Top 10 Heaviest NBA Players of All-Time

A physical sport like the NBA requires players with a heavy structure, with a major impact on the game and on the opponents. But what happens when the weight goes beyond the limits?

Today we discover the top 10 of the heaviest NBA players in history: those who have lost control of their bodies and those who have made their weight a secret weapon.

Who is the heaviest NBA player all-time?

10. Gheorghe Muresan

Weight: 137 Kilograms (302 Pounds)

Gheorghe Muresan has become famous for his height: he is the tallest NBA player ever, with 231 centimeters in height.

The Romanian NBA star played for two different teams in a career of just 6 years and in 1995-96 he won the Most Improved Player award.

Despite his great enthusiasm and dedication, he had to stop soon both because of the physical problems due to his stature, and because he suffered from a pituitary gland disorder that did not allow him to continue his career.

9. Dexter Pittman

Weight: 139 Kilograms (306 Pounds)

Dexter Pittman’s career started full of expectations. He played for the University of Texas, later represented Virtus Bologna and was a regular member of Terry High School for three years.

After being the Miami Heat’s 32nd pick in the 2010 NBA draft, his career never took off.

His obesity did not allow him to settle on any team. With an average of just 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game, he went from team to team and left the NBA after just 5 years.

8. Mengke Bateer, 141Kg

Weight: 141 Kilograms (310 Pounds)

The great Mongolian man who played for China came to USA following the footsteps of players like Wang Zhi Zhi and Yao Ming.

Bateer was one of the best players in China, but when he arrived in the United States, he realized the technical gap. The language and cultural barrier wasn’t the only thing Bateer had to overcome, the NBA game was simply too different and advanced.

Mengke Bateer only played 3 years in the NBA, with very few appearances and as many satisfactions.

7. Yao Ming, 141Kg

Weight: 141 Kilograms (310 Pounds)

Yao Ming’s 229cm tall earned him 5th place in the ranking of the tallest NBA players ever, but also 7th place for the heaviest players.

His 141kg has caused him a lot of physical troubles (especially his feet) over the course of his career, but he still managed to have an extraordinary, but short, career.

In his 8 years at the Rockets, he had an average of 19 points per game, earning a respectable spot on the All-Star team 8 times and the All-NBA team 5 times. Yao is also the best Asian player to ever hit the NBA stage.

VIDEO: Yao Ming’s best plays

6. Robert Traylor

Weight: 145 Kilograms (319 Pounds)

Robert “Tractor” Traylor joined the NBA as the sixth pick in the 1998 Draft. Expectations of him were so high: he was picked before players like Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce.

Unfortunately, he was never able to become the Baby Shaq that many thought he could become. Once he got into the NBA his weight got out of control and he ended up playing only 7 seasons averaging just 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

5. Kevin Duckworth

Weight: 145 Kilograms (319 Pounds)

Kevin Duckworth is the 5th heaviest NBA player ever, at 147kg.

In his 12-year NBA career, at the turn of the 90s, “Duck” was twice All Star and won the Most Improved Player in the 87-88 season. He played for the Spurs, Trail Blazers, Bullets (now Wizards), Bucks and Clippers, even earning a few minutes in the 1992 Finals against Jordan’s Bulls when he was playing in Portland.

As long as he managed to keep the weight under 130kg he always managed to be a very effective player: in his fifth year in the league, he averaged 18.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

However, as he got older, he began to gain weight and, as a result, lacked the quickness to be the threat under the basket he had made himself known for.

4. Michael Sweetney, 158 Kg

Weight: 158 Kilograms (348 Pounds)

In fourth place we find Michael Sweetney with 158kg.

His career in the NBA lasted just 5 years. There were high expectations: he was picked by the Knicks with the 9th pick in the infamous 2003 Draft with the aim of bringing a bit of grit and tenacity to the team.

But Sweetney quickly turned out to be a flop and, after just two seasons, he joined the Chicago Bulls, where he played another two years before exiting the NBA orbit.

3. Eddy Curry, 159 Kg

Weight: 159 Kilograms (350 Pounds)

Called Baby Shaq, Eddy Curry is another good NBA player to be part of the heaviest ever.

The Chicago Bulls took him straight from high school with their fourth pick in the 2001 draft and the beginning was promising: in the second year Eddy Curry was the league leader by percentage from the field.

In his fourth season with the Bulls, he averaged 16.1 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game while in his seventh season, he was averaging 19.5 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game for the New York Knicks. Curry was a real offensive threat.

However, in his tenth season in the league, he was already showing signs of obesity: he was getting heavier and heavier and he could no longer keep the rapidity he was used to.

He thus reached 159 kg and despite various attempts to lose weight, he never managed to get back in perfect shape by abandoning his career due to excessive obesity.

2. Shaquille O’Neal

Weight: 163 Kilograms (359 Pounds)

Second place for Shaq, with 163kg by 216cm in height.

He joined the NBA in 1992 at only 133kg and proved to be an instant phenomenon: tall, muscular and super athletic. His transformation began with his arrival in Los Angeles.

After his first title with the Lakers in 2002, O’Neal reached 155kg due to his laziness in training, an aspect that irritated his teammate Kobe Bryant, who is often critical of him.

Shaq loved basketball, but not like Kobe did. He had other off-season interests besides playing basketball. Despite this, Shaq was able to stay healthy for most of his career by closing it only after a severe Achilles tendon injury.

VIDEO: Shaq’s best plays

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1. Oliver Miller

Weight: 170 Kilograms (375 Pounds)

The heaviest NBA player ever is Oliver Miller, with 170 kilograms. Miller played in the league from 1992 to 1998 and returned for the 2003-2004 season.

When he entered the NBA, Miller weighed only 120kg but throughout his career he steadily accumulated weight. In his 18-year career, he changes teams almost every season, interspersing the NBA with other leagues around the world. Miller played 9 NBA seasons for a total of 493 games and a point average of 7.4.

The latest news about him dates back to 2012, when he was sentenced to one year in prison for having frightened a man who harassed him during a barbecue.

VIDEO: How Oliver Miller played