6'5" NBA players: Who are the 10 best 6’5" basketballers?

6'5" NBA players: Who are the 10 best 6’5" basketballers?

Ciku Njuguna
updated at October 9, 2023 at 3:07 PM

Typically, basketball players can tower over athletes from other major sports. On average, NBA players stand about six feet and seven inches, with the tallest basketball players measuring up to seven feet and seven inches tall. Dig in and discover which 6'5" NBA players are currently playing in the league.

Who is 6'5" in the NBA?
Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns (pictured in white) goes up for a shot against JaMychal Green of the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Chase Center on March 13, 2023, in San Francisco, California. Photo by Ezra Shaw.
Source: Getty Images

Does a person's height affect their ability to play basketball? From five to seven feet, skills, commitment, and grit play a vital role in making NBA big shots. This article lists some of the best players who fall below six feet and seven inches, the average height for NBA players.

Can you be a basketball player at 6'5"?

The NBA does not have a specific height requirement for elite players to play in the league. In addition to skillset and potential, height has been a factor in choosing NBA prospects. In an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio, ESPN sports analyst Richard Jefferson remarked on the impact of height in the NBA, saying,

Is 6'5" good for the NBA?
Bogdan Bogdanovic (right) of the Atlanta Hawks shoots over Day'Ron Sharpe (far left) and Nic Claxton (centre) of the Brooklyn Nets during the game at Barclays Center on March 31, 2023, in New York City. Photo by Jamie Squire.
Source: Getty Images
“When you look at all the drafts, who was number one in the Jordan draft? Hakeem Olajuwon. Height wins all the time. Whether it is Shaquille O’Neal or whoever it is, you always draft the big number one.”

At the time of writing, Memphis Grizzlies' Jacob Gilyard is the player with the least height at 5'9", while Houston Rockets' Boban Marjanovic is the tallest NBA player with a height of 7'4". Scroll down for a list of the top 20 6'5" NBA players in the league.

Is 6'5" good for the NBA?
7-foot-4 tall NBA prospect Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs was pictured driving to the basket during an open practice on June 30, 2023, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

Rank

Player

Position (s)

Team

20.

Quentin Grimes

Small forward/shooting guard

New York Knicks

19.

Max Strus

Small forward/Shooting guard

Cleveland Cavaliers

18.

Austin Reaves

Guard

Los Angeles Lakers

17.

Bogdan Bogdanovic

Small forward/shooting guard

Serbia national basketball team/Atlanta Hawks

16.

Jalen Williams

Small forward/shooting guard

Oklahoma City Thunder

15.

Tim Hardaway Jr.

Small forward/Shooting guard

Dallas Mavericks

14.

Bennedict Mathurin

Small forward/Shooting guard

Indiana Pacers

13.

Spencer Dinwiddie

Guard

Brooklyn Nets

12.

Gary Trent Jr.

Guard

Toronto Raptors

11.

Devin Vassell

Small forward/Shooting guard

San Antonio Spurs

10.

Jrue Holiday

Small forward/shooting guard

Chicago Bulls

9.

Dejounte Murray

Guard

Atlanta Hawks

8.

Tyrese Haliburton

Guard

Indiana Pacers/United States national basketball team

7.

Jordan Clarkson

Guard

Utah Jazz/Philippines men's national basketball team

6.

James Harden

Guard

Philadelphia 76ers

5.

Tyler Herro

Point guard/Small forward

Miami Heat

4.

Desmond Bane

Small forward/ Shooting guard

Memphis Grizzlies

3.

Keldon Johnson

Forward

San Antonio Spurs/United States national basketball team

2.

Zach LaVine

Small forward/shooting guard

Chicago Bulls

1.

Devin Booker

Small forward/shooting guard

Phoenix Suns

Who are the best 6'5" players in the NBA?

According to official league stats, there are 71 6-foot-5 drafted and undrafted players in the NBA as of September 2023. Please scroll down for a detailed snapshot of the NBA basketball player's performance in relation to their height.

10. Jrue Holiday

Regarded as one of the best NBA defenders in 2023, Jrue Randall Holiday starts the Sports Brief top 10 6ft 5 NBA players' list with 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game with a 13.5 PIE (Player Impact Estimate). At his draft in 2009, the 2022/23 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, his height without shoes measured 6'3.25'' and 6'4.25'' with shoes. At the time, his standing reach and wingspan also measured about 8'4.5'' and 6'7''.

Is 6'5" good for the NBA?
Milwaukee Bucks' Jrue Holiday (pictured in the air) looks to pass the ball during a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 13, 2023, at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

9. Tyler Herro

Miami Heat's number 14 point guard, Tyler Herro, ranks ninth among the best 6'5" NBA players with a 20.1 points per game average, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists with an 11.9 PIE. At his entry into the league, his draft combine height measurements were 6'4.5'' without shoes and 6'6'' with shoes, with an 8' 4.5'' standing reach and a 6'3.25'' wingspan.

Tyler Herro's height
Miami Heat point guard Tyler Herro (#14) was pictured evading Jrue Holiday (#21) during a game against Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on February 04, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo by Stacy Revere.
Source: Getty Images

8. Dejounte Murray

Atlanta Hawks' Dejounte Murray follows closely in the ninth position in the list of the best-performing 6'5" guards with 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game with a 12.0 PIE. At the start of his NBA career, the height on his draft profile in 2016 measured 6'4.5".

Is 6'5" short for a small forward?
Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks (pictured in black) shoots the ball against the Boston Celtics on April 23, 2023, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

7. Tyrese Haliburton

In the 2023 NBA season, the Indiana Pacers' point guard recorded the same height at the 2020 NBA draft, where he was picked twelfth overall in the first round by the Sacramento Kings. The United States national basketball team playmaker has distinguished himself as one of the best point guards in the NBA, with a record of 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game.

Tyrese Haliburton's height
Indiana Pacers shooting guard Tyrese Haliburton (pictured in white) drives to the basket against De'Anthony Melton of the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on January 4, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo by Mitchell Leff.
Source: Getty Images

6. Jordan Clarkson

According to MyNBADraft, his 2014 NBA scouting combine height without shoes was recorded at 6'3.25'' with a standing reach of 8'2'' and a 6'8'' wingspan. At the 2014 NBA draft combine, Jordan Clarkson's vertical leap was about 38.5 inches.

What is Jordan Clarkson's height?
Jordan Clarkson (#6) of the Philippines national basketball team dunks during the FIBA Basketball World Cup group A match against the Dominican Republic national basketball team at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, Philippines. Photo by VCG/VCG.
Source: Getty Images

5. James Harden

In terms of performance, James Harden has proven to be among the best 6'5" NBA players of all time. As one of the best three-point shooters in the history of the NBA, the 196-centimetre-tall shooting guard has a 21.0 point per game record with 6.1 rebounds, 10.7 assists, and a 15.9 Player Impact Estimate. According to the NBA's strength and agility stats, Harden's vertical measures about 31.5 inches when standing, and a 37.0 maximum vertical leap.

Is 6'5" good for the NBA?
James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers (left) handles the ball against Deni Avdija (right) in a game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on December 27, 2022, in Washington, DC. Photo by G Fiume.
Source: Getty Images

4. Desmond Bane

With 21.5 points per game, Memphis Grizzlies' guard Desmond Bane has proved himself as one of the best performers in the team. Thanks to his performance, the All-Star, whose draft height measured 6'4" without shoes, with a 6'4" wingspan and an 8'4" standing reach, is among the highest-paid players in the NBA.

How tall is Desmond Bane?
Memphis Grizzlies small forward Desmond Bane (#22) was pictured dribbling the ball during Round One Game Four of the 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 24, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

3. Keldon Johnson

On the 17th of January, 2023, Keldon Johnson hit a career-high of 36 points with 11 rebounds and four steals in a match against the Brooklyn Nets and San Antonio Spurs. At the time of writing, he has recorded 22.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, with a 10.3 PIE.

How tall is Keldon?
San Antonio Spurs power forward Keldon Johnson (#3) drives the ball against Klay Thompson (#11) of the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter at Chase Center on March 31, 2023, in San Francisco, California. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson.
Source: Getty Images

2. Zach LaVine

The best-performing 6'5" NBA player in the Eastern Conference is the Chicago Bulls' number 8 guard Zach Levine. In the second position, his stats for the 2023 regular season are 24.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game with a 12.6 PIE.

At the time of his draft in 2014, his height without shoes was 6'4.5'' and 6'5.75'' with shoes. His standing reach was 8'4'' with a 6'8.25'' wingspan and one of the highest vertical jumps in NBA history of 46 inches.

NBA players' heights in cm
Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls (pictured in red) gets set to slam the ball against the Denver Nuggets in the second half of a game at Ball Arena on March 8, 2023, in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Dustin Bradford.
Source: Getty Images

1. Devin Booker

In addition to being one of the best 6'5" NBA players in the Western Conference, Devin Booker has become the best shooting guard in the NBA. At the time of writing, he ranked second on the 2022-23 Hollinger NBA Player Efficiency Ratings for qualified shooting guards with a .601 true shooting percentage and a 22.21 efficiency rating.

How tall is Devin Booker?
Phoenix Suns small forward Devin Booker (#1) dribbles the ball in a game against the LA Clippers during Round One Game One of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 16, 2023, at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

Notable mentions

Over the course of the league's history, basketball players of various heights have risen to legendary status for their performance. The best 6'5" NBA players of all time include 1971 NBA champion Oscar Robertson, 11-time NBA All-Star Elgin Baylor, and 2000 Olympic gold medallist Ray Allen.

All 6'5" WNBA players in 2023

According to official WNBA profiles, nine players have a height of 6'5". The average height for a WNBA player is 6'0" (183 centimetres), with most centres in the league measuring around six-foot-five.

How tall is a WNBA player?
Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston (#7) was pictured in action against New York Liberty at Barclays Center on May 21, 2023, in New York City. The Liberty defeated the Fever 90-73. Photo by Jim McIsaac.
Source: Getty Images

Player

Position

Team

Aliyah Boston

Forward

Indiana Fever

Dorka Juhász

Forward

Minnesota Lynx

Elena Delle Donne

Forward

Washington Mystics

Khaalia Hillsman

Centre

Chicago Sky

Liz Dixon

Forward

Phoenix Mercury

Nyara Sabally

Forward

New York Liberty

Olivia Nelson-Ododa

Forward

Connecticut Sun

Shakira Austin

Centre/Forward

Israeli Elitzur Ramla/Washington Mystics

Stefanie Dolson

Centre

New York Liberty

The top 10 6'5" NBA players share similar career trajectories as other taller basketballers, which disapproves theories surrounding height and performance in the NBA. As such, skilled up-and-coming basketballers of any stature have a chance to make it to the league.

READ ALSO: Which is the best basketball dribbling app, and why is it the best?

Sports Brief recently published an article about some of the best tools available for basketball training. The fast-paced field of technology has revolutionised sports training with several applications available for novice and seasoned players. Click on the link above to discover the most suitable app to help boost your dribbling game.

Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.