Rockets' rich history of star big men showcased in new list

The Houston Rockets have long been known for rostering elite big men. In Bleacher Report's new list highlighting the best players in NBA history by height, they have two entries.

That shouldn't come as a surprise. When you've rostered as many superstar bigs as the Rockets, you can assume you'll make these lists. Still, it speaks to the Rockets' rich history of bigs that they're on this list twice.

The first entry will not surprise anyone.

Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon earns special designation

That's right. The Dream was named the best 7-footer in NBA history in this article.

That's a remarkable accomplishment. It's also entirely justified. Olajuwon is arguably the most purely talented low-post scorer in NBA history. If you want to say he's the best defender in the history of the league, you won't get much pushback there either.

Some fans have questions. What about Shaquille O'Neal? How about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? There's a simple answer:

You're not as familiar with players' listed heights as you thought.

O'Neal was named the best 7'1" player in league history. Abdul-Jabbar was first among 7'2" giants. The term "7-footer" is used broadly, but in terms of players strictly listed as 7'0", Olajuwon stands above the rest (pun intended).

That said, Olajuwon is no default choice here. He topped Dirk Nowitzki, Patrick Ewing, Robert Parish, and others. Olajuwon was special, and this list does well to honor him.

It also honors an even taller Rocket.

Rockets' legend is among the tallest players in NBA history

The competition for the best 7'6" player in NBA history was less stiff (pun intended). If it wasn't going to be Yao Ming, it would have been Shawn Bradley:

So, it's Yao Ming.

That's not a knock on Bradley. He's the NBA's all-time leader in block percentage (7.83%). Bradley was a historically great rim protector, but that's not enough to put him over Ming.

Simply put, Ming was a much stronger offensive force. His best season came in 2006-07. Ming averaged 25.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. He had a Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of 5.0. Ming would likely have garnered serious MVP consideration if he hadn't played just 48 games.

Unfortunately, that's the story of Ming's career. Injuries plagued him. His hulking frame was the culprit. Ming's height was both a blessing and a curse, but he's unequivocally the best player in NBA history to stand 7'6":

Even in the Rockets' storied history of bigs, he stands tall.