How tall do you have to be to play basketball?

Professional basketball players are tall when compared to the average human’s height. The average height for an NBA player is a staggering 6 feet 7 inches. Is this how tall you have to be to play basketball?

How tall do you have to be to play basketball? While it is a known advantage in the game of basketball to be tall, height is not the only contributing factor to how successful you will become as a player. Being tall is an advantage but having the skill necessary to play is the number one requirement.

A player who is 6 feet tall will find as they move up the ranks in the professional leagues will find it is much more difficult as the height of players increase with the same skill sets as the smaller players.

How tall do you have to be to play basketball in the NBA?

Not just anyone can play in the NBA, your odds increase dramatically if your above average in height. Think about it? 

How many average 6 feet and under players do you see in the NBA right now? One, maybe two. There is a reason why?

Although I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news but the reality is players who are 6 feet 5 inches and taller have all the skills and speed that smaller guards use to use to their advantage to gain a leg up on the competition.

The difference between the average person when it comes to height and the taller player now is height. If you were a scout or a coach which player would you choose the 6 footer or the 6 and a half foot player?

They both have the same skill set and speed. But one will stand out due to his height not just on offense but on defense.

Shorter players have a tendency to be a defensive liability, they just can’t cover as much ground as someone with broomsticks for arms.

Now if you are of average height and your dream is to play in the NBA then keep on dreaming, if you shoot for the stars you might actually hit the moon instead.

Basically, if you shoot for the NBA but make it to playing professional basketball overseas, that’s still an amazing feat.

If your dream is to play in the NBA, never give up but know not just anyone can make the NBA despite what most people think.

What are the requirements to play basketball?

Can you walk? Do you have at least one arm? Do you have a little patience? If you answered yes to all these questions then there’s not much else to think about but to play.

If your new to basketball you can learn most of the rules in as little as 5 minutes. But to play the game well takes time and there is a steep learning curve.  

I like to compare basketball to golf as it’s very difficult to get the basketball to do what you want it to do. In golf, the golf swing is like the shot in basketball.

Form in both sports is very important and always needs to be worked on. Practice is necessary every day if you want to improve. An obsession with repetition also helps. 

Because we are on the topic of height this is something you can’t really control. It is up to your genetic make-up that dictates how tall you are going to be in life.

Thank your mother and father. There are some things that you can do such as eating a healthy diet, stretch and be active that can help you achieve your maximum growth potential.

Don’t expect miracles though. There is nothing on the market that will make you grow taller regardless of the claims they make. 

If there was such a product or pill, the NBA would have players using it and we would be seeing 8 footers dribbling the ball up the court. (Well we are almost there tbh, so maybe there are miracle growth pills).

But then again don’t get your hopes up.

 

How tall do you have to be to play basketball in Middle School?

The great thing about middle school basketball for the most part is at this age height is not a requirement. At this level, this is where you learn to play the game and have fun.

While it is possible to have a player in the 7th grade who’s 6 feet 5 inches making it impossible for anyone to guard, the trade-off with taller players at this level is their inability to move quickly and efficiently on the court.

Taller players are out there looking like a newborn calf just learning how to move on the court.

Smaller players tend to have the advantage over taller players in skill and speed over the taller players at this level.

But as soon as players start to mature and move up the ranks, height slowly becomes a contributing factor in how successful a player may become. 

How tall do you have to be to play basketball in high school?

In high school during a player’s freshman year, you may notice that players come back from the summer and they look much taller. 

This is usually the case due to a growth spurt. While skill was an advantage for the middle school player, it starts to level out between skill and height.

Having the skill but lacking the height can only get you so far, having a high basketball I.Q. is necessary.

If you’re looking to get scouted by college teams and you know that your not that tall, you need to ask yourself this question.

What separates myself from the rest of the other players who are taller?

This can be a difficult question to answer and to come to terms with. If you’re looking to get recruited why would a coach want a player who scores 20 points a game when he can find a much taller player to do so?

A player average in height needs to have other characteristics of their game that are also worth your recruitment. 

This could be a lockdown defender, an excellent three-point shooter, or an elite point guard running the show.

What is the player’s IT factor?

How tall do you have to be to play basketball in college?

The average height in college basketball at the Division 1 level is 6 feet 5 inches tall. Playing at a division one school is almost like trying to make it pro.

It is very difficult to do and you must always be a stand out in your state or on your AAU team playing n the most prestigious tournaments around the country.

Being tall is important where teams rely on defense to win games. Coaches know if they are putting a smaller guard on the court, they may be a defensive liability.

While there are a lot of players that are average in height playing Division 1 basketball, most are superior at what they are able to do at their position.

These players have a skill set that is far better than the average player in the college, and that is why they play Division 1. 

How tall do you have to be to play basketball as a female in the WNBA?

The average height of a female is 5 feet 4 inches tall. The average height for a female playing the WNBA is 6 feet tall. 

With the smallest player in the WNBA standing at 5 feet 5 inches tall (Leilani Mitchell) and the tallest being 6 feet 6 inches tall Mercedes Rusell.

Much like the NBA, there is a huge height difference between the average person in height and the average player in the NBA.

Average height in a female 5’4 inches, compared to the average height in the WNBA 6 feet. That’s an 8-inch difference.

The average height in a male 5’9 inches compared to the average height in the NBA 6’7 inches tall. That’s a 10-inch difference

The numbers don’t lie and height is clearly a big requirement when trying to play in the top basketball leagues around the world.