Zion Williamson was perhaps the biggest NBA prospect ever since LeBron in the early 2000s. Zion was so big that people followed his career since his High School days — stretching as far as five years before his expected draft class. Now, Zion is one of the league’s brightest young stars. Despite the plethora of injuries that have plagued him, Zion has proven himself to be the beast that everyone has pegged him to be. 

One of the reasons behind Zion’s dominance is his size — but how tall is Zion Williamson to be exact? Let’s take a closer look. 

How Tall Does Zion Williamson Stand?

Officially, as per the official NBA website, Zion stands at 6’6”. With this height, Zion is a natural forward — specifically a Power Forward. However, he is also comfortable playing as a Small Forward, often playing off his New Orleans Pelicans co-star, Brandon Ingram who also plays as a forward. 

By NBA standards, Zion may not be as tall as other players playing the 4-spot. However, his anomalous mix of athleticism, heft, and strength have enabled him to be one of the best in his position today. 

Zion Williamson’s Height Growth Over the Years

One of the things that drew people into Zion’s career was his insane size and body even at a young age. Every hoops fan who followed Zion’s career knows that he stood out at a young age because he just not built like he was a teenager. 

Reports state that in the 8th grade, Zion was 5’9” — which wasn’t really eye-popping. However, upon entering High School, he was reported to be 6’3 and 175lbs. Come 11th grade, the body that Zion would be known for slowly took shape, with him growing to 6’6 and 230 lbs. Zion would choose to play for Duke, where he formed a lethal trio with fellow 5-star recruits RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish. By this time, Zion was a certified freak who outjumped everyone despite weighing around 270lbs.  

How High Can Zion Williamson Jump?

Zion Williamson is a force of nature, it’s what made him famous and it’s the reason why he was the runaway 1st pick of his stacked draft class. By the time he was in the NBA, Zion was around 280lbs but outjumped everybody like the laws of physics were simply nonexistent. But exactly how high can Zion jump?

Officially, Zion’s vertical jump is 45 inches. To put things into perspective, that’s enough to put Zion among the top 5 highest jumpers during the 2021-2022 season. With this number, Zion edged out notorious high leapers such as Ja Morant, Aaron Gordon, LeBron James, and even Vince Carter in his peak. This also puts him in the same range as people like Zach Lavine and Derrick Jones Jr. 

5 NBA Players Who Have the Same Height as Zion Williamson

The NBA is full of talents standing at 6’6 like Zion. Interestingly, some of the players with the same height play completely different positions and styles as the Pelicans forward. Let’s check out some of the highest-rated players with the same height. 

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Starting us off is OKC’s star guard. SGA is considered one of the brightest young superstars in the league today. At 6’6, he plays the position of guard – specifically, as a Shooting Guard playing off his 6’8 Point Guard, Josh Giddey. SGA is an efficient scorer and shot-maker who is a threat anywhere on the floor. His playing style and position are far from Zion’s so they don’t really match up well. 

2. Klay Thompson

At 6’6, Klay Thompson plays as the main Shooting Guard for the Golden State Warriors — and is also ½ of the notorious Splash Brothers. Despite having the same height as Zion, Klay’s style of play couldn’t be any more different. Klay is one of if not the most lethal catch-and-shoot players in the history of the NBA. One of Klay’s best games saw him score 60 points with only 11 dribbles. 

3. Draymond Green

Draymond Green, together with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, completes the core triumvirate of the current Warriors dynasty. At 6’6, Draymond plays the same position as Zion, where they are both considered as undersized. Compared to Zion, however, Draymond lacks the athleticism but makes up for it with his high IQ. Draymond is also one of the best Point Forwards in today’s game. 

4. Jaylen Brown

The Boston Celtics have been a contender for the past few years because of the high-scoring dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. At 6’6, Brown is the Celtics’ starting Shooting Guard but is also comfortable playing in the 3-spot when Jayson Tatum isn’t on the floor. As a player, Jaylen Brown uses his height to shoot over players and overpower smaller defenders when driving to the basket. 

5. RJ Barrett

Zion’s college fellow Blue Devil, RJ Barrett, also stood at 6’6 but both played different styles. RJ was drafted 3rd by the New York Knicks in 2019 — just two places away from Zion who went 1st overall in that draft. Barrett is currently the Knicks’ starting small forward and serves as one of the team’s top scorers behind Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson. RJ sports an overall game and is an underrated 2-way player in the league today. 

5 Interesting Facts About Zion Williamson

Here are some interesting facts about the young superstar:

1. His name means “Salvation”

Zion had teams in the NBA tanking for years just to get him. For these struggling teams, salvation could come in the form of Zion — which is exactly what his name stood for. 

2. Drake wore Zion’s jersey even if he was still in high school,

Zion was a high school sensation and people followed his career even at a young age. One of those people is none other than Drake. In 2017, the rapper shared a selfie on Instagram of him wearing the young player’s jersey who, at that time, was playing for Spartanburg Day School. 

3. He was offered a football scholarship.

As one of if not the most sought-after talents in the country, Zion receives scholarship offers left and right. One of the schools that sent an early offer to him was NCAA powerhouse, LSU. Ironically, the Tigers offered Zion a football scholarship because of his physique. Little would they know that in just a few years, Williamson would be a five-star basketball recruit. 

4. Zion started as a PG.

If you think about it, with his height, this interesting fact doesn’t come as a big surprise. Zion started out as a point guard before slowly transitioning into the forward position, where his athleticism and heft turned him into who he is today. 

5. His first trainer was his mother.

Zion’s mother has always been supportive of his son’s dreams. Zion wanted to be a basketball player ever since he was 5 years old and his mother stayed by his side the whole time — doing drills with him and going to the gym with the kid. His mother may not have been a basketball star, but she definitely was successful with Zion. 

Wrapping Things Up: How Tall is Zion Williamson: Has It Changed?

Zion Williamson is one of the league’s youngest superstars and is a pop-culture icon because of his unique blend of size and athleticism. Zion started playing at a young age and experienced a growth spurt in 8th grade that some him go from 5’9” to 6’4” in a year. Currently, Zion is 6’6” and plays as the starting Power Forward of the New Orleans Pelicans. There are many players in the NBA who stand as tall as Zion — different skills and different playing styles. However, Zion has definitely established himself as a force of nature in the league.

We hope you enjoyed this post! If you did, be sure to check out our other basketball FAQ articles here.