perhaps no basketball player is, nor has ever been, more famous than lebron james. King wowed the NBA when he first entered it, and continues to play at an extreme level. part of that is his ability, and part of that is his inherent size and strength.
I have followed the nba religiously for three decades. I have also spent over twenty years playing the game. That combination of personal and second-hand experience, combined with additional study of the NBA today, is what allowed me to successfully craft this guide.
Throughout the following sections, I will cover not only LeBron’s height and weight, but also the height and weight of many NBA superstars. That, compared to league size averages, will give context on what helps make the King such a special player.
Keep reading to understand more!
may he reign long
lebron james has had an extremely long and successful career. Although many people attribute it to his ability on the ball (and rightly so), what really separated him from the rest was how fast he could move for his size. he was supposed to play like a big man, not like a guard.
In terms of dimensions, lebron weighs 250 pounds and is 6’9. that’s a big frame for someone who’s known for playing guard and small forward. especially when you consider how quickly he can get into the lane or throw it off a fast break.
Without a doubt, it’s that sheer speed and quickness, commensurate with his weight and muscular build, that pushed him beyond what most players are capable of. It’s also why he can still dominate the league so late in his basketball career.
was it always this big?
one of the most striking aspects of lebron is that he entered the nba straight out of high school. While that is a widely known fact, what many people overlook is that she was only able to start young and immediately become successful due to her impressive height and weight.
Standing 6’8 and weighing 240 pounds when he was 18 years old, lebron could easily make his mark on basketball as soon as he stepped foot on a professional field. where some players, like giannis or shaq, need to get stronger, he was ready to take the hits right when he was drafted.
That said, it continued to grow as I got older. While his height remained relatively the same, LeBron reached a staggering 275 pounds during his prime years with the Cavaliers and the Heat.
That kind of strength, backed by a fast top running speed and 45-inch vertical, made him nearly unstoppable as he went down with a head full of steam. that’s why he is one of the best to play the game.
how does it compare to others?
lebron is extremely big, but he’s not particularly big compared to the big men in the nba. most centers are at least 6’11, with the largest weighing 280 pounds or more. in fact, today’s centers average 250 pounds and stand nearly seven feet tall.
Not even the king can match that.
To see why lebron’s size is so unique, you have to take a look at both guards and fullbacks because that’s where he really changed his style and took over the league.
In the current league, guards have an average height and weight of 6’2/195, shooting guards have an average height/weight ratio of 6’4/205, and forwards have an average height/weight ratio of 6’6 /215.
even power forwards, one of the biggest positions on the floor, have an average height and weight of 6’8/230. That’s not too big compared to the past, and it’s a nod to today’s smaller, more 3-point focused NBA.
read more: the average height of an nba player by position
Looking at all of the above measurements, it’s clear why lebron is special. he played all four positions over the years and easily beats any average you can find. he doesn’t play like the others simply because he doesn’t have the build of the others.
frequently asked questions
here are some questions related to this topic, I will answer them briefly below.
who is the most important player in the nba?
In basketball today, no player is taller than Tacko Fall. The Celtics center stands at a whopping 7’5, and is the tallest draft pick in over a decade. Since he is so big, he also happens to be the heaviest player, weighing in at a staggering 311 pounds.
who is the most important player in nba history?
The tallest player to make it to the NBA was Gheorghe Muresan, a 7’7 tall Romanian-American drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1993. The heaviest was Oliver Miller, who weighed over 380 pounds during his time with the timberwolves.
how many rings does lebron have?
lebron has been to 10 finals. in them he won four rings and lost six times. he got two rings with the heat, one with the cavaliers and one with the lakers.
how high can lebron jump?
In his prime, lebron james had a vertical of around 45 inches. while he’s not at the top of the league, he’s definitely one of the most impressive jump heights given his size.
final words
everyone knows lebron james is special, but few people realize how special he is when it comes to his pure athletic ability. The King has a speed and dexterity that players of his height and weight simply cannot match.
nobody in the history of basketball, even the greatest player of all time, michael jordan, has been able to do so much in such a large frame. that is why everyone knows his name and why he is one of the most fun players to watch. you never know what he will do next.