The 13 Most Jacked NBA Players Of All Time

The NBA is overflowing with some truly massive human beings who not only tend to have at least a few inches on the average member of the population but also possess an amount of strength and athleticism most people can only dream of obtaining.

The typical NBA player has a harder time building a noticeable amount of muscle compared to people on the shorter end of the spectrum, as a vertically gifted person usually needs to devote more time, energy, and calories to building their physique than the Average Joe.

However, there are plenty of guys who’ve more than managed to overcome that disadvantage while transforming into an absolute beast, and none of them stand out like the ones on this list.

Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard had some jaw-dropping hops that helped him win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2008, but his legs were a bit of an afterthought compared to the upper body he was able to cultivate.

Many bodybuilders vie for the V-shaped torso Howard boasted at the peak of his career, and we may never see a guy with the kind of shoulders he had play in the NBA again.

Ben Wallace

Ben Wallace is one of the most fearsome defenders in NBA history, and I can only imagine plenty of his opponents were intimidated by the Absolute Unit daring them to take him on in the paint.

You needed to have some serious strength to hold your own against the likes of Howard, Shaquille O’Neal (more on him in a moment), and the other dominant big men who were in the NBA when Wallace was playing, and he was able to do exactly that on many occasions.

Andre Iguodala

Andre Iguodala would easily earn a place on the NBA’s All-Time Delts Team and probably only trails Howard in that particular category.

He had plenty of other skills that came in handy while winning four titles with the Warriors, but his muscles certainly didn’t hurt the cause.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

There are a number of reasons Giannis is referred to as “The Greek Freak,” and his physique is certainly one of them.

It’s helped him win two MVP awards and a championship, so he’s obviously doing something right.

LeBron James

LeBron James is still one of the most dominant players in the NBA more than 20 years after he made his debut with the Cavaliers, and the amount of time and effort he’s devoted to building the ideal basketball form is a major reason why.

He remains a force to be reckoned with at the age of 40, and he’s still reaping the benefits of the countless hours he’s spent in the gym over the decades.

Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O’Neal spent a good chunk of his career hiding the muscle he built up under some of the fat that helped make his conditioning a frequent topic of discussion during his 19 years in the NBA (he’s said he was tipping the scales at 415 pounds when the Lakers won a title in 2002 even though he was listed at 325).

He may not have been shredded, but the work he put in to bulk up is a major reason he cemented himself as one of the most dominant centers of all time.

Blake Griffin

As was the case with Howard, Blake Griffin was a high-flying behemoth who secured a dunk contest victory of his own after leaping over the hood of a car in 2011.

However, it was hard not to be in awe of the pythons he boasted during an NBA career that spanned 13 seasons.

Russell Westbrook

Most of the guys on this list fall under the “Big Man” umbrella in multiple senses of the word, but there are a few notable exceptions.

That includes Russell Westbrook, the triple-double factory who plays like the well-oiled basketball machine he’s always looked like thanks to his impressive physique.

Karl Malone

Karl Malone is the greatest player in the history of the Utah Jazz, and he’s also unrivaled when it comes to the most jacked player to ever don that particular uniform.

That fact that The Mailman didn’t look out of place while sharing a ring with WCW wrestlers really tells you all you need to know.

Corey Maggette

Corey Maggette was a highly-touted prospect who was the first one-and-done player at Duke, and while he was never a superstar, he ended up having a solid career that saw him play for six different teams over the course of 14 seasons.

He might not have been the best player on the court in an average game, but he was usually the most shredded one.

David Robinson

David Robinson famously served in the Navy before kicking off his basketball career, and the military branch could not have asked for a better advertisement when it came to highlighting the benefits of its approach to conditioning.

Nate Thurmond

This is a bit of a throwback, but I can’t make this list without including Nate Thurmond, the Hall of Famer who spent the bulk of his 14-year career with the Warriors, for reasons that should be obvious by looking at a picture of him.

Kevin Willis

Gilbert Arenas was suspended for 50 games for bringing a gun into the locker room, and it’s amazing Kevin Willis never faced any discipline for bringing two guns with him every single time he stepped onto the court during a legendary career that spanned 23 years.