NBA Today: 5 Players with the longest wingspan right now
In basketball, height matters. Over the years, however, scouts and NBA teams have started to give more focus on a player's wingspan. There is a strong belief that players with longer wingspans are able to grab rebounds, defend better, and shoot over others more easily. Top coaches, including the likes of Golden State Warriors' Steve Kerr, have spoken about it.
"It's legit. It's much more important than your height," Kerr said. "If your wingspan is more than your height, that's kind of abnormal. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. That's kind of a rule of thumb. A lot of basketball players don't, though, they have wider wingspans. And they're able to get their hands on balls or shots or loose balls...I'm a big believer in that."
So, which active NBA players actually have the longest wing spans today?
#5 Andre Drummond - 7 feet, 6.25 inches
The Pistons center has a wingspan of 7'6.25, which measures 7.25 inches more than his height at 6'11. After spending his freshman year at UConn, Drummond declared for the NBA Draft in 2012 and was selected 9th overall. He finished fourth in 'Rookie of the Year' voting.
His incredible wingspan has helped him score easily in the paint, rebound, and block shots, averaging a double-double since his second year in the league. He has also tallied 25 or more rebounds in a game a total of six times in his career. In 2015, he had 25 rebounds against the Warriors, got 26 rebounds twice in 2014 -- against the New York Knicks and the Bulls, respectively, tallied 27 rebounds against the Portland Trail Blazers in 2015 and the Brooklyn Nets in 2018, and recorded a career-high 29 rebounds in 2014 against the Indian Pacers.
Last year, the two-time All-Star averaged 17.3 points, 15.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks.