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At the highest level of sports, size often matters, and throughout history, certain athletes have stood head and shoulders above the rest—quite literally. From towering basketball players to colossal footballers, the world of athletics has seen its fair share of titans who have dominated their respective sports with their sheer physical presence. Here are some of the most noteworthy behemoths in the history of professional athletics:
Adebayo Akinfenwa
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No, this picture isn’t photoshopped. Adebayo Akinfenwa looks more like a Sunday morning pickup player than he does a professional. However, the beefy Akinfenwa has played professionally for 18 years. He retired from professional football in 2023 after battling injuries.
Mariusz Pudzianowski
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The Polish bodybuilder looks like he was carved out of rock. He routinely has competed in world weight-lifting competitions. Pudzianowski has won more Strong Man titles than any other competitor (5). In recent years, Pudzianowski has also gotten involved in MMA. At his prime, Pudzianowski stood 6-foot-1 and weighed 313 pounds.
Shaquille O’Neal
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Shaquille O’Neal was a clear choice to be on this list. Shaq has had several nicknames (Shaqtus, Diesel, The Big Aristotle, The Big Cactus, The Big Shamrock) for his hulking figure. While O’Neal is reported to be 7-foot-1, there are quibbles over how much he weighed at the height of his rotundness. Some figures had him at 360 pounds — though one shouldn’t be surprised if that number was generously low.
Aaron Sandilands
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Aaron Sandilands is one tough dude. The Australian athlete competed professionally as an Australian rules footballer. Needing both courage and aggression, Sandilands starred for a large chunk of time. What makes Sandilands special is his immense frame. He’s the tallest (6-foot-11) and heaviest (265 pounds) person to ever play in the Australian Football League.
Tacko Fall
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The man they call Tacko turned into one of the most popular college athletes over the last few years. Originally hailing from Senegal, the 7-foot-6 center parlayed a solid collegiate career into a contract with the Boston Celtics. As one can see in the image above, Fall engulfed phenom Zion Williamson on a dunk attempt. He also makes Williamson — a man standing 6-foot-7, 285 pounds — look small.
Dalip ‘The Great Khali’ Rana
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Khali (born Dalip Rana) broke multiple barriers as it pertained to the professional wrestling landscape. The 7-foot-1, 347-pound athlete became the first Indian world champion in WWE history. His skills on the mic weren’t great (as his English wasn’t fluent). Much of his persona sat with Khali’s impressive size. After his wrestling career ended, Khali was both a police officer and an actor.
Manute Bol
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The 7-foot-7 center remains one of the tallest players to ever play in the NBA. As a rookie, Bol averaged an astounding 5.0 blocks per contest. The uniquely built big man played 10 years in the NBA. Much of Bol’s notoriety came off the floor. A benevolent soul, he worked tirelessly to help disenfranchised people from his native Sudan. He sadly passed in 2010.
Paul ‘Big Show’ Wight
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When your name is the ‘Big Show’, you’re naturally going to be a large human being. Originally a basketball player in college, Paul Wight ultimately made his way into the world of professional wrestling. The 7-footer was billed at 500 pounds — though he really weighs considerably less in real life. At 52 years of age, Wight continues to perform as an actor and professional wrestler for the promotion AEW.
Ivo Karlovic
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The Croatian tennis player was quite menacing during his professional career. Karlovic stood a whopping 6-foot-11 — making him the tallest-ranked tennis player in history. During the 2011 Davis Cup, Karlovic unleashed a 156 mph serve. At the time, it was the third-fastest serve ever recorded. At 45 years of age, Karlovic is still playing in various tournaments.
Francis Ngannou
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The violent UFC fighter hails from a small village in Cameroon. The 6-foot-4 260-pound athlete is built like a block of granite. He holds the world record for the most powerful punch of any fighter. It’s the equivalent of being hit by a sledgehammer being swung with full force from overhead. Duly, Ngannou’s punch is said to be akin to being hit by a Ford vehicle at top speed.
Jon Rauch
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Rauch was a rather ordinary Major League pitcher. The Kentucky native finished his career with a combined record of 43-40. He didn’t have overpowering stuff — nor did he enjoy success on a huge stage. However, at 6-foot-11, Rauch is the tallest pitcher in the history of the sport.
Shawn Bradley
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Bradley drew considerable hype coming into the NBA from BYU. Picked No. 2 Overall, many were expecting the 7-foot-6 big man to be a game-changer. Bradley ended his time in the NBA with career averages of 8.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 2.5 BPG. In early 2021, Bradley was sadly struck by a vehicle while riding his bike which left him paralyzed, and now lives in a wheelchair-friendly area of Dallas, Texas.
Hafthor ‘Thor’ Bjornsson
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Many know Bjornsson from his role as ‘The Mountain’ on the famed series Game of Thrones. While the hulking Icelander was great in his role, Bjornsson first garnered notoriety as one of the world’s strongest men. He participated in the said contests for years — and even became the first individual to win all three of the major weightlifting awards (World’s Strongest Man, Europe’s Strongest Man, Arnold Strongman Classic) in the same year.
Suleiman Ali Nashnush
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Nashnush isn’t a well-known individual. A native of Libya, Nashnush stood an astounding 8 feet tall as a teenager. A corrective surgery slowed his growth — which ultimately had him regressing to 7-foot-10. He played professional basketball for the Libyan national team. Later on, Nashnush acted in an Italian film entitled Fellini Satyricon. He passed away in 1991 at age 47.
Gheorghe Muresan
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We all love Muresan for his lovable role alongside Billy Crystal in My Giant. Before he became the lead in an unforgettable movie, Muresan was putting up some rather decent numbers in the NBA. Muresan — standing 7-foot-7 — led the NBA twice in field-goal percentage.
Emmanuel Yarbrough
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Yarbrough was a man of many talents. The jumbo athlete participated in college football, college wrestling, MMA, judo, and amateur sumo wrestling. At one point, Yarbrough held the Guinness World Record for being the heaviest athlete (882 pounds) on Earth. Sadly, the 6-foot-8 athlete passed in 2015 at age 51.
Andre The Giant
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Andre the Giant is arguably the most famous professional wrestler of all time. Born Andre Roussimoff, the French native registered at 7-foot-4, 520 pounds. His exploits as both an eater and as a drinker are widely chronicled. However, the buzz Andre brought into the ring — especially versus Hulk Hogan — was simply special. Andre passed in 1993 at age 46.
Yao Ming
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A household name in the world of basketball, Yao Ming was huge — both physically and figuratively. Standing at 7’6″, he was selected in the draft as first overall pick by the Houston Rockets in 2006. In his eight-season tenure, he averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.6 assists per game. He was an 8-time NBA All-Star before retiring from the game.
Aaron Judge
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Judge is perfect for the city of New York. For one, he puts on a show with moonshot home runs to all parts of Yankee Stadium. Secondly, he certainly stands out with his 6-foot-7, 280-pound frame. Despite looking like he should be a power forward for the Knicks, the California native is a huge reason why the Yankees have emerged as one of the league’s best teams.
Konishiki Yasokichi
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The Hawaiian-born sumo wrestler broke several barriers en route to a very productive career. He reached the second-highest rank in the sport of sumo (the only non-Japanese wrestler to do so). Yasokichi (real name Saleva’a Fuauli Atisano’e) stood at only 6 feet tall — though he weighed more than 630 pounds at the height of his career. Now 60 years of age, Yasokichi has dabbled in the realm of music.
Zdeno Chara
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Zdeno Chara had a massive 24-year career in the NHL. Without skates, Chara stands 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, making him one of the biggest players in NHL history. Duly, he stands over 7 feet tall when wearing skates out on the ice. Chara is the true epitome of ‘intimidating’ when it comes to NHL defensemen.
John Isner
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Isner (6-foot-10) is one of the tallest tennis players in the history of the sport. The American also happens to be one of the best in terms of serving. His height enables Isner to get optimal top spin on his downward motion. Aside from that, Isner packs a punch when it comes to speed. Isner was clocked with having the third-fastest serve (157.2 mph) ever recorded.
Choi Hong-Man
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As one can see from the picture, South Korean fighter Choi Hong-Man is a mountain of a man. While not swift of foot or overly athletic, there’s no denying Hong-Man’s intimidating presence. The 7-foot-2 giant is said to weigh as much as 365 pounds. The task of attempting to knock Hong-Man off his feet seems rather problematic.
Sharran Alexander
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Sharran Alexander is a very agile athlete. Despite weighing in at 448 pounds, the 6-footer is exceptionally quick. She competed as the world’s heaviest sportswoman during her days at the World Sumo Championships. During this time, Alexander competed for Great Britain (and began training at age 41).
William ‘Fridge’ Perry
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When your nickname is a 1,000-pound item built to house food, you know you’re a gigantic human. Perry was a dancing bear of sorts. Very few athletes ever possessed Perry’s combination of girth and mobility. Though he’s suffered some health issues in recent years, Perry’s indelible mark on the NFL will not be forgotten anytime soon.
Margo Dydek
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Dydek holds the distinction of being the tallest female basketball player (7-foot-2) in the world. The Polish international was drafted No. 1 Overall in the 1998 WNBA Draft. The two-time All-Star led the league in blocks on eight separate occasions. Duly, Dydek is the all-time leader in blocks. Sadly, Dydek passed away at 37 years of age.
Troy ‘Escalade” Jackson
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Troy ‘Escalade’ Jackson earned his nickname based upon resembling an Escalade vehicle. At 6-foot-10 and over 500 pounds, Jackson delighted fans across the world as part of the AND1 Mixtape Tour. A wizard with the basketball, it wasn’t too surprising to learn that Jackson had previously played in college at the University of Louisville. Sadly in 2011, Jackson passed away at the age of 39. He is the younger brother of former NBA All-Star and current commentator Mark Jackson.
Peter Crouch
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“RoboCrouch” (as he’s affectionately known by fans) is a walking contradiction. Resembling Gumby rather than a professional soccer player, Crouch bagged 145 goals throughout his professional career as a 6-foot-7 towering presence. He wasn’t an elite player — nor did he enjoy much success toward the end of his career. However, Crouch was a fan favorite based on his unusual size and enjoyable personality.
Nikolai Valuev
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Nikolai Valuev is one of the scariest individuals on this list. While some use abnormally large humans as a gimmick within a boxing ring, it’s certainly not the case with Valuev. He has a 50-2 career record as a boxer — including a win over Evander Holyfield. Valuev stands 7 feet tall and reportedly weighs 328 pounds.
Bob Sapp
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The casual movie fan may remember Bob Sapp from his role in the remake of The Longest Yard. A former football player at the University of Washington, Sapp also played multiple years in the NFL. From there, he became a professional athlete in both MMA and kickboxing. As one can tell from the image above, it likely wouldn’t be a good idea to anger the 6-foot-5, 328-pound athlete.
Holley Mangold
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The name ‘Mangold’ may ring a bell, as Holley is the sister of former All-Pro offensive lineman Nick Mangold. Holley is a fantastic athlete in her own right, as she represented the United States in weightlifting at the 2012 Summer Olympics. During her weightlifting days, the 5-foot-8 athlete weighed approximately 415 pounds.
Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch
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No list of the world’s biggest athletes would be complete without mentioning the immortal ‘Butterbean.’ Though he doesn’t exactly look like a great athlete, Esch is shockingly brilliant as both a boxer and an MMA fighter. Weighing over 425 pounds, the 5-foot-11 boxer compiled a career record of 97-24-5 (including 67 knockouts). Though he no longer fights, the 57-year-old is a source of inspiration for all larger guys out there.
