Height

At the professional level, most male players are above 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and most women above 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m). Guards, for whom physical coordination and ball-handling skills are crucial, tend to be the smallest players. Almost all forwards in the top men's pro leagues are 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) or taller. Most centers are over 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) tall. According to a survey given to all NBA teams,when? the average height of all NBA players is just under 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m), with the average weight being close to 222 pounds (101 kg). The tallest players ever in the NBA were Manute Bol and Gheorghe Mureșan, who were both 7 feet 7 inches (2.31 m) tall. At 7 feet 2 inches (2.18 m), Margo Dydek was the tallest player in the history of the WNBA.

The shortest player ever to play in the NBA is Muggsy Bogues at 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m). Other short players have thrived at the pro level. Anthony "Spud" Webb was just 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) tall, but had a 42-inch (1.1 m) vertical leap, giving him significant height when jumping. While shorter players are often at a disadvantage in certain aspects of the game, their ability to navigate quickly through crowded areas of the court and steal the ball by reaching low are strengths.

Players regularly inflate their height. Many prospects exaggerate their height while in high school or college to make themselves more appealing to coaches and scouts, who prefer taller players. Charles Barkley stated; "I've been measured at 6-5, 6-4 ​3⁄₄. But I started in college at 6-6." Sam Smith, a former writer from The Chicago Tribune, said: "We sort of know the heights, because after camp, the sheet comes out. But you use that height, and the player gets mad. And then you hear from his agent. Or you file your story with the right height, and the copy desk changes it because they have the 'official' N.B.A. media guide, which is wrong. So you sort of go along with the joke." In the NBA, there is no standard on whether a player's listed height uses their measurement with shoes on or without. The NBA Draft Combine, which most players attend before the draft, provides both measurements. Thereafter, a player's team is solely responsible for their listed height, which can vary depending on the process selected.

Notable players who overstated their height include:

• Kobe Bryant whose listed height is 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m), while his actual height is 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m)
• Charles Barkley whose listed height is 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m), while his actual height is just under 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m)
• Kevin Love whose listed height is 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m), while his actual height is just under 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m)
• Jason Collins whose listed height is 7 feet 0 inches (2.13 m), while his actual height is 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m)
• Dwight Howard whose listed height is 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m), while his actual height is 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m)

On rare occasions, some players will understate their actual heights, not to be repositioned. One example is Kevin Durant, whose listed height is 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m), while his actual height is 7 feet 0 inches (2.13 m). Durant's reasoning was, "Really, that's the prototypical size for a small forward. Anything taller than that, and they'll start saying, 'Ah, he's a power forward."