[2quick4uParticipant]

 the rankings are based exclusively from official measurementsfrom draft combine.

in order to be considered a freak, a player needs to have a perfect equation between height, wingspan, vertical and speed; he has to be great at all of those atributes, so a player that has great vertical but has t-rex arms or is slow cannot qualify as freak.

so based on this, the measurements taken into account are: 1) height w/o shoes  2) inch difference between wingspan and height w/o shoes  3) max. vertical  4) sprint

*in order to make the lists players must have all these measurements registered (only "sprint" is allowed to missed for players drafted before 2000, which is when it started).

so here are my rankings..

1. 7’+ freaks:

1.1. shaquille o’neal- 7’0" w/o shoes /7’7 wingspan (+7 inch difference) /36 max vertical

1.2. m. olowokandi-  6’11 3/4" w/o /+8.25" inch dif./35 vert.

1.3. zhou qi-  7’1 1/4" w/o /+6’5" inch dif./32 vert. / 3’46 sprint

*comments: if we didn’t look at speed/mobility, olowokandi would arguably have the best overall numbers by a drafted player in history, but even though we don’t have the "sprint" numbers we all know how fast o’neal was at 300 pounds and how non fluid olowokandi was, so o’neal takes the nº1 spot; Zhou and gobert are close but the chinese has the edge as he is an inch taller and is faster than gobert while having just one less inch wingspan than him. The rockets should be happy for having a freak like qi…

2. 6′ &under freaks:

2.1. kay felder-  5’8 1/4" w/o /6.25" inch dif. /44 vert. / 3’15 sp.

2.2. nate robinson- 5’7 3/4" w/o /5.25" inch dif. /43’5 vert. /2’96 sp.

2.3  will blalock-  5’11 1/4" w/o /6.45" inch dif./40 vert. /3’18 sp.

*comments: robinson is the fastest and has about the same max. vertical than felder, but being that short and having the shortest wingspan makes him drop at nº2.

the nº60 drafted player in 2006 ,blalock, has incredible overall numbers which were the reason for him to be selected in draft day, altough only played 14 nba games.

3. "in between" freaks:

3.1. donovan mitchell-  6’1 1/4" w/o /+8.75" inch dif. /40’5 max. vert. /3’01 sp.

3.2. rudy gay-  6’7" w/o /+8" inch dif. /40 max. vert. /3’32 sp.

3.3. jarret allen- 6’9 w/o /+8.25" inch dif. /35’5 max vert. /3’21 sp.

*comments: mitchell is an absolute freak with an absurd wingspan and no drafted player (not named o’neal) can match his numbers; he’s faster, much longer and jumps higher than any freak guard like rose, westbrook or wall…rudy gay has better numbers than any SF drafted, even better than freaks like mcgrady which is a lot to say; his max reach vertical is absurd, higher than players like mcgee, gobert, griffin, howard, lavine, cauley-stein, deandre jordan or aaron gordon…

jarret allen might surprise many for being listed here, but his overall numbers are just unique.. there are some players like steve hunter or ken johnson whom at almost 7′ had great verticals and were very fast, but they were not as long as allen, so i think his overall numbers are better than theirs..in fact at 6’10, his numbers are better than the ones from players like dwight howard, stoudemire, okafor, horford, griffin, aldridge, bosh or karl towns..only anthony davis numbers are close to allen’s…brooklyn fans should really be excited for grabbing such a steal in draft…

4. non drafted freaks:

4.1. dj stephens- 6’4 1/2" w/o /+7.75" inch dif. /46 max vert. /2’98 sp.

4.2. ekene ibekwe- 6’8 1/2" w/o /+9.5" inch dif. /39 vert. /3’28 sp.

4.3. brian bridgeweather- 6’3" w/o /+10 inch dif. /37’5 vert. /2’95 sp.

*comments: there’s no words to describe how freak stephens is; he has the highest max vertical ever recorded while being one of the fastest in draft history.. ekene ibekwe has the best overall numbers of any forward in draft history, although that wasn’t enough to make the league…

brian bridgeweather has the longest wingspan ever recorded while being one of the fastest and having a nice vertical.

5. "never thought was a" freak:

5.1. mike conley- 5’11 3/4" w/o /+6" inch dif. /40’5 max vert. /3’09 sp.

5.2. nene hilario-  6’9 1/4" w/o /+7.25" inch dif. /34 max vert. /3.19 sp.

 5.3. jamaal tinsley- 6’0 3/4" w/o /+6.75" inch dif. /37’5 max vert. /3’2 sp.

*comments: we know nene is strong but his numbers are better than the ones from players like griffin, horford, bosh or durant and as good as howard’s…we knew conley was fast but a +40 max vertical!? that’s more than rose, wall or westbrook!!

i personally didn’t know "the abuser" had those type of numbers..

6. "what if we had their measurements" freaks:

6.1. will chamberlain

6.2. david robinson

6.3. dr. j

*comments: i guess if we knew wilt’s numbers he would rank as the freakiest of the freaks but unfortunately we don’t…

i’d love to know what robinson’s numbers would look like as he might have been the most athletic big not named wilt…

i’d also love to know dr. j’s overall numbers, specially his max vertical…

7. "all time" freak (measurements registered)

7.1. dj stephens

7.2. shaquille o’neal

7.3. ekene ibekwe

*comments: to put in perspective dj stephen’s ridiculous athleticism, at only 6’5 he has the 2nd highest max reach vertical ever recorded at 12’5 1/2", only half an inch less than the highest ever recorded by..ben simmons; dj also has at 6’5, the same wingspan than lebron..

what can we say about o’neal, a guy whom is able to run and jump like that at 7’1 and 300 pounds has to be very special, something we might never see again…

ekene like mentioned above, might have recorded the best overall numbers by any forward ever…he didn’t make the nba but at least, he makes my all time freak ranking…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Mitchell tucked his standing reach to inflate his vert. You don’t have a wingspan that wide at his height with a standing reach that low. It’s physically impossible. 

[cohenbc1Participant]

The takeaway from this is that there was only one great player among the top 15 "all-time freaks," and half are guys no one’s ever heard of.

[whiteflashParticipant]

 If we’re using that list as the barometer then, yeah, I guess. There’s also been HUNDREDS of players who have incomplete or nonexistent predraft numbers. If we had say Vince Carter, Charles Barkley, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, etc… then we’d have a list of physical freaks who were also HOF’ers. 

[LazarusMunozParticipant]

 Greatest freak in the sheets… Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlin

[Miko4rm206Participant]

Thon Maker is Pretty Freaky.  And Giannis is Literally The GREEK Freak!

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Their athletic numbers (vert, speed, lane agility, etc…) would be pretty pedestrian. 

[Miko4rm206Participant]

 Thon Maker has the highest very for a player above 7 ft and his Straught line speed is not that bad either if I can recall

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Maker tucked his reach just like Mitchell. It’s a pretty common practice.

[Anton123Participant]

I think you have to factor weight in, it is what makes Gobert more impressive than Zhou Qi, and it is what truly makes Shaq such a freak.

[cohenbc1Participant]

 Hand size is another really imporant physical attribute — they ought to measure it. Look at what Kawhi is able to do because of his mitts. 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 I’m pretty sure it is measured, though we may only hear about the dude’s with catchers mitts.

[pokieParticipant]

 No list of NBA Freaks is ever complete without Muggsy and Manute.

[HitsterParticipant]

 Shaq’s speed when he was younger for a guy his size was freakish. Magic’s size and skill at PG made him a freak IMO.

Giannis is certainly the current NBA Freak.

 

[cohenbc1Participant]

 Another thing that would be cool if they could measure: That ability to see angles and passing lanes that most players don’t see, or to see them in formation, a second before they actually exist. It’s what Magic had, and Nash and Manu. Maybe Lonzo Ball has it. Whatever it is, I think it qualifies as "freakish."

I wonder if it is related to having a sense for spatial relationships. You know how some guys can take a box of parts and just kind of see how they fit together to form the whole object? Whereas guys like me are clueless without the instruction manual. Maybe it’s the same gift.

 

 

[BallerScriptParticipant]

Thats a really interesting idea. I like your thinking.

[BeastMode716Participant]

 "DOn’t have measurements" category b/c I think it’s hard for this generation to understand how utterly Dominant these players were.

There seems to be a revisionist history occuring in the main stream media that Wilt & Bill Russell were the only 2 black guys in the NBA during the 60’s & played exclusively against each other

When the truth is that there were more 7 footers in the NBA then than there is now & they were black guys. The fact is finding a 7 footer w/ that combination of athletic ability & intelligence is probably the rarest thing in All of Pro sports

If you want to be blown away Philadelphia basketball legend Sonny Hill still does a radio show on Sunday mornings from 6 – 10 am – Sonny Hill grew up with Will & the stories he tells about Wilt are some of the best anticdotal evidence of a man who was a space alien you will Ever hear. Wilt’s athleticism & raw strength are the stuff of Legends. Wilt ran Hurdles for the Univ of Kansas Track team! That’s a 7 foot + man who was a muscular, powerful man running hurdles at a Div 1 track star – it’s just inconceivable. Walt’s strength exploits were Equally absurd. There are many accounts of WIlt’s stength & it is well reported that Wilt could bench press 550 lbs! Fascinating stuff

Dr. J was for all intents & purposed a Bigger version of Michale Jordan. Based on the Time Period it is conceivable that had Dr. J went into the NBA instead of the ABA he would have been an even bigger legend than he currently is. At a very solid, sturdy 6’7” Dr. J routinely averaged 30+ points & 10+ rebounds PER game in the ABA where he won 3 Rings & 2 League MVP’s during the 70’s – when you look at some the NBA champions in the 1970’s it is Very hard to imagine that Dr. J would have done the Exact same thing in the NBA.

 I saw Dr. J do things athletically that I STILL have Never seen anyone else do. The man’s hands were Gigantic. On a fast break or drive in the he would PALM the ball mid dribble while simultaneously rising to explode for a Dunk. He did NOT turn his wrist over to get Under the ball & then bring down for a dunk. He just PALMED the ball mid-dribble – it look like the ball would stick to his hand as he drove into the lane, flew in the air & dunked. His athleticism was off the charts. Very similar to Westbrook’s today but at 6’7” instead of 6’3” Unfortunately most of our highlights & memories of Dr. J are in the early 80’s when he was well into his prime carrying a Very good but not yet great 76ers teams. In the 70’s in the ABA Dr.J was Lebron’s size with Michael Jordan’s athleticism 

We have some Freaks in today’s game like the Greek & Russ Westbrook & Lebron. This is what I Luv about Pro basketball, We get the thrill of watching a Great team sport with the added bonus of seeing remarkable athletes who possess sizes & skill sets that seem like the next level of human evolution

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 All of Chamberlain’s physical exploits were GREATLY exaggerated. I mean literally all of them. This wasn’t the 1800’s, we’re talking the 60’s and 70’s. There’d be proof everywhere, but all we get is ridiculously over the top stories. And, as freaky as Dr. J was for his time, he’d be just another dude today. When he dunked from the foul line, there was maybe 2 other dude’s that could do it. That’s why it was such a big deal. There’s three dude’s on every roster who can do it now. Just like everything else, the game and the players evolve. Honestly, neither of those dude’s could play today. Just the facts.

[cohenbc1Participant]

I’m assuming then that Jordan couldn’t play today either — well, maybe some team would find a role for him just because of his competitive spirit.

Michael Jordan — the poor man’s Matthew Dellavedova!

I’m being sarcastic. Do you realize that Dr. J’s era and MJ’s era are much closer to one another than MJ’s era and today? In fact Dr. J and MJ even overlapped for a couple of seasons. So if Dr. J couldn’t play today, there’s not much reason to think MJ would fare a lot better … unless you think there’s some dividing line in time, and players who came after were leaps & bounds ahead of the players who came before. If so, that wouldn’t be evolution.

 

 

 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Do you realize that Dr. J was a 6’7" 210lb SF who couldn’t shoot, dribble or create his own shot outside of ten feet? And that Jordan came in during Dr. J’s last (and least productive) seasons? And that Chamberlain was a 7’2" monster playing in a 12 team league against centers that would be 2-guards/small forwards today? Hell, Chamberlain’s main rival was Bill Russell who was 6’9" and 210lbs who literally couldn’t do anything other than rebound and play D on the aforementioned small centers of the era and was never even the best player on his own team. It’s just common sense, man.

[cohenbc1Participant]

It’s true that Dr. J’s best years didn’t overlap with Jordan’s. 

But he did hold his own — sometimes more than that — against Magic and Bird in their primes. 

So your position is Magic and Bird couldn’t play in the league today, right?

[whiteflashParticipant]

 I think Bird could do pretty well with his size and ability to score from all levels, but Magic would have a hard time. He’d be a high-post 4 in today’s game. He’s not running the point against today’s athletes. Hell, look how he struggled against athletic defenders in the 90’s. He was backing people down whole court if he wasn’t pushing the break. It’s just a different game.

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Also, Bird routinely kicked the shit outta Dr. J. That’s why he sucker punched him that one time. Bird was killing him and telling him all about it, and in the ultimate hoe move Dr. J didn’t do shit until one of his teammates grabbed Bird from behind then he hit him a handful of times while Bird was wrapped up.

[BeastMode716Participant]

 is absurd.

Do you realize in the 80’s the Lakers played the 76ers in the Finals the Exact Same amount of times we polayed the Celtics in the Finals

Who do you think Phila beat to get to the Finals???

The Sixers went to the Finals 3 times in 4 seasons After Larry Bird joined the Celtics

In 1980, 81 & 83 the Sixers played the Lakers in the Finals & just like the C’s they beat us Once & lost Twice.

Boston was Very lucky to go to the Finals in 2 of the years that Houston knocked us out

Phila beat Boston in the Conference Finals in 1980 & 1982 and in 1983 when Phila brought on Moses Malone & destroyed the Lakers 4-0 in the Finals the Celtics did not even make the Eastern Conference Finals.

So in the Conference Finals Dr. J was 2-1 against Bird’s Celtics in 1980,81 & 82 & that was with Out Moses Malone.

I’m Not knocking Bird or the Celtics – they were an All Time great team but so was Phila & Dr. J is an All Time Great – 

Did you seriously just write that Dr. J "could Not create his own shot outside 10 ft"???  No One shot 3 pointers back then – do you realize Larry Bird’s 3pt fg% lifetime was Only 37% – do u get that after his first 5 seasons Bird’s 3pt fg% was barely 30% at 30.8%??? Do you realize that Michael Jordan shot 19% from 3pt range his first 5 years in the NBA & only 32% for his career. Magic shot 16% from 3pt range hisfirst 8 years in the NBA. But why let Facts interupt your narrative. Dr. J’s career 3pt fg% was 29.8% or 30% rounded – his career FG% was 50% – so Jordan shot 32% from 3pt range & Dr. J shot 30% from 3pt range. I don’t Facts suck when you have a Narrative 

 Dr. J was 34 when Phila swept the Lakers in 1983 so he was basically finished after that year as a Top player but in his prime he was as good as anyone who Ever played. Bird’s Celtics beat him ONCE in the playoffs in his prime

And your take on Chamberlain is even More ridiculous b/c your Own point destroys your argument – yes there were 12 teams – meaning the talent was NOT diluted – I know Everyone likes to go w/ espn’s revisionist history but FACTS do Not support that. In the 1960’s there were MORE  7 footers per team than there is today. After beating Russell’s Celtic’s in the 67 Eastern Conf Finals Chamberlain’s 76ers beat San Fran Sisco who had two 7 footers one of whom was NBA Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond. The Lakers had Two 7 footers that year Mel Counts & Hank Finkel & also had a 6’1” Daryl Imhoff . The game was Built around Big men back then & the players on those teams were the SAME size as players today – Lookit up. They were not as athletic as the Average player today b/c sports science has evolved but the Celtics of the 60’s or Chamberlain’s 67 Sixers would DOMINATE today’s NBA teams. Chamberlain’s exploits are Well documented by Thousands of 1st hand Eye Witness accounts who are Still alive today – I gave you one in Sonny Hill who is a Basketball Legend

But why should we believe actual documented Facts or people who actually saw this stuff when we can just go with your argument which is "It’s not true b/c I don’t Want it to be true

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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