Kobe Bryant once said if there's one thing he could change about his game it would be his hand size.
NBA scouts couldn't agree more. At the NBA Draft Combine, large hands make them salivate.
A good-sized pair of mitts give NBA players many advantages. A firm handle on the ball, the ability to snare rebounds, the fattest hand turkey drawing, you name it.
In the NBA, the king of massive hands is none other than Serbian center Boban Marjanovic.
Boban Marjanovic's Hands
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
RELATED: The NBA's Tallest Players Are Skyscrapers Among Regular Folks
If Boban got you in a game of "if your hand is bigger than your face you have cancer," you would probably suffocate before he smacked the knockout blow.
The Dallas Mavericks center is listed at 7-foot-4 and 290 pounds. His paws have never officially been measured, but they're estimated to have a 10.75-inch hand length and a 12-inch hand span.
The estimates spawn from Boban comparing hands with former San Antonio Spurs teammate Ray McCallum in a pic. For reference, McCallum has a hand length of 8 inches and a span of 8.75 inches.
Spurs fans remember Marjanovic's hands on display in an interview with reporter Andrew Monaco following a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 28, 2015.
Boban's huge hands exceed the average male hand length by 3.35-inches and span by 3.5 inches. On top of that, Boban sports a 7-foot-10 wingspan.
With those measurements, It's no surprise the former Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers big man has the largest hands we've seen from a basketball player, including multiple NBA All-Stars.
Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images
He's first in the biggest hands in NBA history rankings, ahead of Kawhi Leonard, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, Julius Erving (aka Dr. J), Wilt Chamberlain, Rajon Rondo and Noah Vonleh to name a few.
On the small-hands end of the spectrum live Kevin Durant and Paul George. Durant has publicly admitted to not be able to palm a basketball. Wayoff P's hand length comes in at 8.5-inches and span at 9 inches.
Boban's gigantic hands inspired the subreddit "Boban holding things."
When the Serbia native isn't trading punches with Keanu Reeves on the big screen, he's playing a bigger role than just doing his job on the court. Boban's been praised for his locker room presence and mentorship by Mavericks' franchise cornerstones Kristaps Porzingas and superstar Luka Doncic. He signed with the Mavericks as a free agent in July 2019.
Shaq and the Inside the NBA crew caught up with the big man following the Mavs' win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 2 of the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs.
How can you not love this guy?
Boban also gave Luka the business in a 1-on-1 basketball game.
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Smart of the Mavericks to sign the biggest Luka stopper themselves.
Boban's loved everywhere from New York to Los Angeles. His endearing friendship with former teammate Tobias Harris is well documented. In October 2020, he sat down with former Sixers teammate J.J. Redick to showcase his enormous hands.
Boban's hands are a vital tool on the court. He fills the lane, dunks, catches everything in sight, shoots free throws at a high clip and sports a silky jump hook.
You know what they say about big hands. Big gloves.
