Wembanyama’s Height Debate Reaches New Peaks After a 40-Point Return

Height Debate Lingers as Wembanyama Returns

Victor Wembanyama’s height remains a hot topic in the NBA, even after a sensational comeback in which he scored 40 points, reminding everyone that his size is as much a talking point as his spectacular shots.

Official listings still peg him at seven feet four inches (about 2.24 meters), a height that ties him with Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies for the league’s tallest active player. The chatter spiked when a preseason data entry briefly moved him to seven feet five inches, a figure the Spurs later called a clerical mistake.

How tall is Wembanyama, really?

Since his arrival in the NBA in 2023, his height has been reported as 7'4", a number that aligns with his long limbs and on-court reach. It also positioned him as a co-leader in height with the league’s giants, height-wise, while fueling debates about accuracy and consistency in measurements.

In the same season the team briefly listed him at 7'5"—an error the club attributed to a data entry mistake, according to The Athletic. In truth, the height in public records has remained essentially steady, with past fluctuations due to measurement methods and rounding right through 2024.

Height accuracy is not a new issue in the NBA. The league has long faced questions about how measurements are taken, and the conversion from feet and inches to metric is only part of the challenge (each inch can translate to a few millimeters of difference depending on method and posture).

Why do measurements stay murky?

In a league built on length and wingspan, even a few inches can matter in matchups. The Rockets, for example, posted an average height around 2.10 meters for their five starters on a recent Tuesday night, underscoring how the numbers can become focal points in discussions about lineups and roles. Some players historically add inches to boost presence near the rim, while others slightly reduce to avoid typecasting as pure shot-blockers or to lower perceived risk of injury.

Another familiar line in the sand comes from veteran fans: jokes about players’ height are part of the sport’s lore. A famous quip about a legendary Celtics star—joking that someone measured him at “6 feet 13 inches”—remains a playful reminder that tall tales are part of NBA culture.

Since 2019, the NBA has moved away from shoe-based tallies, issuing precise measurement protocols for teams to document heights officially. The goal is consistency across teams and seasons, even as a player’s box-score mythos sometimes grows taller than the actual tape measure.

What does Wembanyama say about all this?

Wembanyama himself has kept a humorous and nonchalant tone. In a recent interview, he laughed off being teased about his height, saying, “I’m surprised this topic still takes up space.” He added that he doesn’t dwell on his stature and that there are more interesting things about him than a number on a chart. A French TV interview in 2024 echoed the sentiment, with the 21-year-old noting he has lived with “comments” about his height “all my life,” and that he views his height as a strength rather than a burden.

Return to the NBA with a bang

The French center marked his comeback in the NBA with a 40-point, 15-rebound performance that helped the Spurs beat the Mavericks 125-92 on Wednesday. The 21-year-old has begun his third season in the league after missing time due to a shoulder-related blood clot diagnosed after last year’s All-Star break. While he didn’t surpass his career high of 50 points, his two-way impact and spectacular dunks drew instant attention and left fans buzzing about what’s ahead.

Against Dallas, he faced off with Anthony Davis, one of the league’s top scorers and strongest defenders in recent seasons, and used his length and athleticism to finish with authority under the rim. The performance reinforced the sense that Wembanyama’s height, reach, and mobility can be a weapon on both ends of the floor.

As debates over exact measurements continue, the focus remains on what matters most: his production, versatility, and potential. For now, the official listings stand at 7'4", but the chatter won’t disappear anytime soon—tales of inches in the NBA are almost as eternal as a good buzzer-beater. And if you’re curious, yes, the ball does seem to look up at him, especially when he rises for slams that seem to defy the physics books, which is exactly the sort of spectacle fans pay to see.

Punchlines to close: If he grows any taller, the rim will need a loan to fund a higher backboard. And remember, with seven-four on the tallest days, he’s not just a player—he’s a walking horizon; the only question left is which city he’ll redefine next in the league’s skyline.