Everyone Knows It’s Wemby at 8 feet
Wingspans Can Turn Ordinary Players into Multi-Faceted Threats
The bigger the NBA players get through the years, the longer their wingspans have become. The term that became synonymous and drudgery, when Jay Bilas beat it to death on NBA drafts, has seen players have so much width that it seems they should be able to fly. So, which players boast the longest wingspan NBA?
Speaking of flying, let us go back to the past and understand why Michael Jordan, at 6-foot-6, was able to accomplish some of the magnificent moves he did on the court. In addition to having springs in his legs, His Airness had a wingspan of 6-foot-11 inches, far greater than most 78-inch-tall folks.
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Pair of 7-foot-6ers Who Aren’t on the 76ers
There are some current NBA players who boast 90-inch wingspans – or 7-foot-6. Two would be Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren and Kristaps Porzingis of the Boston Celtics. Porzingis is looking to be part of a team that hopes to repeat as NBA champs.
Meanwhile, Holmgren hopes the Thunder can make it through the gauntlet that is the Western Conference to the Finals.
There are others with 7-foot-6 wingspans. Somehow, there are nine players who boast those that are longer, starting with Dereck Lively of the Mavs. His wingspan is 7-foot-7. That means he has the ability to box out opponents, eat up space, and corral rebounds that seem to be out of the reach of most players.
Those with the elongated wingspans also have the luxury of being great players to use to defend inbounds passes.
Imagine trying to figure out how to find a teammate in a key/tight situation when the person with the longest wingspan on the court is windmilling those arms to try and distract a player from finding a way to get the ball to an open teammate.
What most people fail to understand is that the longer the wingspan, the more ways coaches can bank on those players on both offense and defense, especially when controlling rebounds.
Who has the Longest Wingspan in the NBA?
The longest wingspan in the NBA belongs to one of the league’s phenoms. Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs has an eight-foot wingspan.
Add that to being 7-foot-4 and able to handle, shoot from anywhere on the court — yes, a threat behind the 3-point arc – and able to swat shots from opponents everywhere he is near. He doesn’t have to be that close with such a long reach.
Wembanyama is a franchise player and will only get bigger and stronger. Hard to imagine his wingspan will get longer, but one never knows.
How Long is Nikola Jokic’s Wingspan?
The great Denver Nuggets center is capable of taking over any game. He can thwart you by scoring on his own, assisting teammates, and simply making passes that seem more impossible than improbable.
While he built like a fortress, one doesn’t focus on how much of a wingspan the multi-time NBA MVP boasts. He isn’t among the league leaders in the category, but he isn’t short of wingspan, either. Jokic’s wingspan is 7-foot-3, and he uses every inch of it in every way to spell trouble for opponents.
What Is the Smallest Wingspan in the NBA?
Not every player in the NBA is a giant. Although most players are far taller than the average human being, there are some who check in around 6 feet in height.
One of the players with a short wingspan is also one of the best in the game. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell checks in at 6-foot-10. That hasn’t prevented him from lighting up the league from all over the court.
Previous players who had short wingspans were Isaiah Thomas, J.J. Barea, and Nate Robinson.
To the surprise of absolutely no one, the players with the shorter wingspans are some of the smaller players in NBA history. That didn’t stop them from having a huge impact on the game.
