Over the 73 year history of the NBA, we saw over 4,500 players, guys with great agility and great size. Obviously, this is the sport of great men. But, no doubt, there have also been many who have been markedly overweight, even reaching obesity.
Although perhaps, for some, this body build far from affecting them, has greatly helped them to reach, establish and stay at the top of the best basketball league in the world. Below, we’ll take you through the 10 heaviest players to perform in the NBA, analyzing their careers, their individual and collective achievements, and those little details that always make us curious.
ten Yao Ming (310 books)
NBA Hall of Famer Yao Ming was one of the most impressive basketball players of all time. This Chinese was born to play basketball, that’s for sure. Standing at 7’6″, it’s no wonder he was one of the heaviest players in NBA history, and sadly, that limited his career to just 486 games. Still, Yao Ming made his mark in the league, recording 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.
9 Kevin Duckworth (315 lbs)
During his 11-year career, Kevin Duckworth played with five different teams, starting with the San Antonio Spurs, the team that drafted him, to the Los Angeles Clippers with which he ended his career. While most athletes his size are affected by it, Kevin has been able to use this condition. In 684 regular season games, he recorded these acceptable numbers: 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.5 blocks and 0.5 steals per game. He was always a heavyweight player, but when his weight got out of hand, reaching 315 pounds, his skills deteriorated.
8 Robert Traylor (319 books)
Center and power forward born in Detroit-Michigan on February 1, 1977, “Tractor Traylor” was unfortunately a disappointment. Taken sixth overall in the 1998 draft by the Dallas Mavericks, Traylor only managed to be in the league for seven seasons, during which he dropped low numbers, 4.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.7 blocks per game.
Due to his overweight issues (reaching 319 pounds at one point), this player opted to research new circuits to work out. He was surprised by the death very young in 2011 at only 34 years old, playing in Puerto Rico.
seven Lauderdale Priest (325 books)
The Atlanta Hawks had high expectations for this 7-4 center, born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1973. He came from Central State University to become the ideal replacement for their star, African Dikembe Mutombo. Due to Priest Lauderdale’s tall stature and defensive attitude, they bet on him and selected him in the first round of the 1996 draft. Unfortunately, he just played 74 NBA games, averaging 3 .4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
6 Thomas Hamilton (330 pounds)
It’s a very clear case of what being overweight can do to a top athlete. Thomas Hamilton was a tall player at 7’2″ and 330 pounds (some reports say he was as tall as 350). Far from being a huge factor in his success, his tall frame ended up plaguing him with injuries. , to the point of letting him play in just two seasons with 11 games in 95-96 with the Boston Celtics, and after three years of absence, 22 games in 99-2000 with the Houston Rockets. In two years he totaled 343 minutes of action for 107 points and 112 rebounds.
5 Mike Sweetney (340 pounds)
Big Mike is one of the heaviest guys to ever play in the NBA, weighing in at 340 pounds at one point in his career. He started his career with the New York Knicks, and you could say his build was normal, but when he was traded to the Chicago Bulls, everything changed. He got heavier and heavier every year until he was cut and started his journey through different leagues around the world. His 340 pounds didn’t stop him from posting an average of 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 233 games over four seasons.
4 Eddy Curry (350 pounds)
After a decade of success and in the midst of a full rebuilding process, the Chicago Bulls of the early 2000s tried to build on their first-draft position year after year. So in 2001, they took 7’0″, 350-pound center Eddy “Baby Shaq” Curry. 12.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game were acceptable numbers for a player who, at the age of 30, had to leave the boards due to his poor defense in the game, his overweight body and his injuries.
3 Sim Bhullar (360 lbs)
Sim Bhullar, with his 360 pounds and impressive height of 7’5″, signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings, playing only three games, during which, in total, he managed one of two shots from the field, grabbed a rebound, gave an assist and provided a block. After that fleeting contract, he never played in the NBA again. It was one of the weirdest stories in the game. NBA history.
2 Shaquille O’Neal (360 lbs)
Without a doubt the best and most successful “big man” of all time in the NBA. At 7’1″ and weighing – at one point – 360 pounds, he managed to dominate the game almost at will just about every season.
Shaquille O’Neal played in 1,207 games, recording 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 blocks per game. Additionally, he has four championship rings, was the MVP for the 1999-2000 season, and he made 15 All-Star Game appearances. Obviously, Shaq is a member of the NBA Hall of Fame.
1 Oliver Miller (375 lbs)
Oliver Miller is the heaviest player to ever compete in the NBA. The center, a University of Arkansas native, started his NBA career at 280 pounds, but over the years he got heavier and heavier, hitting 375 pounds at one point. The Big O showed particular speed at the center position. Over his nine-year career, he averaged 7.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game.
