The average height of all current NBA players is approximately 6' 6" (1.994m).
The average height of NBA players has increased drastically since the league’s inaguraul season in 1947 (i.e. 6’2″ – 6’3″), but has stayed about the same (i.e. 6’6″ – 6’7″) since the mid 1980s.
Interestingly, the average height has actually decreased (very slightly) since its peak in the early 2000s (i.e. slightly over 2.01m / 6′ 7.2″). This may partially be due to the way players are now measured (i.e. without shoes).
Read on for more interesting info about NBA player’s heights, including:
- Current NBA heights (average, median, and mode)
- Average height by position (PG, SG, SF, PF, C)
- Average height by team
- Average NBA height over the years
- and more…
Let’s get started!
Current Average NBA Player Height (2023-2024)
The average height of NBA players this season (2023-2024) is around 6' 6" (i.e. 1.994m).
This number is calculated from 537 players that are currently on an NBA roster (including G League Two Way players).
There are a total of 69 players listed at the average height.
The shortest current player is 1.73m tall or 5' 8"(Jacob Gilyard).
The tallest current player(s) is 2.24m tall or 7' 4" (Boban Marjanovic, Victor Wembanyama).
Let’s see how the average height compares to the median and mode:
Median Height
“Median is the middle number in a set of data when the data is arranged in ascending or descending order.” (Math.net)
The median height of all current players is: 6' 6" (1.98m).
This is pretty much the exact same as the average NBA height.
Most Common Height (i.e. Mode)
The most common/frequent NBA player height is: 6' 5" (1.96m), which is a tiny bit shorter than the average height.
There are currently 71 players with this height.
Not so average: Check out the best 6’6 NBA players, and best 6’5 NBA Players
We can see that the average, median and mode of NBA player heights are all quite similar (i.e. around 6’5″ to 6’7″, or 196cm to 199cm).
Let’s see how heights vary by position:
Average NBA Height by Position
Below are the average heights by position for current NBA players. As you may have guessed — point guards are the shortest, and centers are the tallest.
| Position | Height (m) | Height (ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Point Guard (PG) | 1.921 | 6' 4" |
| Shooting Guard (SG) | 1.95 | 6' 5" |
| Small Forward (SF) | 1.991 | 6' 6" |
| Power Forward (PF) | 2.027 | 6' 8" |
| Center (C) | 2.071 | 6' 9" |
Let’s take a look at some more details:
Point Guard (PG)
The average height for NBA point guards is 1.921m (approx. 6' 4").
The median height for point guards is 1.93m or 6' 4".
The most common NBA point guard height is 1.91m or 6' 3" (37 players).
The shortest current point guard(s) is 1.73m or 5' 8" (Jacob Gilyard).
The tallest current point guards(s) is 2.08m or 6' 10" (Ben Simmons, Franz Wagner).
Check out these lists of all 6’4 NBA players and 6’3 NBA players
Shooting Guard (SG)
The average height for NBA shooting guards is 1.95m (approx. 6' 5").
The median height for shooting guards is 1.96m or 6' 5".
The most common NBA shooting guard height is 1.96m or 6' 5" (65 players).
The current shortest shooting guard(s) have a height of 1.83m or 6' 0" (Kyle Lowry, Aaron Holiday, Davion Mitchell, Jordan McLaughlin, Xavier Moon, Zavier Simpson).
The current tallest shooting guard(s) have a height of 2.08m or 6' 10" (Franz Wagner).
Small Forward (SF)
The average height for NBA small forwards is 1.991m (approx. 6' 6")
The median height for small forwards is 1.98m or 6' 6".
The most common NBA small forward height is 1.98m or 6' 6" (61 players).
The shortest current small forward(s) have a height of 1.88m or 6' 2" (Nick Smith Jr., Gary Payton II).
The tallest current small forward(s) have a height of 2.13m or 7' 0" (Santi Aldama, Lauri Markkanen).
Power Forward (PF)
The average height for NBA power forwards is 2.027m (approx. 6' 8")
The median height for power forwards is 2.03m or 6' 8".
The most common NBA power forward height is 2.01m or 6' 7" (71 players).
The shortest current power forward(s) have a height of 1.88m or 6' 2" (Gary Payton II).
The tallest current power forward(s) have a height of 2.24m or 7' 4" (Victor Wembanyama).
Center (C)
The average height for NBA centers is 2.071m (approx. 6' 9")
The median height for centers is 2.08m or 6' 10".
The most common NBA center height is 2.08m or 6' 10" (71 players).
The shortest current center(s) have a height of 1.96m or 6' 5" (P.J. Tucker, Ish Wainright).
The tallest current center(s) have a height of 2.24m or 7' 4" (Boban Marjanovic, Victor Wembanyama).
Average NBA Height by Team
The team with the highest average height is the Orlando Magic (approx. 2.01m).
The team with the lowest average height is the Golden State Warriors (approx. (approx. 1.969m)
Check out the table below for average heights of every NBA team:
NBA Teams’ Average Heights
Teams are listed in alphabetical order. You can sort by height, or team name. Heights are listed in meters (feet, inches).
| Team | Abr | Avg Height | Median | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | ATL | 1.996 (6' 7") | 1.995 (6' 7") | 1.96 (6' 5") |
| Brooklyn Nets | BKN | 1.979 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") |
| Boston Celtics | BOS | 2.006 (6' 7") | 2.01 (6' 7") | 2.01 (6' 7") |
| Charlotte Hornets | CHA | 2.001 (6' 7") | 1.995 (6' 7") | 1.98 (6' 6") |
| Chicago Bulls | CHI | 1.993 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 1.96 (6' 5") |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | CLE | 1.997 (6' 7") | 2.02 (6' 8") | 2.03 (6' 8") |
| Dallas Mavericks | DAL | 2.001 (6' 7") | 2.01 (6' 7") | 2.01 (6' 7") |
| Denver Nuggets | DEN | 2.005 (6' 7") | 2.02 (6' 8") | 2.03 (6' 8") |
| Detroit Pistons | DET | 1.988 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") |
| Golden State Warriors | GSW | 1.969 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") |
| Houston Rockets | HOU | 2.008 (6' 7") | 1.995 (6' 7") | 2.11 (6' 11") |
| Indiana Pacers | IND | 1.994 (6' 6") | 1.995 (6' 7") | 1.98 (6' 6") |
| Los Angeles Clippers | LAC | 1.982 (6' 6") | 1.97 (6' 6") | 1.96 (6' 5") |
| Los Angeles Lakers | LAL | 2.003 (6' 7") | 2.01 (6' 7") | 1.96 (6' 5") |
| Memphis Grizzlies | MEM | 1.981 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 2.06 (6' 9") |
| Miami Heat | MIA | 1.992 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 1.96 (6' 5") |
| Milwaukee Bucks | MIL | 1.988 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 2.01 (6' 7") |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | MIN | 1.995 (6' 7") | 2.03 (6' 8") | 2.06 (6' 9") |
| New Orleans Pelicans | NOP | 1.995 (6' 7") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") |
| New York Knicks | NYK | 1.991 (6' 6") | 1.995 (6' 7") | 1.96 (6' 5") |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | OKC | 1.998 (6' 7") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 1.91 (6' 3") |
| Orlando Magic | ORL | 2.01 (6' 7") | 2.01 (6' 7") | 2.08 (6' 10") |
| Philadelphia 76ers | PHI | 1.979 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 1.91 (6' 3") |
| Phoenix Suns | PHX | 1.989 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 1.93 (6' 4") |
| Portland Trail Blazers | POR | 2.009 (6' 7") | 2.01 (6' 7") | 1.96 (6' 5") |
| Sacramento Kings | SAC | 1.989 (6' 6") | 2.01 (6' 7") | 2.03 (6' 8") |
| San Antonio Spurs | SAS | 1.992 (6' 6") | 1.995 (6' 7") | 2.01 (6' 7") |
| Toronto Raptors | TOR | 2.007 (6' 7") | 1.995 (6' 7") | 2.06 (6' 9") |
| Utah Jazz | UTA | 1.997 (6' 7") | 1.97 (6' 6") | 1.91 (6' 3") |
| Washington Wizards | WAS | 1.996 (6' 7") | 1.98 (6' 6") | 1.98 (6' 6") |
Average NBA Player Height by Year (1947-2024)
The above chart shows how average NBA player height has changed over the years (1947-2023).
Since its inception in 1947 (as the “BAA“), the NBA player height has grown around 5% from around 6’2″ to over 6’6”.
Interestingly, the average height has dipped since its peak in the early 2000s.
I think there are a couple of reasons for this:
Reason #1: Change in Playing Style
During the 2000s, the league was dominated by big men like Shaquille O’Neal, Yao Ming, and other 7 footers. During the mid 2010s, 3-point shooting, and small ball lineups became popular thanks to Steph Curry and the Warriors dynasty.
As a result, many teams started moving away from traditional big men. Instead, they looked to build their roster around 3-point shooting and more versatile guards / wing players.
Reason #2: NBA Height Measurement Rules
Another possible reason for average heights decreasing is that in 2019, the NBA finally began standardizing rules on how teams measured players’ heights. Players must now be measured without shoes — either barefoot, or in socks.
Before then, it was actually more up to players to decide how tall they were. š
After the rule change, some players actually became taller (e.g Kevin Durant gained an inch), while others became shorter (e.g. Bradley Beal lost two inches). On average, it seems that more players lost height on their official measurements.
NBA Height by Year – Detailed Chart & Table
Here’s another chart which shows the average height in relation to the median, mode, max, and min.
Below the chart is a downloadable table of all the numerical values, if you’re interested.
Source: Historical data was sourced from basketball-reference.com via dataset found on Kaggle. Interestingly, the official NBA.com data is missing height data on many retired players.
FAQ
How many 7 footers are in the NBA?
There are currently 31 players that are 7’0″ are taller.
See the complete list of 7’0 players, and 7’0 and over players.
Is 5ā7ā³ too short for the NBA?
5′ 7″ is considered extremely short by NBA standards.
This past season (2023-2024), only one player was 5’7″ — Markquis Nowell. He was a G League two way player for the Toronto Raptors before being waived in March 2024.
There have only been a handful of players in NBA history that were 5’7″ or shorter. The most notable players are Muggsy Bogues (5’3″ — shortest player ever), Earl Boykins (5’5″), and Spudd Webb (5’6″).
Which NBA position has the highest average height?
Centers have the highest average height.
The current average NBA center height is 2.071m (approx. 6' 9")
Click here for detailed breakdown of average NBA height by position
Which NBA team has the tallest average height?
The Orlando Magic currently have the tallest average height (approx. 2.01m).
Click here to see average heights of every team.
How many NBA players under 6 ft?
There are currently 1 players that are under 6 feet tall.
There are 10 players that are listed at exactly 6 feet tall.
Check out this post for a full list of 6’0 and under players
Average height of NBA player in 1960?
In 1960, the average height of an NBA player was about 6.42 feet (6’5″), or 1.96m.
Click here to see average height by year
Why are NBA players so tall?
The drink a lot of milk.
Just joking. š
Taller players have a natural advantage in basketball. Imagine if two players have the exact same skill, IQ, and athleticism — but one player is 5’5″ and the other is 6’5″. The 6’5″ player will have the advantage in nearly every facet of the game.
Since the NBA is made up of the best basketball players in the world, the average height is naturally much taller than “regular” people.
š§āāļøInteresting note: The average male height in the USA is around 5’9″ – 5’10”. The country with the tallest average height is the Netherlands (6’0.5″). This is still nearly half a foot shorter than the average NBA height!
Summary
What do you think about the average NBA height? Are you surprised? Or, did you think it would be even taller?
Do you see the average height increasing or decreasing in future?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
