Average Height and Weight of NBA Players (By position 2023)
I’ve been a collegiate sports performance coach for 20 years. One thing I always felt was effective was showing guys the heights and weights of players at their position in the NBA.
It helped give many players the extra motivation needed to gain weight when they were able to compare themselves to guys at the next level.
So, this is essentially the same research I would share with players, but now I’m sharing it with you. I took the active rosters for the 2022-2023 season, almost 500 players total and broke them down by position.
For this guide, I took an average of the heights and weights of each position group across the league. In addition, just for fun, I listed the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest players as well regardless of position. Go ahead and impress someone today with your newfound random basketball knowledge.
Average Height of an NBA Basketball Player
The average height of an NBA Basketball Player is 78.59 inches (roughly 6’6 1/2″)
| NBA Average Height By Position | ||
| Position | Height (in inches) | Height (ft/inches) |
| Overall | 78.59 | 6’6 1/2″ |
| Guard | 75.59 | 6’3 1/2″ |
| Guard-Forward | 78.03 | 6’6″ |
| Forward | 79.65 | 6’7 3/4″ |
| Forward-Center | 81.87 | 6’9 3/4″ |
| Center | 83.23 | 6’11 1/4″ |
Average Weight of an NBA Basketball Player
The average weight of an NBA Basketball Player is 216.52 pounds.
| NBA Average Weight By Position | |
| Position | Weight (in pounds) |
| Overall | 216.52 |
| Guard | 198.87 |
| Guard-Forward | 212.33 |
| Forward | 222.70 |
| Forward-Center | 240.67 |
| Center | 251.30 |
Who Are The Tallest Players in the NBA?
There are over 35 players listed at 7’0″ or taller, but only 5 listed at 7’2″ or taller. Here are the current 5 tallest players in the league.
| Tallest Players in the NBA | |||
| Player | Height | Position | Team |
| Boban Marjanovic | 7’4″ | Center | Rockets |
| Kristaps Porzingis | 7’3″ | Forward-Center | Wizards |
| Luke Kornet | 7’2″ | Center-Forward | Celtics |
| Alex Len | 7’2″ | Center | Kings |
| Moses Brown | 7’2″ | Center | Clippers |
Who are the Shortest Players in the NBA?
There are 11 players in the NBA listed at 6’0″ tall, but only 2 under six feet.
| Shortest Players in the NBA | |||
| Player | Height | Position | Team |
| Kennedy Chandler | 5’11” | Guard | Grizzlies |
| McKinley Wright IV | 5’11” | Guard | Mavericks |
Who are the Heaviest Players in the NBA?
Admittedly, I was a little surprised not to see at least one player over 300 pounds. The 11 heaviest players in the league all weigh between 275 and 290 pounds.
| Heaviest Players in the NBA | |||
| Player | Weight | Position | Team |
| Boban Marjanovic | 290 | Center | Rockets |
| Jusuf Nurkic | 290 | Center | Trail Blazers |
| Jae Crowder | 285 | Forward | Suns |
| Nikola Jokic | 284 | Center | Nuggets |
| Zion Williamson | 284 | Forward | Pelicans |
| Brook Lopez | 282 | Center | Bucks |
| Robin Lopez | 281 | Center | Cavs |
| Joel Imbiid | 280 | Center-Forward | 76ers |
| Andre Drummond | 279 | Center | Bulls |
| Omer Yurtseven | 275 | Center | Heat |
| Kenneth Lofton Jr | 275 | Forward | Grizzlies |
Who are the Lightest Players in the NBA?
Many people assume that basketball players are just tall and skinny, but that’s not really the case. The average guard in the NBA weighs almost as much as the average NFL safety. Only 9 guys in the entire league (out of almost 500) weigh less than 175 pounds.
| Lightest Players in the NBA | |||
| Player | Weight | Position | Team |
| Trae Young | 164 | Guard | Hawks |
| Isaiah Joe | 165 | Guard | Thunder |
| Bones Hyland | 169 | Guard | Nuggets |
| Kennedy Chandler | 170 | Guard | Grizzlies |
| Kira Lewis Jr | 170 | Guard | Pelicans |
| Scotty Pippen Jr | 170 | Guard | Lakers |
| Dennis Schroder | 172 | Guard | Lakers |
| Carlik Jones | 174 | Guard | Bulls |
| Ja Morant | 174 | Guard | Grizzlies |
Final Thoughts
So, what did I learn?
Honestly, the funniest thing I learned while going through all these numbers is that Brook Lopez is listed as both 1 inch and 1 pound more than his twin brother Robin Lopez. He has to be messing with him, right?
Unless you’ve really been around basketball players or on the floor of an NBA game, it’s hard to really wrap your head around just how big these guys are.
The average guard is almost 6’4″ and 200 pounds. Put him in any situation other than on a basketball court and he’s most likely the biggest person in the room. On the court though, he’s noticeably small.
On the other hand, at 7’4″ and 290 pounds Boban Marjanovic is literally one of the biggest people walking this entire planet.
Finally, I also broke down the average heights and weights of NFL players by position as well if you want to check that out.
