By now, you know how freakishly tall the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is.
Victor Wembanyama stands in at 7-5, but his unique perimeter skills are what sets him apart from anyone with his size in NBA history.
Wembanyama is so tall he has to duck under doorways when he walks through them. He towers over his competition, able to block shots or dunk the ball without leaving his feet.
And yet, he still isn't the tallest No. 1 pick in NBA history. Do you think you know who is?
The Sporting News has you covered with the tallest No. 1 picks in NBA Draft history, as well as the smallest players to ever be the first pick.
Victor Wembanyama among tallest No. 1 overall picks in NBA Draft history
At 7-foot-5 with shoes on, Wembanyama will be the second-tallest player to be selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft. The only No. 1 pick taller than Wembanyama is Yao Ming, who measured a towering 7-foot-6.
You can find the tallest No. 1 picks in NBA Draft history below.
| Rank | Player | Height | Year Drafted | NBA Team | Pre-Draft Team |
| 1. | Yao Ming | 7-6 | 2002 | Houston Rockets | Shanghai Dongfang (China) |
| 2. | Victor Wembanyama | 7-5 | 2023 | San Antonio Spurs | Metropolitans 92 (France) |
| 3. | Ralph Sampson | 7-4 | 1983 | Houston Rockets | Virginia |
| T-4. | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 7-2 | 1969 | Milwaukee Bucks | UCLA |
| Artis Gilmore* | 7-2 | 1976 | Chicago Bulls | Jacksonville | |
| T-6. | Shaquille O'Neal | 7-1 | 1992 | Orlando Magic | LSU |
| David Robinson | 7-1 | 1987 | San Antonio Spurs | Navy | |
| Deandre Ayton | 7-1 | 2018 | Phoenix Suns | Arizona | |
| T-9. | Greg Oden | 7-0 | 2007 | Portland Trail Blazers | Ohio State |
| Andrew Bogut | 7-0 | 2005 | Milwaukee Bucks | Utah | |
| Andrea Bargnani | 7-0 | 2006 | Toronto Raptors | Universo De'Longhi Treviso (Italy) | |
| Michael Olowokandi | 7-0 | 1998 | Los Angeles Clippers | Pacific | |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | 7-0 | 1984 | Houston Rockets | Houston | |
| Patrick Ewing | 7-0 | 1985 | New York Knicks | Georgetown | |
| Brad Daugherty | 7-0 | 1986 | Cleveland Cavaliers | North Carolina | |
| Joe Barry Carroll | 7-0 | 1980 | Golden State Warriors | Purdue | |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 7-0 | 2015 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Kentucky |
*Gilmore was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1976 ABA Dispersal Draft.
Smallest No. 1 overall picks in NBA Draft history
The smallest No. 1 pick in NBA Draft history was Gene Melchiorre (5-8), who was selected by the Baltimore Bullets back in 1951.
After Melchiorre, Hall of Famer Allen Iverson — who is widely known as "pound-for-pound" one of the greatest players in NBA history — is the next-smallest player to be selected No. 1 overall at six feet tall.
Since 1980, there have only been four players smaller than 6-4 who have been selected with the No. 1 overall pick — Iverson, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose and John Wall.
You can find the smallest No. 1 picks in NBA Draft history below.
| Rank | Player | Height | Year Drafted | NBA Team | Pre-Draft Team |
| 1. | Gene Melchiorre | 5-8 | 1951 | Baltimore Bullets (BAA) | Bradley |
| 2. | Allen Iverson | 6-0 | 1996 | Philadelphia 76ers | Georgetown |
| 3. | Andy Tonkovich | 6-1 | 1948 | Providence Steamrollers | Marshall |
| T-4. | Kyrie Irving | 6-2 | 2011 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Duke |
| Si Green | 6-2 | 1956 | Rochester Royals | Duquesne | |
| Howie Shannon | 6-2 | 1949 | Providence Steamrollers | Kansas State | |
| T-7. | Derrick Rose | 6-3 | 2008 | Chicago Bulls | Memphis |
| John Wall | 6-3 | 2010 | Washington Wizards | Kentucky | |
| John Lucas | 6-3 | 1976 | Houston Rockets | Maryland | |
| Jimmy Walker | 6-3 | 1967 | Detroit Pistons | Providence | |
| Frank Selvy | 6-3 | 1954 | Baltimore Bullets (BAA) | Furman |