Few athletes are known not just for breaking records, but for being record-breaking themselves. Their enormous hands or mind-bending vertical jump records have made them famous even outside of their career standouts.

An Instagram post by idailyathlete recently caught the attention of many sports fans worldwide. The post featured seven of the most record-breaking body measurements among athletes that have helped them stand out in sports history.

From massive shoe sizes to towering heights, here is a list of some of the most interesting body measurements in sports.

Shaquille O'Neal

Compared to the average American’s shoe size of 10.5, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal wore massive size 22 shoes during his career. Moreover, he measured a whopping 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 m) and weighed well over 320 pounds.

Aside from his skills and talents on the court, his colossal size and overwhelming frame made him an intimidating contender for nearly two decades.

Victor Wembanyama

Standing at 7 feet 3 inches, Wembanyama boasts of a massive 8-foot wingspan, nearly a foot longer than most NBA players. This has helped him contest shots and cover large grounds that allow him to disrupt plays effortlessly.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Known for his impossibly large hands, Antetokounmpo’s hands measure around 12 inches from his pinky to the thumb. This allows him to palm a basketball with ease, making his signature euro-step difficult to defend. Furthermore, they help him handle, rebound, and grip a ball with exceptional control.  

Calvin Johnson

Even though the Instagram post claimed that Calvin Johnson had 39-inch arms, he actually had a respectable 33.5-inch arms (2 inches above average).

However, his arm length, combined with his massive height, frame, and historic athleticism, created a completely unprecedented physical profile.

Wilt Chamberlain

Towering at a massive height of 7 feet one inch and weighing 275 pounds, Chamberlain boasts of an incredible 48-inch vertical jump. This, alone, gives him one of the most explosive jump forces in basketball history, enabling him to soar above his opponents effortlessly.

Michael Phelps

If anyone wonders what a ‘body built for swimming’ might look like, the perfect example would be Phelps. With a 6 feet 7 inch wingspan and a height of 6 feet 4 inches, his size 14 feet essentially acted like natural flippers. Moreover, he prided himself on having unusually flexible ankles, allowing him to push himself through water with ease.

LeBron James

Much like Chamberlain on our list, James could reach a vertical height of almost 44 inches. However, what’s surprising about him is that he weighed about 250 pounds, making his vertical jump even more of an incredible feat.

These incredible measurements in sports history simply prove that some athletes are built differently. Which of these athletes' measurements did you find the most astonishing from our list?

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Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi