How tall is Ming Yao - Page 5

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Average Guess (260 Votes)
7ft 5.95in (228.5cm)
JCS said on 25/Jul/05
http://www.geocities.com/jcs83md/td_kg_yao.png

Tim Duncan is roughly 304 pixels tall in this picture. Seems to be the consensus that he is 6'11" w/ shoes.. which means that 1 inch = 3.66 pixels.

There are 28 pixels in between the top of his head and the top of Yao's.

28 pixels difference = 7.65"

Yao's feet are about a foot apart.. which isnt a big deal.. but we'll round 7.65" up to 8".

6'11 + 8" = 7'7 w/ shoes = 7'5.5 - 7'5.75" barefoot.

It's quite obvious he's not 7'7 or 7'8 as some people are claiming.
Massimo said on 25/Jul/05
Guinnes Records Book states that the tallest man in the wordl whose height has been confirmed, Xi Shun, is 236,1 cm tall...Now you're saying that Yao, at 7'10" is taller than he is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yao 3 inches taller than Bradley ? I'm sorry, but I can't believe this! No way !
Peter said on 25/Jul/05
I believe that's the picture that was analyzed by that newspaper in Houston or China, I forget and based on photo analysis Yao was about an inch taller than Bradley. It was posted here but I guess it's deleted now. Although again, Yao simply refuses to be agreeable in these images. So what you are left with is "Bradley appears taller"......

I wonder if Yao is simply just not the result of some sort of communist genetic experiment. That his body is simply not turned on to ever stop growing.

It seems that if you watch him playing basketball he has grown every year. When he first played Bradley game announcers said, "he looks about half an inch taller than Bradley". Last time they played they said, "Yao looks at least an inch or maybe even an inch and a half taller than Bradley". This does not make sense at his age now. He does not suffer from the diseases that Andre had or even Muresan. He does not have the pituitary problem like Bradley had.

YET, he grows and grows and grows I think. I believe yao IS taller than Bradley now.

I remember that Charles Barkley once said that Manute Bol never stopped growing. Some kind of genetic anomoly. Although Bol was listed at 7-7 with shoes, Barkley claimed he measured him at 7-8 barefoot. Years later Bol was said to have then been 7-9 barefoot.

These other giants are having surgeries to stop their growth, or their diseases eventually crumble their bones and they start to shrink. But for the genetic giants like Yao and Bol, there is nothing to ever stop the runaway DNA for growth.

Also Shawn Bradley is liying about his height. This man towers over 7-3 3/4" barefooted Pavel Podkolzine.

Finally, the Chinese method of measuring seems quite questionable.

http://www.asiansportsnet.com/

NBA claims Yao was never measured, that 7-5 height is simply turned over since that's what they do with overseas players that aren't measured. Yao was measured at 7-5 in china at age 18. Well China measured this guy at 7-6 at age 19, and he turns out to be almost 7-9 barefoot according to this at age 21.

http://www.asiansportsnet.com/

Does that mean Yao is really 7'7 3/4" barefoot? This is all quite dificult.

Because of Yao's stance in pictures and his constant slouch/lean we may never ever figure this out.
CoolJ said on 25/Jul/05
COME ON anonymous.. straighten the guys out and Shaq comes up to Yao's mid-face area. You're telling me that there is 8 inches between them?? Do you realize that would make Yao's head about 16" long. Get a ruler and envision that, Yao is not GUMBY.

Rob its not hard to explain.. Yao is simply not as tall as people say.. the Anonymous guy is using a picture with a horrible angle in it.. Shaq's legs are pretty far apart.. etc-- I mean.. this http://www.geocities.com/jcs83md/YaoKG.jpg looks more accurate than the Anonymous' post.


Peter said on 25/Jul/05
I've taken some lessons on this before, I can do this.

First, I must say, to the info Shaq gives that Rockets slaim he is 7-6 or 7-7 but actually 7-10 and its'a "secret" I believe totally.

This explains why 7-7 Bradley stands so straight and Yao slumps so hard in their pics together, as Bradley and yao probably agreed to this.

Yao does not want to be known as "7-10".

Look at this, and the site needs to realize just how tall this guys is unbelievable. And note supposedly he has grown since this photo was taken........

CoolJ said on 25/Jul/05
Its senseless arguing with you Sing. Photo experts? People that talk to Van Gundy? Yeah right.. Now he's 7'10?? If you scroll down about a month back I'd say the way this is going you would eventually think he's 8'.. well we're only two inches away now.

Now the pic w/ Aguilera, Yao and Shaq is at a HORRIBLE angle and that was in '03. Naturally you wouldn't mention it, because its in Yao's favor. We already saw Bradley taller than Yao in '04 and no Sing.. there wasnt enough margin of error in that picture to make Bradley simply LOOK taller.

Thats great if Yao is listed at 7'7.. That might be because he's 7'5.5 or so barefoot.. which is where I think he's at. With Garnett at about 6'11, and Shaq a shade over 7'.

http://basketteuse3.skyblog.com/pics/111789395.jpg - Thats a pretty good pic.. Level out the slant with a 2 degree rotation. So here, if Garnett is 6'10 how Sing says.. Yao is scraping 7'5 at BEST. But Garnett is about 6'11.. Which makes Yao CLOSE to 7'6.. and Duncan around 6'9 3/4


Sing said on 25/Jul/05
CoolJ, Yao is new and Bradley, though far from Yao's level, is an NBA veteran. The media will not publish an honest photo with Yao appearing taller, just like there are no photos of Bol and Muresan standing back to back. Like I said, Yao will someday be listed as 7-7, especially now that Bradley retired. However, it's clear who's the best player. The couple of photos we have of Yao and Bradley show Yao to be shorter at the eye level, taller at the top of the head. The only way to verify, really, is if both of these guys are scientifically measured by very precise instruments.
CoolJ said on 25/Jul/05
Amanda...

The fact still remains.. Bradley is taller than Yao. Unless I see a picture that proves Yao is taller without doubt.. then I will continue to think this.. That means Yao is under 7'6 barefoot if what you say is true.
Massimo said on 25/Jul/05
Tim Duncan is only 4-5 cm shorter than David Robinson, so I think he is around 6'10". I think 6'11" is a good estimate for Kevin Garnett. Look at this picture!
http://basketteuse3.skyblog.com/pics/111789395.jpg
By the way, Yao Ming doesn't look that tall in this picture...
CoolJ said on 24/Jul/05
Only problem there Cycklops is that it'd make Shaq about 7'4.. and Yao has several inches on him.

Oh, and Duncan's listed height is WAY over what he really is. He's struggling with 6'10" barefoot.
Amanda said on 24/Jul/05
Some things I know about NBA height listing rules, from what I was sent by the New York office through a request by a sports reporter.

Basically, it says all players are NOT listed by heights with shoes. This is actually a myth. It also says that NBA heights are not wall to back heights and that foreign players are usually not even measured. The rules actually state,

1. Players shall be measured barefoot, then for all players one and one/fourth inches of height shall be added across the board to achieve a universal floor height.

2. Foreign players do not have to be measured, nor do free agents. The last height listing given, whether from overseas, college, high school, minor leagues, etc., shall be used. If the foreign measurement is with shoes, no height shall be added. If it is barefoot, one and one/fourth inches shall be added, then rounded down to an even height, regardless of the height. Example, Yao Ming, whom was never measured by the NBA, was listed at 7'5" in China, which is a barefoot listing. Yao was then given one and one/fourth inches of height, to 7'6 1/4" for his "floor height", which is then dropped to 7'6". Overseas height listings for foreign players are almost always barefoot "standing" height listings.

3. Many players, especially straight out of high school draftees, grow after their pre-draft measurement. However, these heights can only be updated once a year, during the first week of October, and must be specifically requested by the player's NBA team. Unless the player's team specifically makes a written formal request with the league's New York offices the player's height shall never be updated. The height however can be updated on the team's media guides. Also, the height can only be updated if the said player in question approves it. If the said player in question does not wish his height to be updated, then it shall not be updated. For instance, high school draftees such as Kwame Brown, Amare Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, and Eddy Curry have all grown since drafted. Their teams however have not requested that their heights be updated. Because of this, even if the here stated players wanted to have their heights updated, they can not be, because only a NBA team can request this. Also, in the example of high school draftees like Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady, both of whom have also grown since being drafted, although their said teams requested their heights to be updated, the said players chose to keep their original floor height listings, as is their personal player option. In the case once again of Yao Ming, the said player was listed at 7'5" initially because the Houston Rockets chose their option of listing his barefoot height, which is their team right to do so, rather than his floor height. The Rockets then requested the following October to change his height to his floor height. Yao's height was then "updated" to 7'6".

4. All player heights shall be rounded down, even if the height should be rounded up. For example, even if a player measured in at 7'0' 7/8" in height, the player shall be listed at 7'0", not 7'1". This is the rule for all players.

5. If a player measures at 6'7 1/2" barefoot as an example, and measures in at 6'9 3/4" with shoes on. The players "floor height" shall be listed at, 6'8". Many claims are made that the NBA height would be then be 6'9" or 6'10" for the said 6'7 1/2" player. But actually it would be 6'8". So in this case the league adds half an inch in height.

6. The one and one/fourth inches added for height, can be as little as half of an inch of added height, or as much as one inch of added height. Example: Player A measures at 6'0" barefoot. One and one fourth inches is added. This height is rounded down to 6'1". Player A gained one inch for his "floor height" listing.
Player B measures in at 6'7 1/2" barefoot. One and one fourth inches is added to his height, for a height of 6'8 3/4". His height is rounded down to 6'8". Player B gained half an inch for his floor height listing.

7. All NBA players and teams have the option to list heights barefoot, rather than with shoes. For example, players such as Latrell Sprewell, who is 6'5" barefoot, choose to be listed with their barefoot height, rather than with their "floor height", in Sprewell's case 6'6". The Utah Jazz have a team policy that they shall use barefoot height, rather than floor height. This is why Carlos Boozer, 6'9" in floor height, and listed at 6'9" with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is listed currently at 6'8" with the Jazz. Karl Malone for instance, was 6'10" in floor height, but always listed at 6'9" by Utah. The Jazz are the only team in the NBA that currently uses barefoot height, rather than floor height for all players. In the case of individual players, Shawn Bradley has always been listed at his barefoot height of 7'6", rather than his floor height of 7'7", per the policies of the said player and the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia 76ers.

8. Teams and players also have the option to list a player shorter than his floor height, but taller than his barefoot height. In the case of San Antonio player Tim Duncan, his barefoot height is 6'10 3/4". The Spurs list Duncan at 6'11", rather than his 7'0" floor height. This per team request and player approval. No player shall ever be listed taller than his floor height per league rules.

9. Players can never be listed shorter than their barefoot height, nor taller than their barefoot height, plus one and one/fourth inches, rounded down to the nearest even height. However, team profiles, such as NBA team media guides, and game lineup announcements can list player heights with shoes. This however will not be given as the height in any league profiles. Players can not be listed with their height in shoes in any league profiles. Example, Wayne Simien, could be listed at possibly 6'10" with shoes, but is instead listed at 6'8". Although this does not change how tall players are on the court, it does keep the listings more accurate against things like over-sized shoe soles and/or shoe inserts/lifts.

10. Official NBA League heights for all measured players, which can exclude foreign players and some free agents, are heights measured "standing", rather than "wall-to-back". This is so that player heights can be measured more relative to their standing floor height on the court. This is the same method used for "Mug Shots" by law enforcement agencies, as it acheives an accurate measurement for the perceptable height of a person. NBA teams however, measure players based on wall-to-back measurements, which is considered a more reliable way to gauge an individual's height, as this measures the exact height of an individual when standing totally upright. Because of this, players can sometimes be considerably taller barefoot than their measurements by the NBA, however they usually are the NBA listed height while standing normally on the court. This varies based on how much any given individual player stands upright. Free agents listed with their college or high school height are usually listed with wall-to-back measurements, but not always. Foreign players are almost always listed with their standing height.


Well based on that, this means Yao was never measured by NBA, he is 7-5 barefoot and standing, rather than against the wall, and this is an old measurement. I think it fair to say he is at least 7-6 or 7-6 1/2 like the site says. Anything below that seems very questionable based on that info.
Cycklops said on 24/Jul/05
I've always thought Garnett was 7'2" in his shoes, or at minimum 7'1".

He towers over Tim Duncan, it was shocking to see, particularly in the Slam Photo Shoot they did together. They even did a few shots where Garnett pretended he was hunching down to talk in Tim's ear.

I wouldn't be surprised if Garnett turned out to be 7'1" barefoot. But Garnett seems slightly shorter than Mutombo, and is at least 2 inches taller than Duncan. So I think Garnett is probably 7'0" barefoot and 7'1" in his shoes.

That doesn't change my estimate of Yao though. 7'6.25" in his shoes. He's shorter than Bradley and you have to take that into account.
CoolJ said on 24/Jul/05
See.. now if you go by Taylor's statements on Garnett which would make him over 7'.. That would push Shaq to 7'2 ot 7'3.. hell.. then Yao might be 7'8.

BUT -- There has to be a happy medium between these three heights for it to all make sense. Shaq has ABOUT 2" on Garnett. Yao has around 4-5" on SHAQ

Figure that out first... I still say Garnett is around 6'11.. Shaq is around 7'1.. Yao about 7'5-7'5.75
Taylor said on 23/Jul/05
If ANYONE believes that Kevin Garnett is under 6-10 they are absolutely people that have NEVER, I mean NEVER watched a T-Wolves basketball game. It is absolutely ridiculous to suggest he is anything under 7 feet with no shoes. In fact he looks much taller than that. He REGULARLY towers over opponents listed at 7 feet. I don't know how tally yao is, but if you are trying to claim his height comparing him to KG at "6-9 1/2" then you are so far off base it is laughable.

Garnett is NOTICEABLY taller than his 7-0 or sometimes listed 7-1 teammate Olowakandi. He TOWERS over teammate Eddie Griffin listed in his draft at 6-9 barefoot.

Garnett's former teammate Gugliotta swears he measured KG at 7-1 barefoot. Kg's former coach Saunders claims on NBA game broadcasts LAST YEAR that, "KG is really 7-2".

And so forth.

I KNOW FOR FACT KG is WELL OVER 7 feet and therefore basing Yao's height against KG with the premise that KG is "around 6-10" is COMPLETELY false and farnlky it makes no sense.

Also David Robinson claimed on Leno that, "I am exactly 7'0 1/4" barefoot".

Olajuwon was also MEASURED at 6-11 barefoot in his draft measurement, NOT 6-10.
CoolJ said on 22/Jul/05
http://www.geocities.com/poyaks8/dreamteam/pics/dreamteam3_teampic.jpg

Just how much farther back is Robinson from Shaq??? Yeah I thought so. Olajuwon is about 6'10 barefoot.. You do the math


CoolJ said on 21/Jul/05
Shaq obviously was pulling people's leg. If he is 6'11.5 then David Robinson was not even 6'10.. and that is totally FALSE.

And if Shaq is only 6'11.5, Yao is not 7'7.. do some comparisons and stop trying to be a smartass.
Sing said on 21/Jul/05
CoolJ, apprently you have gone off the deep end. Me logging on as James??? Holy schizo Batman!

I said Shaq was 6-11? Try Shaq himself said he is actually 6-11.5 on the Howard Stern show.
CoolJ said on 21/Jul/05
Sing.. You're overall logic is still flawed. You claim Yao is close to 7'7.. but Shaq is only 6'11.5. with Garnett at 6'9.5?? Come on.. follow that down the chain and you'll see where I'm getting at. There is absolutely not 7.5 inches between Yao and Shaq.. there is no way. I DO NOT CARE what people say about their heights, I want proof. This James guy is BS, lets face it, and its probably you logging on that name anyway.

Point of the matter is. You can't sit there and say Shaq is around 6'11, because if you do.. that means Yao is not over 7'5 because there is simply not that much of a height disparity between them.
Sing said on 19/Jul/05
James, touche!! I hope you upload the letter soon. I hope this will also end any debate about Yao's reach. How can a 7-7 proportional guy only reach 2 feet over his head??? Granted Yao has a large head, but unless he has a physical deformity, it's impossible that he can only reach 2 feet above his head, impossible.

Just do the math. Assume a 6-footer can reach 7-8 (that's being conservative), assume also Yao's 7-6, add 1.5 feet and already you are at 9-1 on HEIGHT ALONE!! If Yao can only reach 9-7, that means his arms are only 6 inches longer than a 6 foot person, sounds ridiculous doesn't it???

On the other hand, assuming Yao has a 7-6 wingspan (I believe his wingspan is longer), that means he can reach an additional 9 inches higher, or 9-10 at least on reach.

CoolJ said on 19/Jul/05
Now we got a guy that knows Van Gundy.. Pretty soon we'll have Yao himself on here telling us how big he is.

Sad part is.. if they're saying he's over 7'6, Sing will believe them.

He's 7'5.75 at the most.
JS said on 19/Jul/05
Sing,

Then again.. Yao has a large head and tall torso with unremarkable arm length for his size.
Sing said on 19/Jul/05
If you don't believe me, see what your highest reach is, most 6 footers I know with normal wingspan (wingspan = height more or less) can reach close to 8 feet, between 7-9 and 7-11, so if Yao can only reach 9-7, that means his arms are only 2-4 inches that those of a 6-footer, if that makes any sense to you, then yes, Yao's reach is only 9-7, and his arms will look grotesquely short alongside his body, is that the case???
Sing said on 19/Jul/05
Cycklops, the reach is even more dubious. Was he reaching as high as he could or was it in a relaxed stance? I mean if he was straining to reach as high as he could, do you seriously think it's only 2feet 1 inch above his head? I mean, I could almost reach 2 feet above my head!! I am sure Yao's arms are wayyy longer than mine!
Cycklops said on 19/Jul/05
Sing, sorry to break your heat, but Yao isn't 7'10".

He's 7'6". His reach, as measured, is 9'7".
mask said on 18/Jul/05
No Sing you are wrong Yao is not taller than the ruler if you look better and then also in my photo he is measured with shoes on and he never touch 230 cm.According to myself 225 cm w/o shoes and 228 w/shoes.
Sing said on 18/Jul/05
By the way, Mike, Yao's reach is bs, anybody who watches any games will realize Yao can touch the rim on his tippytoes, even the game announcers said it. The thing about Yao is that due to his upbringing, he always tries to be humble. There was a story where one time during practice Yao took Moochie Norris' sneakers and on his tippy toes, placed them on top of the rim, and Moochie responded by saying he hasn't dunked since college and that Yao was like a big bro. So you can imagine this guy's reach, I will say probably around 9-9 or 9-10. Shaq's reach is listed as 9-8, which is probably slightly exaggerated.
Massimo said on 18/Jul/05
I would like to see (or seeing) Yao standing next to Dikembe Mutombo,Illgauskas,Sabonis and Jabbar. Mutombo is listed as 7'2", so he probably is 7'1/2" barefoot. It would be interesting to see how much Yao towers over him. Also I read that some people thinks Jabbar is about 7'4", taller than his listed height 7'2";
on the other hand, other people thinks he is only 7'1" barefoot. I have seen Jabbar and Shaq shaking hands before a game and they looked to be about the same height (but it was hard to say actually). I have seen Jabbar next to Chamberlain and he looked about an inch taller than Wilt. Who knows ?
mask said on 17/Jul/05
Sing, this is for you!
http://www.geocities.com/hzq29/yao-01.jpg
Noooooooooooooooooo way Yao is above 228 cm (7'5 3/4") even with shoes
JCS said on 16/Jul/05
Mike,

The point those who say Yao is taller are trying to make is that he has grown since then. I will admit I think he grew a half-inch or so since, but really no more than that.

Sing - That picture is slanted at a 1 degree angle at most. Try rotating it in a image editor. Yao is still shorter than Bradley. No questions asked.
Mike said on 13/Jul/05
Yao Ming is 7'5" bare feet, and 7'6" with shoes. This is the absolute truth. Before he got drafted, all players went to Chicago for measuring for height both bare feet and with sneakers, and their reach. Stoudamire who is listed as 6'10 is in fact 6'8.5. Teams add one inch and round it up. Yao Ming is one of the tallest in the NBA, but his reach is short for his height. Shaq has longer reach. End of discussion. This link will give you the truth that you are so obsessed about.
http://www.nba.com/media/bulls/predraft_sizes_02.pdf
Sing said on 13/Jul/05
Also, JCS, use a straight edge, and look at where the top of their heads are. Don't look at the eyes because Bradley's got a small head in comparison to Yao so his eyes are higher giving the appearance of being taller. Also, note Yao's relaxed stance. Also, like I said, look at the bleachers at the top of the photo. The row of seats is supposed to be straight, is it straight in this photo? No, it's tilted at an angle, in Bradley's favor. Now, use the row of seats at the top of the photo as a guide, you can't see that Yao is CLEARLY TALLER AT THE TOP OF THE HEAD??? If you take this photo literally, then the word "DAVE BUSTERS" sign on the bleachers is higher than the DIRECT TV sign. Do you honestly think that's true???

I forget exactly what the photography expert said but he used a method used by FBI and other government agencies to identify people's height in photos. Basically his conclusion is that not only is Yao taller, but MUCH TALLER.

Again, believe what you want but be objective and don't play favoritism.
Sing said on 13/Jul/05
Believe what you want. That pic is old story, there was a better pic which was posted that clearly showed Yao to be taller than Bradley. Another guy posted a pic of Bradley and Yao standing next to each other during a game and Yao was much taller. There was one dude who wrote like a whole page on Bradley Yao comparison and how that photograph, when viewed the correct way, showed Yao to be taller. You missed all of the discussion and I am not going to rehash for you.

Bottom line: Yao is taller than Bradley, and Yao is still growing. There are a lot of people from all over the world who believe this. Only a very mentally challenged person will think that only people from China think Yao is taller than Bradley.
JCS said on 12/Jul/05
HAHA, so if Garnett is 6'10.. then follow it on down the line in that picture I posted. You get down to Kobe.. and that means he's only 6'4ish or so. Not true. You are wrong in your attempts. Yao is short of 7'6.
JCS said on 12/Jul/05
It was a typo. Bradley is clearly taller than Yao in that picture. Any fool can see that.
JCS said on 12/Jul/05
BTW, any photography expert that said Yao was taller in that picture is full of it.

Give it up Sing.
Sing said on 12/Jul/05
Cycklops, the last time Yao was measured officially was when he was a teenager in China, he weighed 275 and was 7-5. The NBA apparently never officially measured his height. He was listed as 296 lbs. when he entered the NBA so they probably weighed him. The Houston coaching staff measured him before the 2003 All-Star game and he was 7-8 with shoes on, it's a well known fact around the league, even Tim Duncan mentioned it when they were selecting which player to jump for the opening tip, Yao wanted to defer to O'Neal, but Duncan said Yao should jump because he's 7-8. Also, when asked after one of those Yao vs. Shaq battles how O'Neal felt about being outscored and rebounded, and had a couple of his shots swatted by Yao, O'Neal said: He's 7-7, he's supposed to do that.
JCS said on 12/Jul/05
Come on Sing, I dont know if you share a common bond with this guy through nationality or what.. but the guy is simply not 7'7 barefoot. At most, he is 227cm, end of story. I refuse to believe that Yao is 8" taller than Garnett, or 9 1/2" since you've debated Garnett is 6'9 1/2 barefoot. So, which is it?


http://207.218.250.41/attachment.php?attachmentid=63&stc=1

Same pic as mjd posted, but at better angle. Pic was taken in Feb '04 and I doubt its changed much. Both flatfooted, Yao is taller.. Bradley is not 7'7, so Yao is not 7'6.
Sing said on 12/Jul/05
mjd, that's the most ridiculous comment I have seen posted here. That photo is old news and we have already discussed it here extensively in this forum. For one, Yao is slouching and Bradley is cranking his neck to appear taller, and second, Yao is still taller because the camera angle is tilted. You can see that because the row of seats behind them is not a straight line. There was a photography expert who posted here but I guess you can no longer see his comments. He analyzed the photo extensively and said in fact, the photo shows Yao to be much taller, it just gives the illusion of Yao being a bit shorter due to camera angle, which is very easy to do.
Jason said on 12/Jul/05
It's quite possible, Cycklops. I'm still growing myself @ 24 years old and I don't have any diseases. My brother is as well and he's 22 ... it's just genetic. A small number of guys can continue growing naturally into their mid or even late 20s in some cases.
Cycklops said on 12/Jul/05
Sing, do you honestly think people grow 4 inches in their twenties?

Yao entered the league at 22. So that would be the earliest that his autobiography was written. If you're 7'5" at 22, bet on being 7'5" when you're 24. At the MOST, bet on being 7'5.25"...and I seriously doubt that.

People don't grow that late unless they have a disease.
mjd said on 11/Jul/05
yao's 7'4...minus yao's puffy hair in this pic hes atleast 1.5-2 inches shorter
http://www.nba.com/media/rockets/yao040221-2.jpg
Sing said on 11/Jul/05
JCS, I am not sure if we are looking at the same photo but the top of Dirk's hair maybe is above Yao's lips but the top of his head definitely isn't. Besides, did you notice that Yao has a GIGANTIC head? It's proportional to his size, but still, his head is enormous so you should take that into account as well when doing your height calculations. Yao's 7-7 at least, w/o shoes, 231cm, based on that photo.
Sing said on 11/Jul/05
Joeyb, when was the autobiography written? What year? You know he's only 24 years old NOW. If you wrote an autobiography when you were 20 and said you were 6 feet tall, then grew to 6-4 at the age of 24, can somebody say you are not 6-4 because you wrote in your autobiography that you were 6 feet?

CoolJ said on 11/Jul/05
Yao has big hair in a lot of these photos and it is throwing you guys off.

Example: Vanilla Ice is 5'11" now and was 5'11" when he had the flat top back in '90.

JCS said on 11/Jul/05
Tommy - I didn't make up anything to fit my own guestimate. My analysis lacks some science, but still isn't bad when you consider my results.
Tommy I'd love to see these e-mails you speak of. How do we know you didnt list those heights to fit your guestimates? At least I provide comparisons in picture for you to see.

Sing - Dirk comes above Yao's mouth by almost two inches, draw a straight line. Plus again, realize Yao's hair.

BAREFOOT measurements, within a half-inch.. Again refer to the picture - http://www.geocities.com/jcs83md/YaoKG.jpg - Not scientific, but does end up yielding some decent results.

Now, I did base all of this on Garnett's height, which is disputable but I deemed him 7' w/ Shoes. I placed him there, after comparing photos of him, with Shaq and Yao.

WITH SHOES Heights

Yao - 7'6.5 (Hair makes it difficult but I'd set min at 7'6.25, max at 7'6.75)
Shaq - 7'1.25 (Not pictured)
Garnett - 7'
Dirk - 6'11.5"
Duncan - 6'10.75" (Hair makes him look taller.)
Amare - 6'10"
Kobe - 6'6.5"


I'd say the height listed for Yao is a fair one with shoes. But without, he's probably at around 227cm
joeyb said on 11/Jul/05
he says in his autobiography that he is 7 foot 5...he would not underestimate himself
Sing said on 11/Jul/05
I don't know about your analysis. Yao absolutely towers over Nowitzki. So if Nowitzki is a legit 6-11 w/o shoes, then I would put Yao at around 7-7 because the top of Nowitzki's head only comes up to Yao's mouth, and I think you would agree that from Yao's mouth to the top of his head there has to be at least 7 inches.
Tommy said on 10/Jul/05
I also will point out that measuring the ball size and comparing that is absolutely WRONG considering you are simply MAKING up the difference for distance to the camera to fit your own guestimate.

One final thing according to team's of players in question....

I wrote several teams through email for some comparison heights, and asked specicifically for heights in shoes and without shoes......

I got this from said player teams which I asked, and I stress these are heights with shoes/without shoes and I specifically requested CURRENT height NOT pre-draft heights as I also asked if any player had grown from pre-draft height (I purposely did NOT request Yao's height):
Here's a summary

Minnesotta :

Kevin Garnett 7-1 without shoes 7-2 in shoes currently, original height of 6-10 without shoes 6-11 with shoes when drafted

Dallas

Dirk Novitzki 7-0 without shoes 7-1 1/2 in shoes currently, originally 6-11 without shoes 7-0 1/2 with shoes when drafted, listed at 6-11 by NBA initailly because he was not measured as he was overseas.

San Antonio

Tim Duncan 6-10 1/2 without shoes 7-0 in shoes currently, originally 6-10 without shoes 6-11 1/2 with shoes when drafted.

Phoenix

Amare Stoudamire 6-9 1/2 without shoes 6-11 in shoes currently, originally 6-8 1/2 without shoes, 6-10 with shoes when drafted

Houston

Tracy McGrady 6-8 without shoes, 6-9 1/2 in shoes currently, originally (this original info came from Toronto Raptors) 6-7 without shoes, 6-8 1/2 with shoes, when drafted


Lakers

Kobe Bryant 6-5 without shoes, 6-6 with shoes currently (the guy saying he was 6-7 in shoes is wrong I confirmed this in another email with Lakers Bryant is 6-5 even without shoes), originally 6-4 1/2 without shoes, 6-6 with shoes when dratfed


Now from this you can discern Yao's height and also see that it is quite common for these players DRAFTED AS TEENAGERS except for Duncan to still grow.

an inch or 1 and a half inches growing for such tall men and athletes from TEEnage years is NOT uncommon at all.

So NO everyone is SIMPLY listing many of these players TOO SHORT.

And on the Shaq thing that people keep bringing up.......Shaq is SHORTER than KG, just look at the pics it is obvious, now look how much taller Yao is then KG and then people come back with "Yao is only 4 inches taller than Shaq"......???

Obviously many people are intent on downgrading Yao's height and KG's height for some odd reason, while UPGRADING Shaq and Duncan in height.


Tommy said on 10/Jul/05
I looked at the pic of the all stars posted by Drew, if you can't see on analysis that Yao is MUCH taller than 7-6 you just are either not able to properly analyze or you are a height hater, is there such a thing....well apparently there are here.

I had no idea Yao was THAT tall, but from that pic it should be PAINFULLY OBVIOUS to most anyone with good perception and measuring abilities and good spacial viewing abilities that Yao is way taller than 7-6.
Massimo said on 10/Jul/05
I think Shaq is a couple of inches taller than Garnett; so if Shaq is really 6'11" 1/2, Garnett can't be 6'11". Duncan looks to be much taller than Mac Grady! If Duncan is only 6'10", how can McGrady be 6'8"? Also, the guy just next to Mc Grady is listed as 6'5" but looks about the same height as Tracy. I'm not sure but maybe McGrady's height is overrated.
JCS Bricks said on 10/Jul/05
Sorry, I got Kobe at 6'6 w/ shoes. I give him a half-inch or so because of his wide stance.. so I'm guessing he's slightly over 6'5 barefoot. Would explain why his listed height got knocked down to 6'6 from 6'7 in the past year or two.
JCS Bricks said on 10/Jul/05
Sing,

Duncan WAS listed at 6'11".. Not sure why he got upped to 7'.. If memory serves correct, I remember him being listed at 6'10" at Wake Forest. I think Duncan is a shade over 6'10. I think Dirk and Garnett are close by one another at 6'11" with Garnett having the slight edge.

That method was not very scientific, but it had pretty accurate results. I went down the line to Kobe, and it was interesting to find my method only yielded him at 6'6 1/2" with shoes. His legs are spread apart a bit more than the others tho, so I'll give him 6'7 in shoes.

I'm still thinking Yao is not at 7'6, I think his big hair gives the impression he is taller. I'll give him 7'5.5 though.
DaddyFatSaxxx said on 10/Jul/05
NBA players are measured at "court height" (with shoes on) and are listed as 1.5-2 inches taller than they actually are. Shaq admitted this on a Howard Stern inter view saying that he's actually "about 6 foot 11." Also, I remember Yao being drafted as a "7 ft. 5 in. center from China," therefore I think at the very most he can be listed as 7 ft. 5 in. as he is no more than 6 inches taller than Shaq.
Sing said on 9/Jul/05
JCS, nice effort but highly unscientific. How tall do you think is Nowitzki then? He's listed at 7 feet, so is Duncan, but looked shorter.
JCS Bricks said on 9/Jul/05
I also show the same analysis on Amare which has him at 6'10" in shoes. Ironically, the EXACT same he was measured before the 2002 draft.
JCS Bricks said on 9/Jul/05
Oh I forgot

http://www.geocities.com/jcs83md/YaoKG.jpg

Once again, I'm not saying I'm 100% correct, but its close.
JCS Bricks said on 9/Jul/05
I roughly conclude Yao is 6.25" taller than Garnett. AT MOST, 7".

The circumference of an NBA ball is 29.5" (Diameter = 9.4" roughly). Taking into effect, that the ball Nash is holding APPEARS 10% larger than the one behind him in the picture. I then shaved another 10% off, used that line length to represent 9.4" where Garnett and Yao are standing. Not exact science, but I think it all works out.

I think Yao is between 7'5.25" and 7'6"
Sing said on 8/Jul/05
Nice photo Drew. If Nowitzki is 7 feet, then Yao looks about 7-9 in this accurate comparison photo. KG looks to be about 7 feet as well, and slightly taller than Nowitzki. Maybe KG is a legit 6-11 guy and Nowitzki is more like 6-10ish, as is Duncan.
Sing said on 7/Jul/05
NBA Scout, try Yao Ming has grown since he entered the NBA. Here's a question for you, did the NBA actually measure him? Some have actually asked the NBA and was told Yao wasn't measured.
Jason said on 5/Jul/05
That's what I think. Nash was only similar in height to Dennis Rodman on Nitro. Was Rodman wearing lifts? lol. Fake stats, lifts, photo techniques and camera angles, ect. ... they can make trying to estimate a celebrity's true height quite confusing!
Sing said on 5/Jul/05
How do we know that photo is real? I've read that they used to have Andre the Giant stand on a box to make him taller. How do we know that Nash wasn't standing on a box as a publicity stunt to make him appear near 7 feet tall? How do we know that Miller didn't get paid to appear shorter? That photo doesn't show legs so we will never know.
Sing said on 2/Jul/05
Yes, Miller is listed as 6-9 with shoes on, but his w/o shoes height is about 6-7.5, just like Olajuwon was listed as 7 feet, but actually 6-10 and Ewing listed as 7 feet, but actually 6-9.

However I have heard that Miller has a 7-6 wingspan, so that's he was a good rebounder and could block shots, and even played center once in a while. He was essentially a 7 footer by reach but only 6-7.5 in height! In that photo Miller's arms are noticeably longer than Nash's, though he's a bit shorter.

Nash is 6-9 w/o shoes, which would put Big Show around 6-10 w/o shoes, close to 7 feet with shoes.
Jason said on 2/Jul/05
So Miller is about 6'7 1/2''? Thanks, Sing. Yeah, would be interesting to see more pics of Nash with other very tall people.
Jason said on 2/Jul/05
I've seen Nash described as 6-10 in an article about him from when he played college basketball - but we know how accurate those heights can be. Do you have a link or something to where it says he was measured at 6'11'' in shoes, Andy?
Andy said on 1/Jul/05
From Nash's college measurement as a basketball player......6'11" with shoes.

This is measured at age 18 when he may still be growing.

In other words Nash is AT LEAST 6'10" without shoes.
Sing said on 1/Jul/05
I think Nash might be around 6-9, Miller is more like 6-7.5. Big Show is probably 6-10 then since he's taller than Nash. Jason is right, really can't see Nash's shoes, probably platform boots...
Jason said on 1/Jul/05
Thanks, Cycklops. Yes, it does make it seem that way. Interesting. Would depend on Miller's real height (the NBA adds more than 1 inch to some guy's listed heights) and Nash's footware, though.
Cycklops said on 1/Jul/05
That big fat dude is the Minnesota Timberwolves' Oliver Miller. He's listed as 6'9" by the NBA, which means he's about 6'8" in his socks.

Makes Nash look around 6'10" to me.
Jason said on 30/Jun/05
Hey Sing, do you know who this basketballer (I'm guessing he is) with Kevin Nash is?

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=132440

There's a Kevin Nash page here now as well BTW.
CoolJ said on 30/Jun/05
I still think 7'6.5" is too much.
Sing said on 29/Jun/05
Well Sun Ming Ming didn't get drafted this year, so I guess he won't be able to break any height records in the NBA. All the articles I read say he's 7-8 3/4. When they get this precise, it's usually without shoes.
Anonymous said on 28/Jun/05
yao ming nowdays at the age of 24 is 7'6" barefoot.7'7.5" with shoes.
shawn bradley since the age 0f 21 is 7'5.5"barefoot.7'7" with shoes.
pavel podkolzin nowdays at the age of 20 is 7'4" barefoot.7'5" with shoes.
sun ming ming nowdays at the age of 22 is 7'7" barefoot.7'8.5" with shoes.
Jason said on 27/Jun/05
Guiness also says Giant Gonzalez was 7'6'' and Lou Ferrigno is 6'5'' *laughs*. There's an Andre the Giant page here now, guys.
Sing said on 27/Jun/05
Who's being stupid? That quote was TAKEN STRAIGHT FROM THAT A&E EPISODE. Read it for yourself (link is below, just in case you didn't see it and write something even more stupid).

http://www.biography.com/search/article.jsp?aid=9542226&search=
Charles said on 26/Jun/05
George... could you post a link to that biography, info about where to buy it etc ( I assume it's on VHS)
George said on 26/Jun/05
No, I saw that A & E biography several times myself. Andre was 7'1" as he was measured officially by Guiness barefoot. The man had a size 54 ring finger. I am sorry but to claim that he was 6'9" is extremely stupid and false.
Sing said on 26/Jun/05
Shaman, in the article you posted the first page does mention his height: "At his largest, Roussimoff was probably six feet eleven inches tall, though he was advertised as seven feet four inches." The word "probably" makes it rather unofficial but I think it's pretty certain that Andre at the peak of his giantism was still under 7 feet. So 6-9 or 6-10 isn't out of the question.
Sing said on 26/Jun/05
CoolJ, I always research my claims. Giant Gonzalez was drafted in 1988 by the Atlanta Hawks as the 54th pick. Now whether he played in any games is another question. NBA might not count players as active if they didn't appear in an NBA game.

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft99/teams/atl/past.html
Shaman said on 25/Jun/05
Please post a link to the A & E article you mentioned 'cause I only found this
http://www.biography.com/search/article.jsp?aid=9542226&search=
and in it there is nothing mentioned about his height.
I also found this... interesting,, a pic of Andre and giant haystacks
http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/pictures/10/haystacksvsandre.jpg
Jason said on 25/Jun/05
cantstop25 - as crazy as it might sound to you, no, I'm not kidding. Look up Brock Lesnar's old profile with the Minesota Vikings for example - they have him listed as 6'2''.
cantstop25 said on 25/Jun/05
and another thing remember these prowrestlers are just as honest as all of the other stars such as all the movie stars and tv stars and pop singers. Athletes such as NFL are actually quite accurate.
cantstop25 said on 25/Jun/05
O and by the way coming back to taker I have a friend who is about 6'2" and he met taker and claimed that he was real tall. Ill have to ask him just how tall but im sure if he was 6'5" he would tell me not as tall as you would think. undertaker is probably a solid 6'8"
cantstop25 said on 25/Jun/05
coming back to this post

"I haven't seen Kevin Nash before, but I'd put him around the 6'6 1/2'' mark. I've seen the guy looking almost the exact same height as Big Show. Prolly when Show wasn't in lifts. Then again, I once read a magazine article where the writer described Nash as being ' about 6'5'' ', so who knows. Some of the bigger wrestlers I have seen are A-train (more like 6'3 1/2'' 300lbs than his billed 6'7'' 350), Matt Morgan (about 6'5'' 255lbs ... was the biggest laugh of the night when they announced him as 320lbs), Nathan Jones (really about 6'6 1/2'' 290lbs), Stevie Ray ('bout 6'3'' 265). Funnily enough, though, Rikishi was billed in WWE as 6'1'' 350lbs and that was about right. He was indeed 6'1'' and would have easily been around 350lbs. I've never seen Hogan in person, but the height difference between him and Dennis Rodman (there's a number of WCW pics online of them together) is about the same as between Jordan and Luger."

cmon man this is crazy. Nathan Jones= 6'6.5"

the man is huge he has to be atleast 6'10"

Matt Morgan 6'5" 255 I hope that is a joke he was on that reality show tough enough and he towered over everybody. are you saying that the second tallest guy on that show was 6' ant that the guy listed at 5'8" is more like 5'3". Morgan is also defintelly close to 300lbs as well
Andrew said on 24/Jun/05
People are not being accurate on Andre's height. According to the A and E bioagraphy on Andre his official autopsy stated that at time of death he measured at exactly 6'10" in height barefoot, and that he had shrunk exactly 3 inches due to his growth hormone disease from his original prime height of 7'1" barefoot.

It also stated that he actually shrunk 1 inch in the last month of his life, so even after he was long retired from wrestling he was at least 6'11" barefoot.

Nonetheless the biography stated very clearly that Andre had been officially measured MANY times at 7'1" barefoot by independent sources. It was stated that the WWE (then the WWF) exagerrated his height by 3 inches to 7'4".

Andre was MUCH taller than people here are claiming.
CoolJ said on 24/Jun/05
Sing,

IF you actually researched as much as you babbeled, people might take you seriously.

Jorge Gonzales was never officially an NBA player. Pretty sure he was 229cm
Sing said on 24/Jun/05
Not sure how tall he is now but when he was in the NBA, he was under 7-4.
mask said on 24/Jun/05
Giant Gonzales is now 232 cm and lives in his hometown in Argentina.He has got a lot of health problems like diabetes and blindness
Sing said on 24/Jun/05
I would say 6-9 is very tall, but not a giant. To be giant, I think you have to be around 7 feet.

If Jorge is 229cm, that's 7-6, which would've made him one of the tallest in history of the NBA. However, on the all time tallest NBA players list, he wasn't there, not even in the 7-4 range, such as Mark Eaton and Rik Smits. So my guess is he's under 7-4.
Jason said on 24/Jun/05
6'9'' (or 6'7'' for that matter) is ''true giant'' enough in the everyday world though, Sing. :)
glow said on 24/Jun/05
a newspaper article i read today has him at 229cm.
Sing said on 23/Jun/05
So Andre and the Big Show are about the same height then. By the way, does Big Show have acromegaly? If Andre were 6-9, then wasn't really a giant. El Gigante or Giant Gonzalez though, was a true giant, he was around 7-4, probably a bit less but still a true giant.
Cycklops said on 23/Jun/05
Hogan's about 6'4" barefoot. Rodman has said he is 6'6" barefoot. Probably around 6'6 1/4" since he was listed at 6'8" by the NBA. That looks right in those photos.

The WWE claims Undertaker is 6'10.5", but the report has long been that Undertaker is around 6'7". Shaq is 6'11.5", and there does seem to be 4.5 inches between them in those pics.

When are they gonna put up an entry for Andre? (6'9" barefoot btw)
CoolJ said on 23/Jun/05
I realize hes further back, but not much. I think the Undertaker is definitely up there, at least 6'6.
Jason said on 23/Jun/05
Butterbean's further back from Taker & Shaq, though, he'd be taller if he were closer. I've never seen Undertaker in person, but a guy on another message board I post at (who's 6'2 1/2'') has & said Taker was no more than 2 - 3 inches taller than him. I used to think Undertaker was around 6'7'' legit, but not anymore. He's only a couple of inches taller than Hogan & Scott Hall (who are both the exact same height).
Sing said on 23/Jun/05
Well the Rodman Hulkster pics show the Hulk to be about 6-3 yes. But the Undertaker Shaq pic was taken at a weird angle, so you can't really tell from that pic how tall Undertaker. Butterbean looks tiny though.
CoolJ said on 23/Jun/05
Jason:

Butterbean is 5'11-6' and so you can judge from that, Undertaker is around 6'7. Shaq is huge.
Eddie said on 23/Jun/05
Yao was NEVER measured by the NA before O)ctober of 2002, this 7-5 height listing is simply an imaginary number that is used as a listing for foreign draftees that aren't measured. Now if you notice the date Yao was supposedly measured.........in Chicago, then see that he was in China that same day........how exactly would he have been measured?

And no when he was in the US before he was NOT measured.
Jason said on 22/Jun/05
Sure.

http://rhein-zeitung.de/old/97/07/16/sport/news/hulkundrodman.jpg
http://www.slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingGalleryImages/jun98_rodman_malone.jpg
http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/pictures/h/hulkhogan2/01.jpg
http://utpics.tripod.com/boxing.html

The last pic is Shaq with Undertaker. I'd say the Undertaker is really only about 6'5'' & that sounds about right judging from that pic. Nash played college basketball, dunno what his listed height was, though.

Sing said on 22/Jun/05
Can you post the links to Rodman and Hulk pics? Rodman is 6-6 barefeet, around 6-7.5 with shoes on. Looking at the pic of Big Show and Ultimate Bad Guy, I would say Big Show is a bit taller. I would say Big Show is at least 6-8 barefeet, probably closer to 6-9.

Also, please post links to Shaq and undertaker or Shaq next to any pro wrestler. I have seen Shaq in the ring with Hogan, and he was much taller, although I don't quite recall whether he towered over Hulkster, which would be the case if the Hulkster were 6-3.5 and Shaq 6-11.5 or 7 feet. By the way how tall is Undertaker, he's billed as 6-10, but since an extra half a foot is added to pro wrestler's heights, he might only be 6-4 or 6-5. Haha.

I have always read that Nash was 6-11 and he used to play pro basketball before wrestling. Does anyone have his stats during his hoops days and see what his listed height was?
Jason said on 22/Jun/05
Well, like I said before, the bigger the wrestler the bigger the lie. You can get away with adding more inches with the bigger dudes. I mean, I used to believe the Big Show was really 6'11'' until I saw him in person. Unless you see these guys close up in person, you're not gonna know because they do seem that big on tv.

I haven't seen Kevin Nash before, but I'd put him around the 6'6 1/2'' mark. I've seen the guy looking almost the exact same height as Big Show. Prolly when Show wasn't in lifts. Then again, I once read a magazine article where the writer described Nash as being ' about 6'5'' ', so who knows. Some of the bigger wrestlers I have seen are A-train (more like 6'3 1/2'' 300lbs than his billed 6'7'' 350), Matt Morgan (about 6'5'' 255lbs ... was the biggest laugh of the night when they announced him as 320lbs), Nathan Jones (really about 6'6 1/2'' 290lbs), Stevie Ray ('bout 6'3'' 265). Funnily enough, though, Rikishi was billed in WWE as 6'1'' 350lbs and that was about right. He was indeed 6'1'' and would have easily been around 350lbs. I've never seen Hogan in person, but the height difference between him and Dennis Rodman (there's a number of WCW pics online of them together) is about the same as between Jordan and Luger.

And yeah, that Ultimate Bad Guy dude (good pic of him with Big Show BTW) isn't 6'10''. More like 6'6 1/2'' - 6'7'' ... somewhere in there. http://www.ultimatebadguy.com/sgt.jpg I've seen Sergeant Slaughter, too, and he's 6'1 1/2'' max. That would be pretty cool to see a pic of Big Show with Yao Ming lol. I've seen a pic of Shaq with the Undertaker & Shaq made Taker look like a little girl.
RLG said on 21/Jun/05
Paul Wight ("Big Show") and Scott L. Schwartz ("Ultimate Bad Guy") looked the nearly the same height when they were in Star Trek: Enterprise as aliens:

http://www.ultimatebadguy.com/bigshow1.jpg

There are lots of pictures of Schwartz next to famous people here:

http://www.ultimatebadguy.com/films.htm

Schwartz is next to Brad Pitt here:

http://www.ultimatebadguy.com/bpitt.jpg

If Pitt is 5'11" then I'd say Schwartz is about 6'7" since someone's head is about 10 inches and chin to eyes and eyes to the top of the head are both about 5 inch distances. So I'd guess Paul "Big Show" Wight would be similar.

Dennis Rodman says his height is really 6'6":

http://www.answers.com/topic/dennis-rodman

So this fits in with Big Show being a few inches taller than Rodman if Rodman's 6'6" is with basketball shoes and Big Show was wearing slightly big heels.

Er... so it all kind of works out. :)
Sing said on 21/Jun/05
That was a good photo with Jordan and Luger. Jordan looks about 3 inches taller, which would put Luger around 6-2. I thought Hogan was supposed to be 6-6? Yes I remember wrestlemania 3 and Andre definitely didn't look a foot taller than the Hulkster! Why do they keep on billing him as 7-4 then? That's more than half a foot taller than his real height!

If the Big Show is 6-7 as you say, then you can't really call him towering since that's only the size of a small forward in the NBA. So how tall is Nash, 6-5? I would like to see Yao Ming stand next to the Big Show one day, then you can really tell how tall, or short, the Big Show is. Haha.
Jason said on 21/Jun/05
Andre the Giant was really around 6'9'' - 6'10'' in his prime when he was young, but shrunk when his body broke down in the 80s due to the ravaging effects of acromegaly. He was down to around 6'6'' - 6'7'' at the time of his death in 1993. Just look at him vs Hogan at Wrestlemania 3 in 1987, he's only around 4 inches taller than the Hulkster (who's 6'3 1/2'' legit) and they still billed him as 7'4''. The WWF used to have him stand on a box during interviews to make him seem even more gigantic. The thing is with such immense guys like Andre the Giant (and Big Show), due to their towering height and IMMENSE size girth wise, they can easily seem 7 foot on tv, in pics, with other people, ect. I've stood next to/seen close loads of big name wrestlers and the vast majority aren't close to the height/weight they're billed at. Never seen the 3 guys you said ,however, but Nash is really only slightly shorter than Big Show (lifts when he isn't - I've seen Big Show wearing some big ass ones), I'd give Batista about 6'3'' legit ( http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2004/072004/07192004/1090257426 ) and Lex Luger around 6'2 1/2''. Here's Luger with Michael Jordan - http://www.thewrestlingfanatic.com/images/magazines/wwf_wwe/wwf_wwe_mags/wwf_may_1995.jpg What's Jordan? 6'5'' or 6'4 1/2'' bare feet?
Sing said on 20/Jun/05
How can they boost his height by half a foot! I find that hard to believe. He's the biggest guy in pro wrestling by far, so if he's not even 6-9, then how tall is Kevin Nash, Lex Luger, or Batista? I have seen him listed as 7-4 even. However, I have heard that Andre the Giant was only 6-8, though he was listed as 7-4. Answers.com lists him as 6-11. This is wild stuff.

http://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/bigshow.html
Jason said on 20/Jun/05
Sing, I'd say Big Show would have been wearing lifts then like I suggested. He's def not 6'9'', let alone 6'10'' or 6'11''.
KC said on 20/Jun/05
Cycklops, NBA never measured Yao -- this is what NBA said. Email them and ask (have you done that?)
Sing said on 20/Jun/05
the big show didn't tower over Rodman, which would have been the case had he really been 7-2, but he was a few inches taller, so I would put the Big Show at 6-9 at the very least, probably more like 6-10 or 6-11 though.
Jason said on 19/Jun/05
KC, can't say I agree with you because of how big Yao's hair is lol. I guess we need someone to come up with some better pics or something.

Michael, I'm not asserting Yao was measured by the NBA - I don't know - but I will point out I wear size 15 US basketball shoes and they add just under 1 1/4'' to my height.
Cycklops said on 18/Jun/05
Yao was measured by the NBA. Officially. For scouts, who take this thing VERY seriously.

He was 7'5" in his socks. 7'6 1/4" with shoes. Period.

How can you guys think your eye-estimate from him standing hunched over in some weird-angle photo is more accurate than an official draft camp measurement? Geeze.
Michael said on 18/Jun/05
I can say Yao was NEVER measured by NBA. I can't believe people keep asserting he was. Falsone's measurement of Yao also according to falseon of 7-5 without shoes on, was "Yao was leaning down about 2 inches. but he's just used to always doing that, because he has to always lean down to talk to people, so we figure he's really about 7-7 barefoot, or 7-8 with shoes on."
KC said on 17/Jun/05
Jason, you posted this picture (http://www.nba.com/media/rockets/yao021121-2.jpg) and said that Yao is shorter than Bradley. What's up with that? Use the edge of the computer screen if you can't see clearly -- obviously Yao is taller than Bradley. Judging distances in a picture might be difficult, but it really isn't hard to tell if person A is taller than person B when they are standing back-to-back. Optical illusions might be part of the reason, so you must always use something objective (like the edge of the computer screen, which is straight). Most of your judgements so far are probably distorted by optical illusions (including the picture with Yao and Earl Boykins next to a measure stick -- it actually shows Yao at 7'6" w/ shoes but legs apart)
Jason said on 16/Jun/05
Have never seen Rodman with Big Show, but I've glimpsed Nash with Rodman & Nash wasn't much taller. Big Show wears lifts sometimes ... I've seen him both looking substantially taller than Nash and also only looking half an inch taller. I was suprised when I saw Big Show in person for the first time, I expected him to be 6'11'' legit, but I couldn't even given him 6'8''. He does look 6'10'' or 7'0'' on tv, but he's much shorter in person.

Jorge Gonzalez was listed as 7'6'' by the NBA, I'd say he's really around 7'4''.
Jason said on 14/Jun/05
Well yeah, he's not gonna say his real height/weight on tv. Heights/weights are lied about in wrestling to make the wrestlers seem that much more impressive ... it's just part of the show. I don't know if you know the wrestler ''The Big Show'', but he's listed as anything from 7'0'' - 7'2'' & 500lbs ... I've seen the guy in person a couple of times and he's really like 6'7'' high 300s lbs. They lie like crazy ... and the bigger the wrestler the bigger the lie. That Dalip Singh is still one freakishly massive dude, though. The tallest wrestler ever was ''Giant Gonzalez'' - http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/gallery/gg.html - formerly Jorge Gonzalez of the Atlanta Hawks.
Jason said on 13/Jun/05
I read 212cm (6'11 1/2'') in an article from when he was a bodybuilder in India. Pro wrestling heights make NBA heights look 101% honest. Pro wrestling weights are complete lies also, he'd really be around 350.
Anonymous said on 13/Jun/05
Jason, your picture of Yao and Bradley standing back-to-back actually shows Yao to be taller -- use the edge of your computer screen and you'll see that Yao is about 1" taller (keep in mind that Yao is keeping his head slightly down while Bradley is tilting his head up)
Sing said on 13/Jun/05
Change of topic, does anybody know this Dalip Singh's real height? He was in the movie the longest yard. I did a little research and he was listed as 7-2 or 7-3, 400lbs.
Cool J said on 13/Jun/05
Sing, you never stop. You never stop to acknowledge someone elses opinion and automatically determine what they have to say is wrong. There's no real info here to prove anyone's theory beyond a shadow of a doubt. At least acknowledge both sides before you start looking like Yao's publicist or brownnoser.

Yao has a lot of hair, and I think you are not considering that. Shaq and Garnett are bald, so its obviously harder to make comparisons.
JBricks said on 12/Jun/05
You dont know how Bradley's legs are positioned in that photo with Yao, nor do you know how his are.

This is getting comparable to a political debate for god sakes. In a week, Yao will be up to 8 feet.
Sing said on 11/Jun/05
Paul, right on with that Bradley Yao pic. I do think a lot of the photos with Yao and Bradley where Bradley appeared a bit taller had to with camera angle (i.e. the angle was from bottom up). In the photo you posted where the angle is level, Yao appears much taller even with the lean.

This is guy could be 7-7 without shoes even in his rookie year. Falsone's measurements are somewhat accurate. Again, with height, the number is suspect. Either Yao was humping down again or Falsone was using Yao's listed height from China.

Sun is 7-8 3/4 without shoes, not with shoes.
Jason said on 10/Jun/05
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/rockets/2002-10-29-yao-chatter_x.htm

Anthony Falsone, the then strength and conditioning coach for the Rockets, took Yao's measurements in October 2002 and he was 7'5'' bare foot.

Sing, sorry I'm late replying. I thought I recalled reading Sun Ming Ming has acromegaly. http://www.gotfina.com/forum/showthread.php?s=baaf7dfd37f454b62ca468d585640313&p=312#post312 - There's one reference.

About the Chinese guy, yeah, seen him before. Pics of him walking through a city in China with hordes of people following & gawking at him ... maybe you know the ones I mean. Maybe he is really 7'10'' (he's wearing shoes we're the measuring him in at 238cm?) and will set a new record, we'll have to wait and see.

BTW - do any of you NBA height experts know Luc Longley's real height? lol. I'm Australian.
Jason said on 7/Jun/05
Well, yeah, those two guys wouldn't even be able to run much less play basketball. Yao doesn't have acromegaly (as far as I know), but Sun Ming Ming does.
Hmmm said on 6/Jun/05
I think if Shaq said the world was square, you people would believe it.

Yao is not 7'8 and nowhere close to 7'10, I don't care if he's wearing 3" heels. He's not over 7'6", end of story. Take your 7'5.9" and go home.
JCS said on 5/Jun/05
Sing is really digging for straws. That stance really isn't very wide, and his posture looks pretty good to me. He's 7'5.

Dude, why do you care so much?
Jason said on 4/Jun/05
Yeah, the pic at the very least shows there's arguments for AND against here. I would say his big hair evens out the effect of his stance lol. I saved the pic like you suggested to enlarge it & Earl does look like he'd be 5'6'' in shoes with feet together. Yao, when you take into account where the top of his head would be under all that hair, it looks like he'd be struggling with 7'6'' in shoes IMO.
Jason said on 3/Jun/05
Where have I bashed Yao? lol. Personally I don't give 2 s***s if he's 7'4'' or 7'8'', just calling it as I see it. I'm unbiased in this, I'm not even that into basketball.

JCS, I think he's close enough to that as I said. :)
Jason said on 2/Jun/05
Ha. Not likely. Nothing in that article proves what I said is wrong. I don't believe Yao is over 7'4 1/2'' (and Shawn Bradley over 7'5 1/2'' for that matter), I've seen no proof here that he is.

BTW - the ''still growing'' deals sound like a likely story, more like an explanation for number padding. I'm certainly not denying some guys do grow in their 20s, I'm just skeptical in Yao's (and Shawn's) case. Like I said, I've so far seen no evidence Yao's as tall as claimed.
Jason said on 2/Jun/05
Wow, you guys need to relax. We're just discussing someone's height here lol. It's not that serious. Really. But anyway, I'm standing by what I said. I have not seen any pics of Yao with Shaq that show there to be more than around 4 1/2 inches between them. From what I've seen, Shaq looks to come up to Yao's eyebrows, not his mouth. In that pic with Hakeem, we can't see the whole picture ... looks like Hakeem is bending a bit. And he's further from the camera to boot. The pic with Vlade Divac was taken hovering over them which skews it. And Every pic I've seen of Yao and Bradley shows Bradley to be an inch taller. Here's Yao standing back to back with Shawn - http://www.nba.com/media/rockets/yao021121-2.jpg - they're both standin' straight as freakin' soldiers and Bradley is still taller. So unless you fellas can prove this ...
Jason said on 1/Jun/05
Getting back to Yao Ming, Shaq is only 6'11 1/2'' by his own admission ... so how can Yao be 7'6 1/2''?? There's not freakin' 7 inches between them, more like 4 or 4 1/2. Yao looks to really be about 7'4'' (without shoes).
JCS said on 1/Jun/05
Duncan and Shaq - http://www.peru.com/deportes/nba/images/20010215/historia.jpg
Duncan and Garnett - http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/adidas/11135/images/11135-3tmb.jpg

If Garnett straightened out his neck/head.. he'd be taller.
JR said on 1/Jun/05
Without any doubt KG is AT least 2 inches taller than Tim Duncan. In fact I was at a Wolves game against Houston and Mutombo was maybe half an inch taller than Garnett at most. I really don't care what the hell a photo of Shaq and KG shows or what KG is listed at or whatever. CLEARLY from what I saw with my own two eyes KG is well over 7 feet.
Sing said on 1/Jun/05
I would give KG 6-10 at best. Again, Duncan is hunchbacked probably by habit. If he straigtens out his back, he is at least 6-10.

If you have photos that prove Duncan is shorter than KG. Post it please! I don't believe it at this point.
JCS said on 1/Jun/05
Yes, and at the 2004 Olympics, Duncan is 7'0". Garnett is clearly taller than him on the court. Garnett is no smaller than 6'10 w/o shoes.
Jason said on 1/Jun/05
Garnett was listed as 207cm at the Sydney Olympics. That's only 6'9 1/2''.
doetoe said on 31/May/05
in shawn braldeys official biograpy it states that he is 7 foot 7 inches but do to a curving in his spine he stands at exactly not lower or taller but at 76
John said on 31/May/05
Garnett's former coach says he's 7-1 and so do game announcers that doesn't mean he is 7-1.

However, if he's only 6-9 then Duncan is 6-7 because he is 2 inches taller than Duncan easily from photos I as well have seen. This would make Amare about 6-5 etc. I think it's obvious Shaq is taller than people say. Shaq is at least 7-2, and in fact when he is introduced before the Heat's games he is indeed introduced as being 7-2. With that being said, Yao towers over Shaq.
Sing said on 10/May/05
Again, based on old information. How many times do I have to repeat myself??? Why don't you look at Yao Ming's profile on NBA.com which lists him correctly as 7'6"? How about every article written by sportswriters referring to Yao Ming as 7'6"?

Obviously you are just looking at every piece of evidence that he's 7'5" while ignoring all evidence that he's 7'6". That's really sad.
sing said on 9/May/05
Maybe you didn't read my comments carefully enough so let me repeat. THE LAST TIME SCOUTS MEASURED YAO HE WAS 7'5", YES, AND THAT WAS THE HEIGHT LISTED IN THE PRE-DRAFT MEASUREMENTS. THAT WAS HIS OFFICIAL HEIGHT IN CHINA AS WELL. BUT WHEN HE ENTERED THE NBA THEY RE-MEASURED HIM AND HE WAS 7'6" AS A 22 YR. OLD. Apparently he grew an inch. That's why they changed his height from 7'5" to 7'6" on the NBA website. I remember seeing him listed as 7'5" for a good part of his first year then NBA changed it to 7'6", apparently reflecting his new measurement. ALL THE ARTICLES YOU READ ABOUT YAO BEING 7'5" WAS BASED ON OLD INFORMATION. I hope it's clear now. Based on NBA's tendency to exaggerate heights, Yao should've been listed as 7'7" or 7'8"!

Patrick Ewing is 6'9", he admitted it! Did you read the article first before sounding off about meeting him in person?

Sultan Kosen is not going to the NBA, no way. He has a disorder which makes him really tall. I've read he's also very slow and a poor basketball player. I heard he's around 7'10", but according to Guiness Book of World Records, the tallest living person is 7'10", and he's in China as well. So if Sultan Kosen is 8', why isn't he listed? It proves he's definitely not 8', not even 7'10".

Smoke said on 5/May/05
Yes, Yao is a tall guy. ;) But Yao was born in 1980 and he supposedly grew an inch? He was already in his 20s when he joined the league, I'm not saying I doubt the fact that he grew, inches are a dime a dozen for Yao, but still! I took a picture with a guy who was 7'6" once, and I must say that I have never felt like such a dwarf before! And I'm used to be taller than most people! I don't think anyone is cricizing anyone Sing, I'm sure Shawn was being light hearted when he said whatever it was he really said. I'd say both are about same height, just when Yao came into the league many guys were listed with shoes on, but when Bradley came in, more guys were listed honestly.
sing said on 5/May/05
Yao Ming is 7'6" without shoes, 7'7"+ with shoes. If you look at the photo he took with Shawn more carefully, you will realize that Yao was slouching, whereas Shawn was straightening out his back as much as he could, so he appeared a bit taller. Also, Shawn was closer to the camera. In reality, Yao is taller than Shawn. Yao was 7'5" before he joined the NBA, but he grew an inch. Shawn was measured as 7'6" in his basketball shoes. There was a picture of this guy on a ladder measuring Shawn when he joined the NBA. Shawn is exactly 7'6", with shoes.

Photos are unreliable, you can make a 5' person appear 7' through trick photography. There was another picture of Yao with Shawn during Yao's first year when Houston player Dallas, from that photo, Yao is clearly taller. In the second photo, Shawn appeared a bit taller due to Yao's slouching, then people started dwelling on that photo and claim Shawn is taller. Man, people are so jealous of Yao.

There is another player, Sun Ming Ming, who will be joining the NBA this year. He's 7'9" WITHOUT SHOES. Hope that will silence all the critics. Can't wait to see this guy stand next to (and look down) on Shawn.

Heights are barefeet estimates, derived from quotations, official websites, agency resumes, in person encounters with actors at conventions and pictures/films.

Other vital statistics like weight or shoe size measurements have been sourced from newspapers, books, resumes or social media.

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