Top 10 heaviest NBA players of all time ft. Shaquille O’Neal
A little bit of weight can become advantageous to NBA players, especially on offense. The imposing body can help these players become dominant in the paint area. However, the weight factor doesn’t go universally, just as heights don’t.
Shaquille O’Neal is perhaps the only NBA player on the list of heaviest NBA players who is counted among the greats. However, as Shaq put on weight with age, his agility and dominance also decreased. The weight can help with the strength, it diminishes the agility of a player.
NBA has seen players who did not have a conventional body of basketball players in the league, however, despite that they made it to the league. Here is the list top 10 heaviest players in NBA history.
Top 10 heaviest NBA players of all time
#10 Tacko Fall: 311 lbs
Tacko Fall is one of the tallest and just an inch less than the tallest recorded height in the league. With that height, Tacko Fall is also one of the heaviest players in the league at 311 lbs.
Fall, while he played in the league, was one of the most beloved players in the league. Fall went undrafted in the NBA, however, was acquired by the Boston Celtics in the 2019-20 season. Fall also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2021-22 season. However, he was later waived by the Cavaliers. He currently plays for Nanjing Tongxi Monkey King in the Chinese League.
In his career, Fall averaged 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 points in 36 regular-season games.
#9 Kevin Duckworth: 315 lbs.
Kevin Duckworth could have had an excellent NBA career, had he not struggled with his weight. At one point, Duckworth weighed 315 lbs. At the beginning of his career, Duckworth started his career on a great note.
He played 11 seasons in the NBA for five teams in the league including the Portland Trail Blazers and the Washington Wizards. Duckworth was a two-time NBA All-Star player and also won a Most Improved Player of the Year.
Over his 11 years in the NBA, Duckworth averaged 11.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 684 regular-season games.
#8 Robert Traylor: 319 lbs
Robert Traylor was selected sixth by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft. Traylor never played to his full potential and ended his career after seven seasons. He consistently struggled with his weight and was once recorded at 319 lbs.
Traylor played for four teams in the league in just seven seasons, including the Charlotte Hornets and the Milwaukee Bucks. He averaged 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 438 regular-season games.
#7 Priest Lauderdale: 325 lbs
Priest Lauderdale was selected 28th in the first round of the 1997 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He was 7-foot-4 in height and was recorded at 325 lbs.
Lauderdale played only two seasons for the Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets. He averaged 3.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.
#6 Thomas Hamilton: 330 lbs
Thomas Hamilton had only a brief stint in the NBA. His career was cut short by his great size. He was 7-foot-2 tall and weighed 330 lbs. He only played two seasons in his career.
Hamilton went undrafted in the 1994 NBA Draft and played the 1995-96 season with the Boston Celtics and the 1999-2000 season with the Houston Rockets. He averaged 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 points in 33 regular-season games.
#5 Mike Sweetney: 348 lbs
Mike Sweetney was one of the biggest busts in the NBA. After an excellent college career, the New York Knicks drafted Sweetney ninth in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft. Sweetney weighed 348 lbs and struggled with his weight.
Mike Sweetney averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in four seasons. He also played a few seasons overseas.
#4 Eddy Curry: 350 lbs
Eddy Curry came into the league after a promising college career. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft. However, his career was cut short by his ailing heart condition. The 6-foot-9 player weighed 350 lbs.
Curry played 11 seasons in the league and he played for four teams the New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. It was not just his heart condition but also his injuries and being overweight.
In his 11 seasons, Eddy Curry averaged 12.9 points and 5.2 rebounds in 527 regular-season games. He shot 54.5 percent from the field and 100 percent from beyond the arc.
#3 Shaquille O’Neal: 359 lbs
Shaquille O’Neal is largely considered the most dominant player in the NBA history. Among all the big men in league history, Shaq perhaps has the most illustrious career. Shaq was a 7-foot big man recorded at 359 lbs.
In his 19 years in the league, O’Neal played with six different teams. He won four NBA championships and three NBA Finals MVP and a league MVP. He was a 15-time NBA All-Star and a two-time scoring champion.
In his dazzling career, Shaq averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 blocks.
#2 Sim Bhullar: 360 lbs
Sim Bhullar was the first ever Indian-origin player to play in the NBA. However, the Indian big man could not find a place in the NBA. Standing tall at 7-foot-4, Bhullar was recorded to weigh 359 lbs.
Bhullar only played one season and a total of three games for the Sacramento Kings during the 2014-15 season. Despite his slow speed, the Kings took a chance on him, however, they let Bhullar also go quickly.
In the three games that Bhullar played, he averaged 0.7 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. Currently, Bhullar plays for Tainan TSG GhostHawks in Taiwan.
#1 Oliver Miller: 375 lbs
Oliver Miller is recorded as the heaviest player in NBA history, recorded at 375lbs. He played nine seasons in the NBA with six different teams, including the Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors. Miller had his best season with the Raptors in his fourth season in the NBA when he averaged 12.9 points per game.
In nine seasons in the league, the big man averaged 7.4 points, 5.9 boards, and 2.2 assists per game. He shot 53.4 percent from the field.