Best NBA Players Who Are 6’9″
The NBA is, perhaps, most famously known for its players and their above-averaged size and length. With many NBA players towering over the general populace, NBA players are generally not lacking in height.
And while some NBA players, particularly those who play the center position, are as tall as 7-feet, most NBA players, generally, stand in at over 6-feet.
But just who are the best NBA players who are 6’9″?
Below, we are going to review the absolute best NBA players who are 6-foot 9-inches and how these players utilize their above-average height to dominate their positions on the court.
Looking to see the best NBA players by height? Check out our following reviews:
Earvin “Magic” Johnson
When we look at the best NBA players who are 6’9″, is there any comparison to the formidable Earvin “Magic” Johnson? One of the most popular and well-liked NBA players of all time, Magic Johnson ignited the league as one of the tallest point guards to play the position.
Magic Johnson played 13-seasons in the NBA and remained with the Los Angeles Lakers for the entirety of his career. Widely regarded as the best point guard of all-time, he was honored by the NBA as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
However, before entering the NBA, Johnson played for Michigan State and averaged 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game as a freshman. In his sophomore season, Johnson helped lead Michigan State to the NCAA championship game and faced Indiana State, which was led by senior Larry Bird. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever, Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s.
Larry Bird
There truly is some irony that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, longtime basketball rivals, had so many similarities. And, as with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird also stood in at 6’9″ and, unlike Johnson, played the small forward and power forward positions.
Alongside Magic Johnson, Larry Bird helped to legitimize and popularize the NBA in the 1980’s. Nicknamed “the Hick from French Lick” and “Larry Legend”, Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Drafted by the storied Boston Celtics, he would play for the team for his entire 13-year career.
Larry Bird was a symbol of Celtics greatness and one of the more recent names to be associated with the team.
Having won three NBA titles, two NBA Finals MVPs, three MVPs, 12-time NBA All-Star, nine-time All-NBA first team, 1980 Rookie of the Year, No. 33 retired by Celtics, Bird was the superstar the Celtics needed to help them through their slump.
In his career, Larry Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. All while shooting 49.6% from the floor and 37.5% from the three-point line.
Karl Malone
One of the best power forwards to play in the NBA, Karl Malone, alongside John Stockton, provided the Utah Jazz fans with nearly two-decades of dominance and excellence.
Born on July 24, 1963, Malone, nicknamed “the Mailman”, was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 14-time NBA All-Star, and an 11-time member of the All-NBA First Team. And having scored 36,928 points during his time in the league, he currently ranks third in the all time scoring list.
Malone played college basketball at Louisiana Tech University. In his three seasons with Louisiana Tech, he helped the team reach its first-ever NCAA tournament in 1984 and to first place in the Southland Conference in 1985.
The Utah Jazz selected him in the first round of the 1985 NBA draft with the 13th overall pick. Malone appeared in the playoffs every season in his career, including the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 with the Jazz.
Honored as one of the 50 greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team and again to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, Malone also played in both the Summer Olympic Games of 1992 and 1996, winning gold in both.
Al Horford
Born on June 3, 1986, Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso, or simply Al Horford, is a Dominican NBA player who currently plays for the Boston Celtics. A five-time NBA All-Star, Horford is also the highest paid Latin American basketball player.
Having played college basketball for the Florida Gators, Horford was the starting center for the team in their back-to-back NCAA championship teams. Drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the third overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, he would also play for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers.
Kyle Kuzma
Kyle Alexander Kuzma was born on July 24, 1995 and currently plays for the Washington Wizards. Standing in at 6’9″, he played college basketball for the Utah Utes and was named first-team all-conference in the Pac-12 as a junior.
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft with the 27th overall pick, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2018 and would be instrumental in the Lakers championship win in 2020.