The NBA is a league dominated by athleticism, speed, agility, and endurance.
While size and strength are certainly assets, carrying around excessive body weight can negatively impact a basketball player’s performance in many ways.
Throughout NBA history, there have been several players who struggled with being significantly overweight and how that affected their careers.
This article will examine the 10 fattest NBA players ever based on their reported weights and Body Mass Index (BMI) and analyze how their extra pounds may have influenced their on-court performance and longevity in the league.
10. Robert “Tractor” Traylor (career BMI estimated at 50+)
Standing at 6’8″ and unofficially topping the scales at nearly 400 pounds, Robert Traylor earned the nickname “Tractor” due to his immense size and strength.
After a successful college career at Michigan, Traylor was selected 6th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1998 NBA draft.
While Traylor showed flashes of his low-post scoring and rebounding abilities early in his career, his weight issues became a major problem.
Traylor’s mobility was severely limited by his excess weight, making it difficult for him to run the floor, defend quicker players on the perimeter, and stay healthy over an 82-game season.
After just six seasons in the NBA playing for four different teams, Traylor’s career was cut short in part due to weight-related medical issues.
He passed away in 2011 at the young age of 34. Traylor’s extreme obesity undoubtedly contributed to his early NBA retirement and untimely death.
Kevin Duckworth (career BMI estimated at 38)
Standing 7’0″ and weighing well over 300 pounds for much of his career, Kevin Duckworth was one of the heaviest centers to ever play in the NBA.
Drafted 2nd overall by the San Diego Clippers in 1986, Duckworth used his size and strength to average a double-double for parts of his first five seasons.
However, Duckworth’s weight issues began catching up to him.
His mobility decreased due to the extra weight, making it more difficult for him to run the floor and defend against quicker players.
Duckworth also dealt with chronic knee problems that were likely exacerbated by his excess weight.
After nine seasons in the NBA split between four teams, Duckworth’s career came to an end at age 31 due in part to knee injuries.
While Duckworth had success early on due to his size, carrying around over 300 pounds took a major toll on his body and limited his longevity in the league.
Mike Sweetney (career BMI estimated at 36)
A skilled low-post scorer out of Georgetown, Mike Sweetney was selected 9th overall by the New York Knicks in the 2003 NBA draft.
Standing 6’8″ and weighing nearly 300 pounds as a rookie, Sweetney showed promise by averaging 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
However, Sweetney struggled with weight and conditioning issues throughout his brief five-year NBA career split between three teams.
His mobility decreased and he dealt with chronic knee problems as his weight ballooned up near 350 pounds at times.
After averaging just 4.7 points and 3.5 rebounds over his final two seasons, Sweetney was out of the league at age 27.
Like many other big men, Sweetney’s NBA career was cut short due to the physical toll that carrying around so much excess weight took on his body.
Dexter Pittman (career BMI estimated at 38)
Selected by the Miami Heat with the 32nd pick of the 2010 NBA draft, Dexter Pittman weighed an estimated 325+ pounds as a rookie.
While Pittman showed flashes of low-post scoring ability in limited minutes, his weight and conditioning were major weaknesses.
Pittman’s mobility was severely limited by his excess pounds, making it difficult for him to defend in space or run the floor effectively.
After three uneventful seasons bouncing between Miami and Memphis, Pittman’s NBA career came to an end at age 25.
Pittman’s massive size could not outweigh the negative impact that carrying around well over 300 pounds had on his endurance, agility, and durability at the professional level.
John “Hot Rod” Williams (career BMI estimated at 36)
A dominant low-post scorer and rebounder in college at Louisiana State, John “Hot Rod” Williams was selected 5th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1986 NBA draft.
At 6’11” and over 300 pounds, Williams used his size and strength to average a double-double over his first five seasons in the league.
However, Williams began dealing with weight issues as his career progressed.
Carrying around 300 pounds took a major physical toll and contributed to chronic knee problems that plagued Williams.
After 12 seasons in the NBA split between four teams, Williams’ career came to an end at age 33 due to knee injuries.
While Williams enjoyed success early on with his size, his excess weight likely accelerated the wear and tear on his body over the long NBA season.
Stanley “The Refrigerator” Roberts (career BMI estimated at 38)
Standing 6’8″ and weighing nearly 300 pounds with a very high body fat percentage, Stanley Roberts earned the nickname “The Refrigerator” due to his massive size.
After a stellar college career at LSU, Roberts was selected 21st overall by the New Orleans Hornets in the 1990 NBA draft.
As a rookie, Roberts showed promise by averaging 7.2 points and 5.5 rebounds while providing a physical interior presence.
However, Roberts struggled mightily with weight and conditioning issues throughout his five-year NBA career.
Carrying around nearly 300 pounds made it difficult for Roberts to run the floor, defend quicker players, and stay healthy over 82 games.
Knee injuries ultimately ended Roberts’ career prematurely at age 27.
Like many other big men who struggled with weight, Roberts’ NBA longevity suffered due to the physical toll of playing at an excessive weight.
Eddy Curry (career BMI estimated at 36)
A highly-touted prospect out of high school, Eddy Curry was selected 4th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2001 NBA draft.
Standing 6’11” and weighing nearly 300 pounds, Curry used his size and touch around the basket to average 13.9 points and 5.1 rebounds as a rookie.
However, Curry’s weight became a major issue throughout his 12-year NBA career split between five teams.
Curry’s mobility decreased and he dealt with chronic knee problems as his weight ballooned up near 350 pounds at times.
While Curry showed flashes of low-post scoring ability, carrying around so much excess weight took a physical toll and limited his durability.
Knee injuries ultimately ended Curry’s career prematurely at age 31 after averaging only 8.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for his career.
Curry’s massive size could not outweigh the negative impact of his excessive weight on his career longevity.
Shaquille O’Neal (career BMI estimated at 34)
At 7’1″ and 325 pounds in his prime, Shaquille O’Neal is one of the largest and most dominant centers to ever play in the NBA.
Using his massive size and strength to average over 23 points and 10 rebounds for his career, O’Neal won four NBA championships and was named NBA MVP in 2000.
While O’Neal enjoyed unprecedented success early on, his weight became more of an issue later in his career.
As O’Neal aged, the extra pounds took more of a physical toll and contributed to chronic injuries like ankle problems.
After 19 seasons in the NBA split between six teams, O’Neal retired at age 39 having lost some mobility from his playing weight creeping up near 350 pounds at times.
While O’Neal’s size was a major asset overall, carrying around 300 pounds for two decades undoubtedly accelerated the wear and tear on his large frame.
Oliver Miller (career BMI estimated at 40)
Standing 7’0″ and weighing nearly 300 pounds with a very high body fat percentage as a rookie, Oliver Miller earned the nickname “The King” due to his massive size and strength.
After being selected 11th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 1991 NBA draft, Miller showed flashes of low-post scoring and rebounding ability early in his career.
However, Miller’s weight ballooned up to over 350 pounds at times and became a major issue that sabotaged his career.
Miller’s mobility decreased significantly as the extra pounds made it difficult to run the floor, defend, and stay in NBA shape.
After just six uneventful seasons split between four teams, Miller’s career came to an end at age 28 due to conditioning and weight control problems.
Miller’s extreme obesity was simply not sustainable for an NBA career and limited his potential significantly.
While size and strength can provide advantages in the NBA, carrying around excessive weight long-term negatively impacts athleticism, endurance, agility, and overall health.
The extra pounds take a major physical toll on the body over an 82-game season and accelerated injury risks.
For the players analyzed here who struggled most with being significantly overweight, the extra pounds limited their longevity in the league and in some cases even contributed to early retirement or untimely death.
Maintaining a high level of conditioning and managing weight becomes even more crucial for big men given the physical demands of playing inside at the NBA level.
