kobe’s blocks on Ming (killer blocks and great footage)
Who doesn’t love watching Shawn Bradley (a #2 pick by Philly in 1993) get dunked on?
It’s hard to mention Bradley without thinking of how McGrady “sucked the gravity out of the building:”
R.S. De France is a College and University instructor of English Composition. He has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Rhetoric, Composition, and Writing. One of his life-long pursuits has been writing and covering anything related to sports, specifically the NBA. Recently, De France, his wife, and another colleague started an internationally read magazine at Shwibly.com.
