Largest Hand Sizes in NBA History – In basketball, having large hands can be a major benefit. Although not essential, it offers you the ability to palm the ball with ease, which can be quite useful. Passing, shooting, and ball handling may be impacted by this. Controlling the ball is crucial in basketball. You can probably appreciate how much simpler it would be to play if the ball were soft to the touch. You would have a lot of power. NBA legends Julius Erving and Michael Jordan benefited from having large hands. Although it wasn’t the sole factor in these players’ success, it was a significant one and probably explained how proficiently they finished near the rim.
Kobe Bryant understood this benefit. When asked what aspect of his game he would change, he mentioned his hands. He confessed that he wished he had hands as big as Michael Jordan’s. When asked who would triumph in a one-on-one match between Jordan and Bryant, Phil Jackson predicted MJ. He chose MJ primarily because of Kobe’s disadvantage when it comes to hand size.
Largest Hand Sizes in NBA History
The 10 Largest Hand Sizes in NBA History This article will examine notable NBA players from the past and current who had the largest hands. The players’ hand length and span will also be taken into account. On players whose sizes haven’t been formally measured, reasonable guesses will also be made. However, it is typically clear who has the largest hands. They are the ones that are able to secure the ball without using their other hand and can wave it around like a grapefruit. Almost always, a person’s span is longer than his length. Rare instances do exist, though, where the opposite is true. Strangely, Indiana Pacers player Joseph Young’s hand span measures only 7 inches, which is shorter than his hand’s actual length of 8.25 inches.
NBA players with shorter hand widths than their hand lengths include Anthony Davis, TJ McConnell, Markieff Morris, Harrison Barnes, and Alec Burks. Additionally, it’s not unusual for some players to have identical spreads and lengths. This group includes NBA players like JaMychal Green, Al Farouq Aminu, Sean Kilpatrick, and Andre Drummond. Rarely does the discrepancy between these two dimensions reach two inches. Only a few NBA players have hand spreads that are at least 2 inches longer than their hand lengths, including Hassan Whiteside, Noah Vonleh, and Phil Pressey.
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Largest Hand Sizes in NBA History Details
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The Way NBA Measure Hand Size
Hand length and hand span are the two dimensions that are typically measured for determining hand size. The 10 Largest Hand Sizes in NBA History, The middle finger’s tip to the base of the palm constitutes the length of the hand. When the hand is extended, the distance between the thumb’s tip and the end of the little finger is known as the hand span.
Before 2010, there was no established method for measuring hands. The NBA made the decision to include hand sizes at the Draft Combine that year. At that period, hands were often no longer than 10 inches long and no wider than 12 inches.
What Are The Benefits Of Biggest Hands In NBA?
Ball control is important to the sport of basketball. A large hand indicates that you have a lot of advantages, both offensively and defensively. You can pick up the basketball and maneuver it to your liking when you’re attacking. It will be simpler for you to grab rebounds, swipe the ball, or throw the ball to teammates if you have the NBA’s largest hand on defense.
Contrary to the common perception, however, there is no correlation between hand size and scoring capacity. Finger strength is more important than hand size for scoring and various dribbling techniques. Therefore, in order to score highly, you will need stronger hands than a big hand. But even so, having a large hand gives you a clear edge when playing basketball.
How Is Hand Size Measured in NBA?
Since the 2010 Combine, the NBA has measured the length and spread of potential rookie hands. Hand length and hand span make up the two components of hand size measurement. The distance between the base of the palm and the tip of the middle finger is the length of the hand. The 10 Largest Hand Sizes in NBA History players with hands longer than 10 inches are uncommon.
Examples include Dexter Pittman, Jaren Jackson, Jr., and Andrew Nicholson. Male hands typically measure 7.4 inches in length. With your hand extended, measure the length of your hand from the tip of your thumb to the tip of your pinky finger. Hand breadth or spread may also be used to describe hand span. Even an NBA player rarely has a hand spread of 12 inches.
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Measuring The Largest Hands in History
We need to determine the most effective method of quantifying human hands before we start pulling out the rulers. This discussion of the largest hands makes use of three metrics. We can start by determining the hands’ length. This measurement is made from the wrist to the longest finger’s point, usually the middle finger.
The breadth of hands is a different unit of measurement that we might use to describe their size. At the widest point of the hand, this measurement is made. Finally, we can gauge someone’s hand circumference. The most effective of these metrics is length. In this method, we can determine the appendage’s size to the absolute maximum without any outside influences interfering.
The Biggest Hands Relative To Height
Greg Smith
Hand length: 9.75 inches
Hand width: 12 inches
Length x width / height: 1.463
Noah Vonleh
Hand length: 9.75 inches
Hand width: 11.75 inches
Length x width / height: 1.432
Kawhi Leonard
Hand length: 9.75 inches
Hand width: 11.25 inches
Length x width / height: 1.406
Trevor Mbakwe
Hand length: 9.5 inches
Hand width: 11.5 inches
Length x width / height: 1.387
Royce White
Hand length: 9.5 inches
Hand width: 11.5 inches
Length x width / height: 1.383
Andrew Nicholson
Hand length: 10 inches
Hand width: 10.75 inches
Length x width / height: 1.335
Quincy Acy
Hand length: 9.5 inches
Hand width: 11 inches
Length x width / height: 1.331
Robert Upshaw
Hand length: 10 inches
Hand width: 11 inches
Length x width / height: 1.329
Craig Brackins
Hand length: 9.5 inches
Hand width: 11.25 inches
Length x width / height: 1.328
Terence Davis
Hand length: 9.25 inches
Hand width: 10.75 inches
Length x width / height: 1.326
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NBA Players With The Largest Hand Sizes History
In the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s, The Big Dipper dominated the opposition, in large part because of his exceptional physical abilities. The late superstar had absurdly large hands that allowed him to play with numerous defenders at once. He was 7 feet tall and towered over everyone. Wilt’s hands were actually substantially bigger than those of players from that period, even though later 7-footers will have bigger hands than he did. Compared to other players of his height, Chamberlain’s hands were 15 percent broader and 3.3 percent longer.
Kawhi Leonard
Leonard’s moniker, “Badass,” is perfectly appropriate given his unusually enormous hands, which hauntingly resemble those of a velociraptor. The development of “The Klaw” into the top two-way player in the league today is a testament to his work ethic and commitment to become better. Because of his above-average hands, Leonard has the capacity to lock up even the finest superstars of this generation. The 6-foot-7 winger already has two DPOY awards under his belt in addition to his two championships and two Finals MVPs. Players Leonard’s size typically have hands that are between 8.8 and 9.5 inches in length.
Michael Jordan
Almost everything that has been said about Michael Jordan’s excellence has already been spoken. Even though his legacy as the greatest player of all time is all but assured, few experts have highlighted how much his huge hand size helped him. Jordan only wears a size 13, which is unusual for a man who is 6 feet 6 inches tall. He made up for it, though, with hands bigger than most centres. His Airness could effortlessly palm the ball with one hand while gliding in the air, all the while fooling defenders with that lovely ball fake of his. Even legendary great Phil Jackson asserted that Jordan would triumph against Kobe Bryant in a fictitious contest just because of his huge hands.
Julius Erving
In his NBA career, Dr. J was one of the greatest dunkers of all time and a true freak of nature. Erving’s enormous mitts, which provided him a firm grasp on the basketball, played a significant role in his ability to complete baskets. If Erving had average-sized hands, he couldn’t perform his famous “rock the baby” cradle dunk. Erving’s actual measurements are still up for question, though, because the league at the time was not measuring hand size. People only have Erving’s comparison of his hands to Noah Vonleh’s hands at the 2014 NBA Draft as a point of reference.
Noah Vonleh
Vonleh, who was a former Hoosier, raced up the draught boards in 2014 mostly because of his exceptional physical tools. The 6-foot-10 slotman measured hands that were 8% longer and 21% wider than those of players of a similar height. However, his biography demonstrates that not everyone with large hands is able to have prosperous careers in the league. The former lottery pick, who has already played for six teams in six seasons, has yet to establish himself in the NBA.
Connie Hawkins
The late Connie Hawkins had a fantastic career in the ABA and NBA despite not being well-known. It was clear right away that Hawkins was a great baller just by glancing at his abnormally huge hands. The former ABA MVP is comparable to LeBron James in terms of size and physique. The King’s hands, however, are a half-inch shorter than Hawkins’ mitts. Even more impressive is the fact that Hawkins’ height was equal to that of Tacko Fall, who is currently the tallest player in the league.
Greg Smith
The fact that Smith had stones for hands was the only noteworthy aspect of his time in the league. Despite being only 6-foot-9, Smith outclassed giants like Nikola Vaccenic, Ernes Kantar, and Jonas Valunciunas by having the largest hands during the 2011 combine. Smith’s hands are statistically 9 percent longer and 21 percent wider than those of athletes of similar height.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The current NBA MVP has limbs, a wingspan that goes on forever, and hands that resemble hams. Unusual Antetokounmpo measurements undoubtedly contributed significantly to his rise to superstardom in recent years. In retrospect, Giannis’ hands are longer and wider than those of 7-foot-2 Bol Bol and fellow European star Rudy Robert.
Shaquille O’Neal
Unsurprisingly, the most unstoppable force in basketball had enormous hands that put other centres in their place. Although Shaq’s hands were never measured either, when he compared them to Kawhi Leonard’s, fans got a better look at that monstrosity. The Diesel was a huge man who wore size 22, therefore it stands to reason that his hands would also be enormous. Despite the benefits, others contend that Shaq’s free throw was subpar because the ball was too small for his hands.
Boban Marjanovic
The jovial Serbian giant has the biggest hands in league history, and it’s feasible that he could challenge for the biggest hands in the entire world. Every time Boban receives a pass from his teammates, it practically appears as though he is holding a grapefruit. Even the amusing Reddit thread titled “Boban holding objects” was inspired by Marjanovic’s enormous hands. Unfortunately, we don’t know the precise number because the hands of Dallas Mavericks center haven’t been measured. The inference was established based on the countless images of Boban holding hands with NBA players.
How Is Hand Size Measured?
There are two techniques to measure the size of a hand. The length of the hand is determined by measuring it from the base of the palm to the tip of the middle finger. The distance between the tips of the pinky and thumb is measured after spreading the fingers as widely apart as feasible. In NBA history, there have been some infamously huge hands. Some players’ large hands actually work against them, contrary to how size typically helps them dominate on the court. Shaq, for instance, had trouble making free shots throughout his career.
Conclusions
When playing in the NBA, having a huge hand gives players a lot of benefits. That has been amply demonstrated throughout time by individuals like Michael Jordan and Julius Erving. Although it certainly isn’t the only factor, it’s important for the players to succeed in the game. Let’s examine the NBA players with the biggest hands in this post alongside Scott Fujita. Players on offence would certainly benefit greatly from having mitten-like hands since they could quickly palm the ball beyond of the reach of a defender. On defense, the glove-like claws are very helpful since they make it simple for players to take the ball away and control the passing lanes. We’ve seen tiny men with disproportionately huge hands.
On the other side, we are also well aware of the terrible story of 6-foot-11 Kwame Brown, who was unable to regularly grab the basketball because of his small hands. Finally, players clearly benefit from having enormous hands in terms of total ball control. In reality, since the rookie combine in 2010, the NBA has started assessing hand size, which includes measuring hand length and hand breadth. While the average male’s hand measures about 7.4 inches long, certain sportsmen have been measured to have hands that are longer than 10 inches. Let’s examine the ten NBA players with the largest measured hand measurements in terms of length and spread in more detail.
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