Anthropomorphic Measurement of NBA bigmen 60s/70s vs Modern NBA era

[CavaliersFTW]

Random measurements I've uncovered.

Bill Russell - Center
Height w/o shoes: 6-9.63"
Wingspan: 7-4
Standing Reach w/o shoes: ~9-4
Hand Length: 10.5"
Hand Width: 9.5"
Career weight range: 215-240lbs

Wilt Chamberlain - Center
Height w/o shoes 7-1.06"
Wingspan 7-8
Standing Reach w/o shoes ~9-6
Hand Length 9.5"
Hand Width 11.5"
Career weight range: 258-320lbs

Walt Bellamy - Center
Height w/o shoes: 6-10.5"
Career weight range: 225-245lbs

Jerry Lucas - Power Forward / Center
Height w/o shoes: 6-7.5"
Career weight range: 230-235lbs

Nate Thurmond - Center
Height w/o shoes: 6-11"
Career weight range: 229-240lbs

Willis Reed - Center
Height w/o shoes: 6-9.5"
Career weight range: 235-245lbs

Wes Unseld - Center
Height w/o shoes: 6-7.5"
Career weight range: 245-260lbs

Elvin Hayes - Power Forward / Center
Height w/o shoes: 6-9.5"
Wingspan: 7-2"
Career weight range: 235-240lbs

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Center
Height w/o shoes: 7-1.88"
Wingspan: 7-5"
Career weight range: 225-267lbs

Dave Cowens - Center
Height w/o shoes: 6-8.5"

Artis Gilmore - Center
Height w/o shoes: 7-1.31"
Career weight range: 240-290lbs



For comparison here's a random assortment of modern bigs height:

David Robinson
7-0"

Shaquille O'Neal
7-0.88"

Ben Wallace
6-7"

Tyson Chandler
6-11.5"

Carlos Boozer
6-7.75"

Dwight Howard
6-9"

Emeka Okafur
6-8.75"

Andrew Bynum
7-0.25"

Andrew Bogut
6-11

Kevin Love
6-7.75"

Javale McGee
6-11"

Joakim Noah
6-10.5"

DeAndre Jordan
6-9.75"

Tristan Thompson
6-7.75"

Bismack Biyombo
6-8.31"

Anthony Davis
6-9.25"

Andre Drummond
6-9.75"

Pau Gasol
7-0"

For more:
www.draftexpress.com/measurements


So are there people out there that still believe that the 60's/70's was an undersized era and that Russ/Wilt etc wouldn't last today due to their size because "the modern era is full of legit 7 footers"? List heights today appear to greatly inflate modern player heights. And I'm actually starting to believe the opposite was true of past player list heights (note: Russell, Hayes, Unseld all listed equal too or more than 1/2 inch shorter than their actual barefoot height - something that no players in the modern NBA draft have done)

[ZenMaster]

Today's era isn't filled with capable 7 footers. But what it is filled with is insanely athletic players from 6ft to 6-9 or so.

[PickernRoller]

Kwame Brown....

Season high 23pts/13 rebounds against the Heat in 11.

[CavaliersFTW]

Kwame Brown....

Season high 23pts/13 rebounds against the Heat in 11.

Kwame Brown - Center
Height w/o shoes: 6-10"
Wingspan: 7-1"
Standing reach w/o shoes: 8-10.5"
Hand length: extremely small
Hand width: extremely small
Career weight range: 243lbs-270lbs

[Kevin_Gamble]

One thing that is true is we have those tall Eastern Europeans in the league today.

[CavaliersFTW]

One thing that is true is we have those tall Eastern Europeans in the league today.

Sure, it makes up for the now virtually extinct (yet genetically identical) numerous Caucasian American's of the 60's/70's. Such as Swede Halbrook ~7-3 / Phil Jackson ~ 6-8 etc. Seriously, when looking at true anthropomorphic measurements (not B.S. list heights) I see no pattern of players getting taller today vs then.

[Psileas]

At their heaviest, Bellamy, Thurmond, Reed, Unseld and probably Hayes must have been heavier than these reported numbers.

[CavaliersFTW]

At their heaviest, Bellamy, Thurmond, Reed, Unseld and probably Hayes must have been heavier than these reported numbers.

Those are the heaviest numbers I could find printed in the newspapers of all of them, they actually seem quite reasonable too me, players today are just heavier than players back than that's the one real difference and I think that's due to the pressure of trainers insisting players play heavier today (which I think kills players health but w/e). Javale McGee was 228lbs, Anthony Davis 222, Kevin Garnett under 220, and David Robinson 226 in their early 20's/rookie seasons. Kareem was a 225lb rookie and only 235 all throughout the 70's (though at one point I think he peaked at 240). In an era where running up and down the floor is favorable 240-260lbs players are huge. Had they played today they'd be heavier sure but unless there's seasons where they got overweight that I don't know about those numbers don't look too off base IMO relative to their competition.

[Punpun]

What you don take in considerations here, is that not only are you only taking an handful of C from back then (11 over a span of 30 years) but that you aren't considering that players nowadays are stronger, faster and are way more athletic than back then. On average of course but also at the very top. D12 and Shaq are on a whole another level physic wise than anyone. Bar maybe Wilt "I was born 40 years too soon" Chamberlain.

Not hating or anything on the oldschool era, but I refuse to believe Basketball's level of the contemporany era doesn't outclass the oldschool era. That's the evolution of the game.

[CavaliersFTW]

What you don take in considerations here, is that not only are you only taking an handful of C from back then (11 over a span of 30 years) but that you aren't considering that players nowadays are stronger, faster and are way more athletic than back then. On average of course but also at the very top. D12 and Shaq are on a whole another level physic wise than anyone. Bar maybe Wilt "I was born 40 years too soon".

11 random centers... Including Unseld who is well known as the shortest one of that entire era and excluding the tallest ones like Swede Halbrook. And are you absolutely clueless about who these guys are I listed? D12 and Shaq are no greater athletes by any definition of the word than Russell, Wilt, or Gilmore. And Thurmond/Bellamy/Kareem wouldn't take an athletic backseat to anybody Dwight faces


Russell


Thurmond




Bellamy

fastbreak dunk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ee2Ag5GeMQ&t=12m56s

[Legends66NBA7]

Damn, Nate was on something back then... or really just ate his greens.

[Punpun]

Oh god are you trying to imply those guys are only 11 eanoms center ? Do you really wanna go down that road ?

[CavaliersFTW]

Damn, Nate was on something back then... or really just ate his greens.

I think it's genetics, some people are just naturally ripped, David Robinson was like that. Than you have the antithesis of them like Duncan/Pierce/Melo

[CavaliersFTW]

Oh god are you trying to imply those guys are only 11 eanoms center ? Do you really wanna go down that road ?

?

Not sure what road you speak of. Anthropomorphic measurements look very much the same today as they did back then. How can you dispute it? The numbers are right there in front of you, and I conclude the more I find the more it's only going to support that genetically, nothing has changed among athletes then vs now - sry if it kills your modern NBA hero's. Humans haven't evolved in 40 years. The game of basketball has changed in a lot of ways yes, but those athletes back then? Pretty sure those are still the same kinds of people in the same shapes and sizes and varieties as the ones that are playing today.

[Punpun]

No way. And for a good reason. Just look at track and field. Athlete now are way better than back then. And the 11 centers you listed were freaks of nature. 11 freaks in 30 years. Most of them would have normal size nowadays. And be less strong, less athletic etc.