After a long NBA season of 82 games, plus more for playoff teams, players deserve to kick back, relax, and maybe take off their shoes.
Some of those shoes will land with an epic thump and may be among the largest in the world.
Seeing as though we’ve covered the biggest hand sizes in NBA history, we thought we’d have some foot-filled fun and take a look at the biggest NBA shoe sizes of all time.
To make this list is no small feat…
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10 – Dwight Howard
Shoe size: 18
Height: 6’10”
With size 18 feet, it’s only fitting that Dwight Howard played 18 seasons in the NBA. He should be remembered for more than his epic shoes, however. Howard was an 8-time NBA All-Star from 2007-2014, and he added Defensive Player of the Year three times.
Many fans will best remember Howard for taking home the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest title, soaring off his feet in a Superman cape before jamming home that iconic dunk.
Howard obviously loves the game a ton – he’s still active, playing in a Taiwanese league.
9 – Yao Ming
Shoe size: 18
Height: 7’6”
After a career that spanned 486 games and drew in fans from all over the world, Yao Ming had to retire relatively early due to injuries in his size-18 feet. The Chinese hoops star suffered ongoing issues over the years as his feet needed to support the weight that accompanied his 7’6” frame.
Ming still managed eight NBA All-Start selections, however, and had his number 11 jersey retired by the only NBA team he ever played for, the Houston Rockets.
8 – Andre Drummond
Shoe size: 19
Height: 6’10”
The 9th overall pick by Detroit back in 2012, Andre Drummond and his size-19 have traveled extensively in the past 12 years. The two-time All-Star center has laced up for the Cavaliers, Lakers, 76ers, Nets, and the Chicago Bulls, his current team.
While he can score, Drummond is best known for his skills on the boards. Late in 2023, he recorded his 10,000th career rebound. He’s currently 33rd all-time in rebounds and at age 30 he’s likely to jump ahead a few more spots before he’s done.
7 – Kevin Love
Shoe size: 19
Height: 6’8”
Kevin Love kicked off his NBA career in 2008 and is currently with his third NBA team, the Miami Heat. Like so many of the other big-booted players on this list, Love is a multiple-time NBA All-Star.
He’s had five appearances in the league’s showcase game, and along the way, he also bagged an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers while playing alongside LeBron James.
6 – Karl-Anthony Towns
Shoe size: 20
Height: 6’11”
KAT’s paws are the first on the list to crack the size-20+ range. Karl-Anthony Towns plays Power Forward and Center for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the only team he’s played for since he was drafted first overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.
The four-time All-Star also has a large off-court footprint. He won the 2024 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award for his work in support of voting rights in Minnesota, and he is a dual Dominican-American citizen, suiting up for the Dominican Republic in international tournaments since 2012.
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4 & 5 – Robin Lopez & Brook Lopez
Shoe size: 20
Height: 7”
It should come as no surprise that the identical twins on the list are wearing the same shoe size.
Robin has played for nine different NBA teams since entering the league from Stanford in 2008 at 15th overall. He was recently waived by the Sacramento Kings, which may indicate his NBA days are over.
Brook, meanwhile, has enjoyed a slightly stronger and less traveled career since entering the league the same year as Robin. He was the 10th overall pick and suited up for the Nets and the Lakers before landing with his current team, the Milwaukee Bucks. Playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook won the NBA Finals in 2021.
Can this added success by Brook be attributed to more maturity? He is, after all, older than Robin by one whole minute.
3 – Tacko Fall
Shoe size: 22
Height: 7’6”
Along with Yao Ming, Tacko Fall is the tallest player on this list of the biggest shoe sizes in the NBA.
Unlike Ming, however, Fall unfortunately fell from the NBA before he could establish himself. He initially signed with the Boston Celtics as a free agent in 2019 and then headed to Cleveland to play with the Cavaliers in 2021. Fall, one of only a handful of players hailing from Senegal, then played in China for several seasons and is now playing in Puerto Rico.
2 – Bob Lanier
Shoe size: 22
Height: 6’10”
At age 11, Bob Lanier was already rocking size 11 shoes. He was advised that his feet were so big that he would never become a successful athlete.
Fast forward six years, and Lanier was being recruited by over 100 universities. He went on to play 14 seasons in the NBA, scoring over 19,000 points, grabbing close to 10,000 rebounds, and making eight trips to the All-Star game.
And he’s one of only 14 players to have their jersey retired by multiple teams. Lanier’s jersey (not his shoes) has been retired by both the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks.
1 – Shaquille O’Neal
Shoe size: 22
Height: 7’1”
Shaquille O’Neal is easily the most recognizable name on this list of the players with the biggest shoe sizes in the NBA. His 22s are double the size of most men’s 11s, which are already on the large side.
Shaq’s list of accomplishments rivals that of legends like Jordan and Kobe: four NBA titles, three finals MVP awards, 15 All-Star game appearances, 28,000+ points scored, a Basketball Hall of Fame induction, movies, hip hop songs, TV commercials, a successful broadcasting career… you name it, he’s done it.
Back to the shoes though. Shaq has donated his kicks to various auctions over the years, and he’s created his own line of shoes – in regular human sizes – that are purposely affordable for lower-income families.
Our next updated list of the biggest NBA shoe sizes will no doubt include Wemby and some of the new crop of super-tall superstars who can do it all on the court. Till then, enjoy all the b-ball you want at Bovada.
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