In the 73-year history of the NBA, we have seen over 4,500 players, guys with great agility and big height. Obviously, it is the sport of the big men. But, undoubtedly there have also been many who have been markedly overweight, even reaching obesity.
Although perhaps, for some, this corpulence far from affecting them, helped them greatly to reach, establish, and remain at the top of the best basketball league in the world. Below we will present 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.
10 Yao Ming (310 Pounds)
NBA Hall of Famer Yao Ming was one of the most impressive basketball players of all time. This Chinese man 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 unfortunately, 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 pounds)
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 whom he finished his career. While most athletes of his size are affected by this, Kevin knew how to use this condition. In 684 regular season games, he put up 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 heavy player, but when his weight got out of hand, reaching 315 pounds, his skills deteriorated.
8 Robert Traylor (319 pounds)
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, in which he left discreet numbers, 4.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists, and 0.7 blocks per game.
Due to his overweight problems (reaching 319 pounds at some point), this player opted to look for new circuits to work. He was surprised by death very young in 2011 at only 34 years, playing in Puerto Rico.
7 Priest Lauderdale (325 pounds)
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. Because of Priest Lauderdale’s big size and defensive attitude, they gambled on him and selected him in the first round of the 1996 draft. Unfortunately he just played 74 games in the NBA, averaging 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
6 Thomas Hamilton (330 pounds)
This is a very clear case of what excessive weight can do to a top athlete. Thomas Hamilton was a big player at 7’2″ and 330 pounds (some reports say he was as high as 350). Far from being a determining factor in his success, his large 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. Between the 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 340 pounds at some point in his career. He started his career with the New York Knicks, and we 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 began his journey through various leagues around the world. His 340 pounds did not prevent him from averaging 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 take advantage of their prime 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 because of his poor in-game defense, overweight body, and injuries.
3 Sim Bhullar (360 pounds)
Sim Bhullar, with his 360 pounds and his impressive 7′ 5″ height, signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings, playing only three games, in which, in total, he made one of two shots from the field, grabbed one rebound, gave an assist and provided a block. After that fleeting contract, he never played again in the NBA. This was one of the weirdest stories in NBA history.
2 Shaquille O’Neal (360 pounds)
Undoubtedly 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 in pretty much every season.
Shaquille O’Neal played 1207 games, recording 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game. In addition, he has four championship rings, he was the MVP of the 1999-2000 season, and he made 15 appearances in the All-Star game. Obviously, Shaq is an NBA Hall of Famer.
1 Oliver Miller (375 pounds)
Oliver Miller is the heaviest player to ever compete in the NBA. The center, who hailed from the University of Arkansas, started his NBA career weighing 280 pounds, but as the years went by, he became heavier and heavier, reaching 375 pounds at some point. The Big O showed a particular quickness at the center position. In his nine-year career, he averaged 7.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game.