The Best 6’11” NBA Players of ALL TIME

In this post, I take a detailed look at the best 6’11 NBA players of all time.

There have been a ton of great players in NBA history that were 6’11” tall (approximately 2.11m tall).

The list includes some former MVPs (e.g. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett); rebounding monsters (e.g. Nate Thurmond, Walt Bellamy); and a few current players (e.g. Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo).

In order by seasons played, the twelve best 6 foot 11 inch NBA players of ALL TIME are:

• Kevin Garnett
• Tim Duncan
• Jermaine O’Neal
• LaMarcus Aldridge
• Kevin Durant*
• Nate Thurmond
• Walt Bellamy
• Bob Lanier
• Bill Walton
• Chris Bosh
• Giannis Antetokounmpo*
• Nikola Jokic*

(* indicates currently active player)

Read on for a detailed description of each player, and more:

Kevin Garnett, PF

Kevin Garnett, a.k.a. “KG“, is widely regarded as one of the best power forwards of all time.

In his prime, he was a dominant player on both ends of the floor. On offense, his size combined with athleticism and shooting touch allowed him to score against either bigger or smaller defenders.

On defense, his quickness, length intensity, and mental toughness made him one of the best defenders in the league, and one of the few players in history that could guard any position.

Garnett played a total of 21 seasons in the NBA (1995-2016) for three different teams (Minnesota, Boston, Brooklyn). He is best remembered for his time in Minnesota (winning MVP), and Boston (winning a championship).

KG’s list of NBA achievements include: NBA champion; MVP; 9x All-NBA Team (4x First, 3x Second, 2x Third); Defensive Player of the Year; 12x All-Defensive Team (9x First, 3x Second); 15x All-Star; All-Star Game MVP; 4x Rebounding champion; All-Rookie Second Team; and member of NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.

He averaged a double-double (points + rebounds) for nine straight seasons, and double-digit scoring in 17 of his 21 seasons.

Garnett also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

KG is the only NBA player to record 25,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 5,000 assists, 1,500 steals and 1,500 blocks.

👶 Da Kid: In 1995, Garnett was the first player in 20 years to be drafted straight out of high school. Multiple players followed in his footsteps, including stars like Kobe Bryant, Amar’e Stoudemire, LeBron James and Dwight Howard. In 2006, the NBA changed rules to prevent high school players from entering the draft.

Tim Duncan, PF/C

Tim Duncan, a.k.a. “The Big Fundamental“, is regarded by many as the best NBA power forward ever.

Duncan played 19 seasons in the NBA (1997-2016), all with the San Antonio Spurs.

He is best remembered for his “boring”, but super effective game that could dominate both ends of the floor. Duncan, along with head coach Gregg Poppovich, and fellow hall-of-fame players Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli led the Spurs to five championships.

A list of Duncan’s NBA achievements include: 5x NBA Champion; 3x Finals MVP; 2x MVP (regular season); 15x All-NBA Team (10x First, 3x Second, 2x Third); 15x All-Defensive Team (8x First, 7x Second); 15x All-Star; All-Star Game MVP; Rookie of the Year; All-Rookie First Team; and member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.

Duncan averaged a double-double (points/rebounds) for 13 straight seasons; and averaged double digit scoring in 18 straight. For his entire career he averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game.

🎉 Tim Duncan Day: San Antonio officially declared July 21st (7/21) to be “Tim Duncan Day“.

Jermaine O’Neal, PF/C

Jermaine O’Neal is an often overlooked great power forward/center of the 2000s.

This may be due to the fact of other superstar PFs like KG and Duncan (listed above).

Similar to Garnett, Jermaine O’Neal came straight out of high school to the NBA. Unlike Garnett, his career started slowly as he struggled to adapt to the professional game.

O’Neal improved drastically over time, and he ended up playing 18 seasons in the NBA for seven different teams (Portland, Indiana, Toronto, Miami, Boston, Phoenix, Golden State). He is best remembered for his time in Indiana, where he was a multiple-time All-Star, and All-NBA player.

A list of his NBA achievements include: 3x All-NBA Team (1x Second, 2x Third); 6x All-Star; and Most Improved Player award.

O’Neal averaged double figure scoring for 11 straight seasons.

🥊 Malice at the Palace: O’Neal is also infamously remembered for throwing an insane haymaker punch at a fan during the “Malice at the Palace” brawl.

LaMarcus Aldridge, PF

LaMarcus Aldridge is another often overlooked great power forward that was at his peak during the late 2000s and early 2010s.

He is best remembered as an offensive force with the Portland TrailBlazers where he was a multi-time All-Star and All-NBA player. His mid-range jumpshot was nearly automatic; and nearly impossible to guard by other players due to his high release.

Overall, Aldridge played 16 NBA seasons with three different teams (Portland, San Antonio, Brookyln).

His list of NBA achievements include: 5x All-NBA Team (2x Second, 3x Third); 7x All-Star, and All-Rookie First Team.

Aldridge averaged over 20 points per game for seven seasons, and double digit scoring in 15 of this 16 seasons.

🏀 Buckets: In 2014-2015, Aldridge led the entire league in field goals made (i.e. 2pt + 3 pt) with 659. This was more than other all-time greats in their prime like Steph Curry, Harden, LeBron, and Westbrook.

Kevin Durant, SF/PF

Kevin Durant, a.k.a. “KD”, a.k.a. “The Slim Reaper“, is easily one of the greatest offensive players ever, and one of the most unique players in NBA history.

His ability to shoot, move, and handle the ball like a guard, with the height and wingspan of a traditional center has made KD nearly unguardable. Often, the best defense against him is just to hope he misses the shot.

Durant is playing in his 16th NBA season (2007-present), and 4th NBA team (Seattle / OKC, Golden State, Brooklyn, Phoenix).

He has never averaged less than 20 points per game in a season, and only once averaged less than 25 points per gam(in his rookie season).

Some of his other NBA achievements include: 2x NBA Champ, 2x Finals MVP, Regular Season MVP (2014), 14x All-Star, 2x All-Star Game MVP, 10x All-NBA Team (6x First, 4x Second), Rookie of the Year (2008), 4x Scoring Champ, and member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Durant also has three Olympic gold medals with Team USA (2012 London, 2016 Rio, 2020, Tokyo).

Durant is currently 35 years old, and should be entering the last few seasons of his hall-of-fame career.

Make sure you enjoy watching one of the greatest players/scorers ever while you still can.

Note: KD was originally listed at 6’10”, but added an inch when the NBA changed the way they measure player heights in 2019.

％ 50-40-90 King: KD is a two-time member of the exclusive 50-40-90 club (i.e. 50% fg, 40% 3pt, 90% ft). Only 8 other players in NBA history are part of this club. KD is the ONLY player of the club to shoot over 55% on field goals. So, KD is in a club of his very own… the 55-40-90 club.

Nate Thurmond, PF/C

Nate Thurmond, a.k.a. “Nate the Great“, was one of the greatest players of the 60s and 70s.

He was particularly known for his tremendous rebounding and defensive ability.

In 1974, Nate notably became the first player EVER to record a quadruple-double (22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, and 12 blocked shots). Since then, there have only been three other players in NBA history to accomplish this feat.

Thurmond played a total of 15 NBA seasons for 4 teams (San Francisco / Golden State, Chicago, and Cleveland).

Some of Thurmond’s NBA achievements include: 7x All-Star; 5x All-Defensive Team (2x First, 3x Second); All-Rookie First Team; and member of NBA anniversary teams (50th and 75th).

He also averaged a double-double for 10 straight seasons, and averaged over 20 rebounds per game twice. His career average of 15 rebounds per game ranks him 5th all time in NBA history!

Rebounding record: Nate Thurmond still holds the NBA record for most rebounds in a quarter with 18!

Walt Bellamy, C

Walt Bellamy, a.k.a. “Bells“, is often overlooked on all-time lists, but was one of the great centers of the 1960s.

He was both a tremendous scorer and terrific rebounder. As a rookie, he averaged a ridiculous 31.6 points and 19 rebounds per game (both ended up being his career highs).

Bellamy played a total of 14 NBA seasons (1961-1975) for six different teams (Chicago, Baltimore, New York, Detroit, Atlanta, New Orleans).

He averaged double digit scoring in 13 of those seasons, and double digit rebounding in 11 of them. He has super impressive career averages of 20.1 points and 13.7 rebounds per game.

Bellamy’s other NBA achievements include: 4x All-Star, Rookie of the Year.

Strangely, Bellamy did not achieve more accolades in his career (i.e. All-NBA Teams, etc.) despite putting up tremendous numbers. This was due to playing on poor teams, and being overshadowed by other all-time greats like Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

📆 Working overtime: Bellamy once played an NBA record 88 games in one regular season! In 1968-69, he got traded part way through the season from the New York Knicks to the Detroit Pistons. Detroit had played far less games than New York at that point, so Walt ended up working some serious overtime.

Bill Walton, C

Bill Walton is widely regarded as one of the best and most talented players of his era. He could do it all — scoring, rebounding, passing, and blocking shots.

He is best remembered for helping win Portland’s only championship in franchise history, and for later helping the Celtics win a championship as the team’s sixth man.

Walton is also one of the greatest “what-if” players in NBA history, as his career was seriously shortened by multiple foot injuries.

His career spanned 13 NBA seasons (1974-1987), but he only actually played in 10 seasons due to injuries and a contract hold-out. At his peak, Walton averaged over 18 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks per game

A list of Walton’s other NBA achievements include: 2x NBA champion; Finals MVP; MVP (regular season); 2x All-NBA (1x First, 1x Second); 2x All-Defensive First Team; 2x All-Star; Sixth Man of the Year; Rebounding leader; Blocks leader; and member of NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th).

Walton is the only player in NBA history to win a Finals MVP, regular season MVP, and Sixth Man of the Year award.

College GOAT: Walton is also one of the greatest college players ever. He was part of UCLA’s historic team that won 88 games in a row. He won college player of the year three times, and two national championships.

Chris Bosh, PF/C

Chris Bosh was one of the top power forwards of the mid 2000s and early 2010s. He was a versatile offensive player that could score from all over the court.

He is best remembered for being the star player of a young Toronto Raptors team, and later winning multiple championships as part of Miami’s “Big 3” (with Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James)

Bosh played 13 seasons in the NBA (2003-2016), with two teams (Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat). He averaged double-digit scoring every year of his career. Unfortunately, Bosh was forced to retire at only 32 years old due to serious blood clotting issues.

Some of Bosh’s NBA career achievements include: 2x NBA champion; 11x All-Star; All-NBA Second-Team; All-Rookie First Team.

Bosh also won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

🦖 Raptor Great: Bosh is Toronto’s franchise leader in rebounds, blocks, free throws and double-doubles

Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF/PF/C

Giannis Antetokounmpo, a.k.a the “Greek Freak“, is perhaps the most physically unstoppable players currently in the NBA.

His freakish athleticism, agility, and strength make him a nightmare matchup for opponents on both sides of the court.

Giannis is one of the only players in the league history that can guard all five positions on the court.

Giannis is currently in his 11th NBA season (2013-present), all with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Some of his NBA achievements so far, include: NBA Champ (2021), Finals MVP, 2x NBA MVP, 8x All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, 7x All-NBA Team (5x First, 2x Second), Defensive Player of the Year (2020), 5x All Defensive Team (4x First, 1x Second), Most Improved Player (2017), NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Giannis is still only 29 years old, and in the prime of his career. By the time he retires, he may be a top 10 player of all time.

📊 Stat man: Giannis is the only player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 of all five major statistical categories: total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks

Nikola Jokic, C

Nikola Jokic, a.k.a. “The Joker”, is arguably the best player currently in the NBA. He has won the MVP in two of the previous three seasons (2020-21, 2021-22).

Jokic is able to dominate games without elite athleticism (i.e. jumping, running). Instead, he uses his incredible court vision, passing ability, rebounding, and ultra-deft shooting “touch” around the basket. He is nearly unstoppable when given the ball in the low-post.

Jokic is currently in his 9th season (2015-present), all with the Denver Nuggets.

Some of Jokic’s NBA achievements so far, include: NBA Champ (2023), Finals MVP, 2x MVP, 6x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Team (3x First, 2x Second), All-Rookie First Team (2016).

He also won an Olympic silver medal with Serbia at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Jokic is only 29 years old, but already holds the record for most “triple-doubles” by a center in NBA history (and many, many other statistical records).

It will be interesting to see how much more he can accomplish in his NBA career.

🐴 Horse lover: It is well known that Jokic loves horses (and horse racing) — probably much more than basketball. The only thing that may stop Jokic from being a top 10 player of all-time is if he decides to retire early to take care of more horses. 😅

Some Other Notable 6’11” NBA Players

Besides the all-time greats detailed above, there have been a ton of other notable 6’11” players in NBA history.

The list below includes former All-Stars and some NBA Defensive Player of the Year award winners (i.e. Camby, Noah, Gasol). Some of these players should arguably be on the list above, but I decided to not include them.

In order by seasons played, some other notable former/current 6’11” players include:

• Marcus Camby
• Nenê
• Dale Davis
• DeAndre Jordan*
• Bill Laimbeer
• Darryl Dawkins
• Hot Rod Williams
• Joakim Noah
• Vin Baker
• Christian Laettner
• Marc Gasol

(* still playing in the NBA)

Don’t agree with my choices? Did I miss any of your favorite players? Let me know in the comments below.

Best Current 6’11” NBA Players

The are currently 21 players in the NBA that are listed at 6’11” tall. The best current players are:

• Kevin Durant
• Nikola Jokic
• Giannis Antetokounmpo

Each of these players also happen to be on the all time list above.

👉 Click here for a complete list of all 6’11 players currently in the NBA

Other All-Time Players by Height

Check out these lists of other all-time great NBA players by height (i.e. 6’9, 6’10, etc.)

Summary

Who is your favorite 6’11” NBA player of all time? Favorite current 6’11 player?

Did I miss any notable players on this list?

Let me know in the comments below!