Which Players Have the Biggest Hands in the NBA?

You know what they say about guys with big hands: easier to hold onto a basketball.

These NBA players have no trouble in the department of mitts, which is why many of them have gone on to successful, championship-winning careers.

But what NBA players have the biggest hands? That’s a question we’ve set out to answer, and you may not be stunned to know that huge hands lead to big-time basketball careers.

Players with the Biggest Hands in the NBA

Wilt Chamberlain

Hand Size: 9.5 inches/11.5 span

Arguably the most dominant player ever in the NBA did so with two of the largest mitts in the history of basketball.

Not only did Chamberlain, nicknamed “The Stilt”, rule basketball as one of the original 7-footers, but he had the largest hands in basketball at the time and is still among the biggest mitt sizes in the sport.

Chamberlain used his enormous hands to win 11 rebounding titles and finish on two All-NBA defensive teams.

Wilt played six seasons with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers then closing his career with five seasons in Los Angeles with the Lakers.

His 7-1 stature, and colossal paws, helped Chamberlain win four NBA MVP awards, famously score 100 points in a game and reach the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

You can back Wilt’s former team, the Philadplhia 76ers, to get their first NBA title since 1983 at the best NBA betting sites.

Julius Erving

Hand Size: 9.5 inches/11.75 span

“Dr. J” was renowned for his huge hands that helped him achieve legendary status in the NBA. Erving, who played his entire NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers after opening in the ABA, was a seven-time All-NBA player and a 16-time All-Star.

Erving used his enormous hands especially while dunking and was one of the most feared men in the paint.

Those hands were helpful in Erving claiming the 1976 ABA Dunk Contest, which effectively paved the way for the NBA to start that event as a part of All-Star Weekend, which it has done annually since 1984.

The 1976 ABA Defensive Player of the Year, who also won the 1981 NBA MVP, used his huge paws to fill stat sheets by averaging around seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and one-and-a-half blocks per game over his 836-game NBA career.

Kawhi Leonard

Hand Size: 9.75 inches/11.25 span

Kawhi may not have a big personality, but his hands are huge. Leonard is a seven-time All-NBA defensive team and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, which has been aided by his colossal hands, which also earned him the nickname “Klaw”.

F the two-time NBA champion, who won NBA Finals MVP on each occasion, having big hands has not always been an asset on the court.

He told former teammate Serge Ibaka on his podcast “How Hungry Are You” that those hands have made it hard to shoot the ball.

“It’s kind of difficult shooting sometimes. … Some games or some shots that I do shoot it it will be too far in my hands, so I have to really focus.”

Still, Leonard’s massive mitts have aided his shot-making, according to former coach Nick Nurse.

Nurse would know, since he saw Leonard hit the biggest shot in Raptors history, and one of the most difficult ever over Joel Embiid to win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2019.

Michael Jordan

Hand Size: 9.75/11.375 span

Jordan’s enormous hands were a factor in his ascent to Air Jordan status, which made him one of the richest athletes in pro-sports history.

His hands helped the swingman control the ball while taking off for a dunk from the foul line instead, of losing the grip on the way up.

Like Leonard, Jordan’s hand size also was a huge factor in his defensive game.

The five-time MVP, who many feel is the greatest of all time, was a three-time steals champion, nine-time All-Defense Team and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He also has by far the most NBA rings of any player on this list, with six.

Jordan, who at 6-6 is the shortest player on this list, once broke down the advantages gained from his gigantic mitts to Gene Siskel in 1996.

Victor Wembanyama

Hand Size: N/A

The San Antonio Spurs’ 7-4 is the tallest player in the NBA right now. Although his hands were not measured because he did not attend the 2023 NBA Draft Combine, it has been reported that they are enormous.

In fact, in a photo comparing his hands to Michael Jordan’s, the former Chicago Bulls player’s paws were dwarfed by the Frenchman.

He may not be of legal drinking age in the United States of America, but Wembanyama has already wowed his teammates and opponents with his massive mitts.

Wemby’s colossal hands have already made him one of the league’s most feared players. He won the blocks championship, averaging nearly four per game, and was named to the All-Defensive Team while finishing as runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year as a teenager.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Hand Size: 9.85/12 span

When NBA champ Giannis gets going, he is near-impossible to stop, due to his speed and size, which has earned him the nickname “Greek Freak”.

But Antetokounmpo’s hands also make it easier to throw down thunderous, highlight-reel dunks. Those dunks are often a product of his sterling defensive game and has earned five All-Defensive Team honors and the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year award.

If you see Giannis up close, it’s impossible to miss his ginormous hands. It’s lead many reporters to see how they measure up, which often leads to funny results.

Gregory Smith

Hand Size: 10 inches/12 span

Smith had an unextraordinary, 149-game NBA career where he averaged four points and 3.3 rebounds per game for the Rockets, Mavericks and Timberwolves while making more than $3 million and starting just 12 games.

But the 6-10 forward/center was exceptional in hand size, topping greats like Jordan, LeBron, Kawhi and Giannis in that department.

Shaquille O’Neal

Hand Size: 10.25 inches/12 span

Shaq has done things big his whole career. From his 7-1, 300-plus-pound stature to those size 22 Reeboks. O’Neal’s larger-than-life persona has only been matched by his gigantic features.

So it’s no surprise that Shaq has one of the largest hand sizes in NBA history too. The Hall of Fame center, who started his career with the Orlando Magic then took off with the Los Angeles Lakers before bouncing around the league, averaged 12 rebounds and almost 2.5 blocks per game.

His big hands helped O’Neal achieve big things in his basketball career and it’s only when you see him holding a regular-sized can of Pepsi that his mega mitts are put into context.

Connie Hawkins

Hand Size: 10.5 inches/12 span

Hawkins put his hands to work starting his Hall of Fame career in the ABA. Yet unlike Dr J, Hawkins unfortunately had his career cut down due to knee and leg injuries.

Still, Hawkins has the second-largest hands in NBA history, which were combined with a 6-8, 210-pound stature.

The power forward, who won ABA MVP and was runner-up in his two seasons before joining the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, and Sports Illustrated characterized his play like this in its December 1968 edition:

Boban Marjanovic

Hand Size: 10.75 inches/12 span

Boban is one of the tallest players in NBA history and has become a household name despite starting just 25 games in his nine-season NBA career.

But it is Marjanovic’s size and personality that has made him so endearing to both diehard NBA fans and non-basketball followers alike. He even starred in John Wick: Chapter 3 as an assassin who fights Keanu Reeves.

Marjanovic is such a fan favorite that there’s an entire subreddit called “Boban holding things” devoted to pictures of the 7-4 journeyman making regular items look like miniatures in photos.

It’s a bit wild that Marjanovic and Leonard were both members of the 2015-16 Spurs too. Can you imagine those two high-fiving?

So, who has the NBA’s biggest hands?

Considering the average male hand size is roughly seven inches long with roughly a nine-inch span, each man on this list is considerably above average.

Many studies show a clear correlation between height and hand size, which makes it unsurprising that these huge NBA players have enormous hands too.

So despite spending the majority of games pinned to the end of the bench, Marjanovic is officially both the all-time leader for hand size and the active player with the biggest mitts.

However, there is some bona fide intrigue about Wemby’s hands, since they have not yet been measured officially. He may well have the biggest hands, but are yet to be properly recorded.

Michael Jordan is on this list despite his relatively average height for an NBA player. So it might be safe to assume, that when height to hand ratio is compared, his might be the largest in NBA history.

For those who are curious, LeBron James’ hand size is 9.25 inches with a nine-inch span.