The History of the Big Man

Sports History Network · Sep 1, 2026 · 16m

When basketball was first invented, nobody thought about height being an advantage. Most coaches looked for players who were fast and athletic. It wasn’t until the 1930s that some coaches started looking for height. Today, the NBA has 70 players that are 7-feet tall or taller. We go through the history of how we got from pro players who averaged 5-foot-8 in height to today’s average of 6-foot-7 in the NBA.

Episode 210 re-air.

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"A Slow Day" by Chiro

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY…