Yao Mings height is overrated

[jongib369]

- Centers -

Yao Ming:
Height: 7-5.75 (7-5 October 2002, 7'5.75 September 2004)
Wingspan: 7-5
Standing Reach: 9-6.25 (3/4 inch shoe adjusted)
Hand Length:10"
Playing Weight:
296lbs - early career
310lbs - mid career
276lbs - 2010 FIBA
Shoes: U.S. size 18]


Wilt Chamberlain:
Height: 7-1.06 (6-11.5 age 17, 7-1.06 age 23)
Wingspan: 7-8
Standing Reach: 9-6 (No adjustment needed - played in Chuck Taylors)
Hand Length: 9.5"
Hand Spread: 11.5"
Playing Weight:
225lbs - Kansas
230lbs - Globetrotters (signing on)
249lbs - Globetrotters (several weeks before leaving, evidently put on a lot of weight that year, lead to rookie list weight of 250lbs)
258lbs - Kutchers game just days prior to rookie debut
265lbs - 3rd season
275lbs - 4th season (list weight from there on out)
292lbs - 5th season
310lbs - late career
320lbs - maximum (overweight at training camp of 5th season)
Shoes: U.S. size 15

Shaquille O'Neal:
Height: 7-0.88 (At age 21, 7-0.63 NBA draft measurement 1, 7-0.88 draft measurement 2)
Wingspan: 7-7
Standing Reach: 9-4 (1 inch shoe adjusted)
Hand Length: 11"
Hand Spread: 9"
Playing Weight:
280 - Freshman LSU Season
285 - Sophomore LSU Season
294 - Final LSU Season
301 - 1992 draft measurement 1
303 - 1992 draft measurement 2
315 - early career
325 - early-mid career
350 - mid-late career
368 - maximum (out of shape after an injury)
Shoes: U.S. size 22


Whether it be someone blocking his shot, or just talking about it in general I don't get the height hype.

His wingspan is less than Wilt/Shaqs, and his standing reach isn't much longer... Considering he can't move nearly as fast, or jump as high I'm left

:confusedshrug:

[Fallen Angel]

Random thread. Height is height.

[Euroleague]

Whether it be someone blocking his shot, or just talking about it in general I don't get the height hype.

His wingspan is less than Wilt/Shaqs, and his standing reach isn't much longer... Considering he can't move nearly as fast, or jump as high I'm left

:confusedshrug:

Yao's wingspan was 7-6. Not 7-5.

[warriorfan]

Whether it be someone blocking his shot, or just talking about it in general I don't get the height hype.

His wingspan is less than Wilt/Shaqs, and his standing reach isn't much longer... Considering he can't move nearly as fast, or jump as high I'm left

:confusedshrug:

While he does have an underwhelming wingspan and standing reach for his height, he was still a gigantic dude.

http://s24.postimg.org/kn7sxmxut/yaochrispaul.jpg

[jongib369]

Random thread. Height is height.
Ha, yeah it is a bit random. But the other two measurements are way more important IMO, so the fact we mention his height so much is confusing.

Not meant as a knock, because if anything having less of face value physical advantage means his success was due to other factors more so. Not that anyone with half a brain doubted his skill

[jongib369]

http://www.nba.com/media/garnett120_073007.jpg

[Lebron23]

While he does have an underwhelming wingspan and standing reach for his height, he was still a gigantic dude.

http://s24.postimg.org/kn7sxmxut/yaochrispaul.jpg


This

I agree with this Asian. Yao Ming is still huge, and he has a 7'6" wingspan.

[jongib369]

This

I agree with this Asian. Yao Ming is still huge, and he has a 7'6" wingspan.
He is huge, no doubt about that...I just think we put too much "weight" into it.

What gives you an advantage is the amount of space you take up with your body/arms, how fast/quick you can move, and how high you can jump. He wasn't blocking shots with his face...lol

If I showed a gif of someone blocking Wilt, Shaq, and Yao....A lot I assume would say the block on Yao was more impressive because of how tall he was...Not taking everything else into account

[Lebron23]

He is huge, no doubt about that...I just think we put too much "weight" into it.

What gives you an advantage is the amount of space you take up with your body/arms, how fast/quick you can move, and how high you can jump. He wasn't blocking shots with his face...lol

If I showed a gif of someone blocking Wilt, Shaq, and Yao....A lot I assume would say the block on Yao was more impressive because of how tall he was...Not taking everything else into account


I think Yao Ming and Gheorge Muresan are the only good players at 7'4" and above. NBA players who were 7'4" and above were stiffs, and didn't have a meaningful NBA Career.

Ralph Samson by the way is closer to 7'1". He's as tall as Rudy Gobbert.

[Cocaine80s]

How do you even overrate height :biggums:

[jongib369]

I think Yao Ming and Gheorge Muresan are the only good players at 7'4" and above. NBA players who were 7'4" and above were stiffs, and didn't have a meaningful NBA Career.

Ralph Samson by the way is closer to 7'1". He's as tall as Rudy Gobbert.
I've only seen a little of George but he surprised me. I'll be honest, I looked him up because Chamberlain gave him high praise. Said he thought George was more skilled than Shaq.

[jongib369]

How do you even overrate height :biggums:
"Wilt only faced white, car salesman beta midgits. Can you imagine if someone like Yao played back then? He'd devour the league, Wilt wouldnt know what to do with someone bigger than him. Plus, you have guards capable of blocking yao..."

[JimmyMcAdocious]

Eh, I think it's common for people to rank in term of importance: reach > wingspan > height.

Not sure why Yao was singled out, tho.

[jongib369]

Eh, I think it's common for people to rank in term of importance: reach > wingspan > height.

Not sure why Yao was singled out, tho.
Yeah I possibly should of just made a post about height vs reach and wingspan. Loved watching Yao, nothing against him

This isn't anything that hasn't been talked about either, so probably a pointless thread lol.

[iamgine]

Height matters too. The taller the shoulders, the harder it is to stop their layups/hook shot/dunk from the other side because of the shoulder blocking it. It's just a matter of utilizing those advantages.

[ProfessorMurder]

Yeah his height clearly held him back.

[Cocaine80s]

Eh, I think it's common for people to rank in term of importance: reach > wingspan > height.

Not sure why Yao was singled out, tho.
I think wingspan> reach. Most of the time you're not holding your arms straight up for blocks, rebounds, steals etc

[tpols]

The most telling of these charts is shaq 22 shoe size to Wilts 15... that's straight up embarassing. We're wilts hands really proportionally small as well?

[rezznor]

He is huge, no doubt about that...I just think we put too much "weight" into it.

What gives you an advantage is the amount of space you take up with your body/arms, how fast/quick you can move, and how high you can jump. He wasn't blocking shots with his face...lol

If I showed a gif of someone blocking Wilt, Shaq, and Yao....A lot I assume would say the block on Yao was more impressive because of how tall he was...Not taking everything else into account
people forget that although he didn't have a huge wingspan, his sheer size altered ALOT of shot that don't show u on stat sheets.

[SHAQisGOAT]

I somewhat agree with the point you're trying to make but yea, height is height...



I think Yao Ming and Gheorge Muresan are the only good players at 7'4" and above. NBA players who were 7'4" and above were stiffs, and didn't have a meaningful NBA Career.

Ralph Samson by the way is closer to 7'1". He's as tall as Rudy Gobbert.

Mark Eaton was 7'4... One of the GOAT defensive players, pretty good rebounder, not a totally incapable scorer, certainly a better overall player than someone like Muresan, even if around 3'' shorter.

Sampson's listed height is definitely exaggerated... Dude was like 7'2 (still bit taller than someone like Gobbert though).
What was special about him though was that combined with his height/wing-span, he also had a mid-30 inches vertical leap and the ability to move around like a forward/guard, plus plenty of skills... He wasn't gonna be one of the best ever or remotely close but still shame for injuries and his mental "issues".

Edit: I forgot about Rik Smiths... If not clearly 7'4, he was extremely close to that 7'4 listed height and was a very good player.

[ralph_i_el]

Whether it be someone blocking his shot, or just talking about it in general I don't get the height hype.

His wingspan is less than Wilt/Shaqs, and his standing reach isn't much longer... Considering he can't move nearly as fast, or jump as high I'm left

:confusedshrug:

His relatively small wingspan allowed him to have that nice compact J. Quick release for a big guy.

[Timmy D for MVP]

I think people talk about Yao's raw size when talking about how big he is. He's a massive man. This was a huge advantage for him.

[Clifton]

You don't block shots with the top of your head.

That said, Yao had a vertical advantage on every player he ever went against. The game is different for you when you're looking down on Shaq, even if Shaq's stronger. I remember Shaq having a tough time with Yao (I don't know the numbers). Shaq would score 35 every night in the Finals against the Todd MacCollughs of the world, but it's a different game when you've got someone who towers over Shaq.

I don't know if anyone else in the history of the game would view playing against Shaq the way Yao did. Maybe Wilt excepted. Not Kareem, he was too thin. I don't know much about Mark Eaton, did their primes intersect?

[305Baller]

You can't overrate numbers... can you?

[Euroleague]

The most telling of these charts is shaq 22 shoe size to Wilts 15... that's straight up embarassing. We're wilts hands really proportionally small as well?

I might be wrong on this, but I believe the way they count shoe size has changed since that time.

I'm not sure about that, but I seem to remember reading that somewhere before. Maybe someone else knows.

[CavaliersFTW]

The most telling of these charts is shaq 22 shoe size to Wilts 15... that's straight up embarassing. We're wilts hands really proportionally small as well?
Wilt's hands: 11.5 inches wide by 9.5 inches long

Shaq's hands: 11 inches long by 9 inches wide

Being that Wilt has bigger hands I see no connection in shoe size to hand size when comparing individuals.

[And1AllDay]

"Wilt only faced white, car salesman beta midgits. Can you imagine if someone like Yao played back then?
:lol :oldlol:

[SyRyanYang]

"Wilt only faced white, car salesman beta midgits. Can you imagine if someone like Yao played back then? He'd devour the league, Wilt wouldnt know what to do with someone bigger than him. Plus, you have guards capable of blocking yao..."

Because wingspan height are generally proportional. Are you saying those midgets Wilt played against ALL have gigantic wingspans?

God your stupidity is eye-opening.

[CavaliersFTW]

Because wingspan height are generally proportional. Are you saying those midgets Wilt played against ALL have gigantic wingspans?

God your stupidity is eye-opening.
Not in basketball players. Tall disproportionately long armed people rise to the top and have a talent edge in that sport, and always have. Certain sports favor certain physical attributes, this is nothing new.

[SyRyanYang]

Not in basketball players.

So shorter players generally have longer wingspan? lol your wilt stans are hilariously dumb

[SyRyanYang]

Not in basketball players. Tall disproportionately long armed people rise to the top and have a talent edge in that sport, and always have. Certain sports favor certain physical attributes, this is nothing new.

Do you even know what proportional means? NBA players have proportionally long arms but they are still proportional to their height.

[CavaliersFTW]

So shorter players generally have longer wingspan? lol your wilt stans are hilariously dumb
Basketball players that make it to pro or elite levels generally have longer wingspan.

You really think otherwise? What exactly are you arguing against?

[CavaliersFTW]

Do you even know what proportional means? NBA players have proportionally long arms but they are still proportional to their height.
An average person has an armspan roughly similar to their height. This varies of course from person to person, some of us have slightly longer, some slightly shorter.

Pro basketball players, by no coincidence, almost always have longer arms than their height. And it's usually what would be considered the extreme end of the spectrum compared to the general public. Their arm to height ratio is big, because it's usually a relevant part of their talent that helped them get to the top.

I don't know what you're arguing, are you thinking someone like me wasn't aware of this, and laughing at that assumption? Or are you suggesting it isn't true? What exactly are you getting angry about? I'm pretty sure you're just having a bad day there's nothing to argue here take a breather man. Nobody is saying anything ridiculous. Jongib was being sarcastic. Take it easy.

[clipps]

People forget or just plain ignorant to how strong Yao's lower body was. His legs were tree trunks, even in his rookie season before he put on some muscle. For such a tall guy, he had such a strong base and a low center of gravity. Even though some would say he looked like a string bean, no one except for MAYBE prime Shaq and prime Ben Wallace were able to push him around.

People make such a huge deal (rightfully so) about wing span and standing reach, why doesn't the NBA Draft combine measure leg strength. Leg strength is especially important when it comes to posting up and boxing out for rebounds.

[SyRyanYang]

An average person has an armspan roughly similar to their height. This varies of course from person to person, some of us have slightly longer, some slightly shorter.

Pro basketball players, by no coincidence, almost always have longer arms than their height. And it's usually what would be considered the extreme end of the spectrum compared to the general public. Their arm to height ratio is big, because it's usually a relevant part of their talent that helped them get to the top.

I don't know what you're arguing, are you thinking someone like me wasn't aware of this, and laughing at that assumption? Or are you suggesting it isn't true? What exactly are you getting angry about? I'm pretty sure you're just having a bad day there's nothing to argue here take a breather man. Nobody is saying anything ridiculous. Jongib was being sarcastic. Take it easy.

So what's the point of this thread exactly? Let's not pretend he didn't have an agenda.

[CavaliersFTW]

People forget or just plain ignorant to how strong Yao's lower body was. His legs were tree trunks, even in his rookie season before he put on some muscle. For such a tall guy, he had such a strong base and a low center of gravity. Even though some would say he looked like a string bean, no one except for MAYBE prime Shaq and prime Ben Wallace were able to push him around.

People make such a huge deal (rightfully so) about wing span and standing reach, why doesn't the NBA Draft combine measure leg strength. Leg strength is especially important when it comes to posting up and boxing out for rebounds.
They should have some sort of device that could measure post-up strength. Like how football players are asked to charge into a bag and push it back, how about something a player is asked to push backwards as deep as they can with their ass/back from a post-up spot. I'm sure some sort of equipment could be developed to measure that. They measure lane agility, sprint speed, leaping ability from both standing and stepping/running. Why not a post-up strength measurement? Not a bad idea.

[Dro]

I think Yao Ming and Gheorge Muresan are the only good players at 7'4" and above. NBA players who were 7'4" and above were stiffs, and didn't have a meaningful NBA Career.

Ralph Samson by the way is closer to 7'1". He's as tall as Rudy Gobbert.
Umm...Rik Smits is 7'4.

Manute Bol is 7'7.

Mark Eaton is 7/4

All had "meaningful NBA Careers".

[CavaliersFTW]

So what's the point of this thread exactly?
I don't know ask OP. I'm guessing it was to point out that while Yao was freakishly tall, other players that were a bit shorter had almost as much or more armspan/reach as he did. It's certainly a fair point wouldn't you say?

I personally don't think Yao's height is overrated because it makes him intimidating, and he did have a great standing reach and typical big NBA center armspan even if his armspan wasn't wasn't "relatively" long compared to his height. I don't see what's so bad about the thread.

[LAZERUSS]

Can someone here do the research, and tell us how many rpg titles Yao won?

[FireDavidKahn]

Whether it be someone blocking his shot, or just talking about it in general I don't get the height hype.

His wingspan is less than Wilt/Shaqs, and his standing reach isn't much longer... Considering he can't move nearly as fast, or jump as high I'm left

:confusedshrug:
Chuck Taylor's still have about a 1 inch sole, dumbass

[AirFederer]

Killing lions is underrated.

Just ask Wilt and Walter Palmer.

[CavaliersFTW]

Chuck Taylor's still have about a 1 inch sole, dumbass
Have you owned a pair? Sandals have a thicker sole, Chuck's feel a lot like those minimalist shoes that are trending in the running world right now, or weightlifting shoes. There isn't much to them. I would give a new pair maybe half an inch, broken in they become more like 1/4.

[LAZERUSS]

Have you owned a pair? Sandals have a thicker sole, Chuck's feel a lot like those minimalist shoes that are trending in the running world right now, or weightlifting shoes. There isn't much to them. I would give a new pair maybe half an inch, broken in they become more like 1/4.

Probably the worst athletic shoes of all time, too.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

And don't forget Shawn Bradley. Yes he got posterized a lot. That was because he went after EVERYTHING. But he had a very meaningful career as well.


Bradley became the fifth NBA player to record at least 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a single game, and the first to do so off the bench.[18] The previous players to record a 20-20-10 game with points, rebounds, and blocks were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Shaquille O'Neal

His career was derailed by injuries and passion. He was more passionate about his faith than he was playing basketball. Had he cared more about basketball he could have been a much better player.

[Thorpesaurous]

Most athlete's in general have longer than average wingspan. It certainly helps tremendously with power in throwing anything. Longer arms, longer radius, bigger circumference, means more distance covered over the same time frame, and distance / time is velocity, which yields acceleration, which yields torque and power. So it just makes sense.

But there is some evidence that a shorter than usual span has some value in finer movements. Short armed baseball players can have a plate coverage because of quickness on the inside part of the plate. And slap hitting pain in the ass types that seem to get a piece of everything are like that too. Those guys who win driver competitions in golf often can't golf. They use longer clubs to get similar action to the longer wingspan, but on the whole can't keep things straight enough to play at a professional level. That long wingspan means that a slight error at the inside of the arc is going to make a bigger error on the outside of it. And those small errors can be huge factors at the pro level. There may be something to it with shooting a basketball too. But a lot of shooting teachers will try to limit the amount of moving pieces in a shot, effectively mitigating the long wingspan. But guys with long whippy shots, like Dirk, or Bird, you have to wonder how much natural hand eye coordination they had to make that work at the level they did with that much movement. And for what it's worth, Yao was a spectacular shooter for his size. Of course so was Pat Ewing, and he had huge wings, but he's a guy who worked his jumper into a very small motion.


I'm curious to see how the league views the next truly giant player. I know the league is getting smaller. And I know it's possible that guys at a certain size maybe just aren't designed to play an NBA season, it doesn't mean they wouldn't be great in a different format, shorter seasons, shorter games, more rest in between. But with the movement toward more regimented rest that the Spurs started, and we're seeing from other teams now too, I wonder if a team would be more inclined to try it. And more importantly to the value on the court, with teams really starting to tinker with zone concepts, and the seeming realization that defending PnR's soft is has some real merit, it's very possible that the defensive value of a guy like Yao, who was a much better defender than he's given credit for just by taking up space, could have an even bigger impact now than it did then. And he may have more advantage on the other end if teams are really going to design schemes where Draymond Green is going to play significant minutes at Center.

[AI09]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eUNks91tlQc



/thread

[ZMonkey11]

Have you played basketball before? Height is intimidating as ****.

Get the **** out of here with this n00b shit, troll.

[Kobe_6/8]

He is huge, no doubt about that...I just think we put too much "weight" into it.

If I showed a gif of someone blocking Wilt, Shaq, and Yao....A lot I assume would say the block on Yao was more impressive because of how tall he was...Not taking everything else into account

That's human nature...fans like to see exciting things in sports, and Yao's height is exciting.

Duncan is a great PF but a lot of flashier, less skilled players have gotten more attention than him.

[inclinerator]

Can someone here do the research, and tell us how many rpg titles Yao won?
4 to 5 i believe

[And1AllDay]

7'6 is 7'6 man

[Cali Syndicate]

I think Yao Ming and Gheorge Muresan are the only good players at 7'4" and above. NBA players who were 7'4" and above were stiffs, and didn't have a meaningful NBA Career.

Ralph Samson by the way is closer to 7'1". He's as tall as Rudy Gobbert.rik smits, big z >> muresan

Edit...as was mark eaton