How Tall is Victor Wembanyama? A Look at the NBA's Top Prospect

Victor Wembanyama is the projected first overall selection in this years upcoming NBA draft, and for good reason. The French professional shot up draft boards the last few years as he kept growing taller. Currently, he is regarded as one of the highest rated prospects in NBA history.

What makes Wembanyama such an intriguing prospect is his combination of size and guard skills. He has the height of a demigod but can also bring the ball up the court and knock down shots from deep. This makes him an immediate duel-threat center who is able to impact the game on both ends of the floor.

Wembanyama currently plays for the Metropolitans 92 in the LBN Pro A league, which plays in France. He was the 2022 LNB All-Star game MVP and ended the season by leading the Metropolitans 92 to a title. In the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2021, Wemby helped lead France to a silver medal, his second such medal for his country.

• Height: 7'5"

Victor Wembanyama is currently listed at seven feet and five inches. His father is 6'6" and his mother is 6'3". His grandfather, Michel de Fautereau was also a professional basketball player in France and joined the professional French youth system at only 10-years-old when a scout noticed him on the bench and mistook him for a coach.

Wembanyama's height gives him a significant advantage in the paint, and he uses that advantage often. What makes him such an intriguing prospect is his ability to play both ends of the floor. In a 2021 FIBA U19 tournament against the United States, he registered eight blocks, a FIBA record for a single game. He finished the tournament averaging 14 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.7 blocks per game.

Wembanyama is only 19-years-old, so there is possibility that he continues to grow, but that doesn't look very likely. We may see him add another half inch or full inch to his height in the coming years, but don't expect a growth spurt.

• Average NBA Player Height: 6'6"
• Tallest Active NBA Player: Boban Marjanović - 7'4"
• Tallest Professional Basketball Player Ever: Sun Mingming - 7'9"

As it currently stands, Victor Wembanyama is 11 inches taller than the average NBA player. This immediately makes him a matchup nightmare and threat against any team in the NBA. The tallest active player is Boban Marjanović at a towering 7'4". That is still shorter than Wembanyama, meaning that on draft night Wemby will immediately become the tallest active NBA player.

Many scouts and analysts have compared Wembanyama to players like Kristaps Porzingis. Both players have freakish height but also bring various guard skills to the table. They can put the ball on the floor and bring it up the court when needed, and can also splash shots from long distance. That combination is deadly in today's NBA, as it stretches out the defense and makes your team unpredictable.

The tallest professional basketball player ever was Chinese professional Sun Mingming. Mingming was an incredible 7'9" and played in multiple leagues around the world. He found the most success in the Chinese Basketball Association where he won two championships with the Beijing Ducks.

• Projected Team: San Antonio Spurs

In May, the fourteen NBA teams in the draft lottery headed to Chicago to see their fate played out. After the lottery balls fell, the San Antonio Spurs were awarded the first overall pick. This sent the Wembanyama camp into pure elation as the San Antonio Spurs already have a deep connection with France.

In 2001, the Spurs selected a unknown frenchmen with the 28th overall pick by the name of Tony Parker. Parker would go on to help the Spurs win four championships, including winning himself Finals MVP in 2007. There is no doubt that Tony Parker will be in Wembanyama's corner helping him make the transition to living in America and playing in the NBA. It is truly the perfect match.