Alperen Sengun-Steven Adams double big starting lineup against the Thunder

The Houston Rockets will soon present one of the the highest, longest starting line-up in NBA history when they began the 2025-26 NBA season on Tuesday night against Oklahoma City Thunder.

Without Fred VanVleet entering the new season at point guard, the Rockets’ head coach Making Udoka devotes himself to his big boys and starts a starting from five which will include Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengunand Steven Adams to tackle the Thunder’s length, according to Houston reporter Vanessa Richardson.

Not only does this lineup feature five players who are all 6’7″ or taller, but each of the Rockets’ five starters has a wingspan of at least 7’0″. Durant and Adams have a 7’5″ wingspan, and all but Thompson are listed as 6’11” despite the belief that Durant and Smith are taller than their listed heights.

Over the past few seasons, many NBA teams have been adapting to the times and adding a second center to their main rotation.

We saw The Rockets have success with that at the end of the 2024-25 season and in the playoffs against a lesser team like the Golden State Warriors, and The Thunder recently won the championship with lineups that featured Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein together in the frontcourt.

The small-ball era is no more, as many teams begin to emphasize rebounding and multiple big players in the same lineup to wreak havoc on their opponents.

While many question the Rockets’ makeup and their ability to shoot from the perimeter, Udoka made it clear that he wants to see his team attack the offensive glass. The Rockets were ranked No. 1 in offensive rebounding during the 2024-25 season, and they will break the glass again in the season opener in Oklahoma City.

What makes this starting rotation for Udoka and the Rockets in 2025-26 so special is that it is one of the largest in NBA history.

Denver Nuggets developed a lineup consisting of Nikola Jokic (6’11”), Jeremy Grant (6’8″), Ball Ball (7’2″), Paul Millsap (6’7″) and Mason Plumlee (6’11”) in the 2020 NBA Bubble that had a combined height of 411 inches.

This Rockets lineup of Thompson, Durant, Smith, Sengun and Adams has a combined height of 411 inches.

Although not confirmed, presumed largest starting line-up in NBA history belongs to the 1998-99 Dallas Mavericks, who had a total height of 413 inches in their starting lineup of Sean Bradley, Dirk Nowitzki, Christian Laettner, Michael Finley and Hubert Davis.

These five played together during final match the 1998-99 season, which was only 50 games due to the lockout.

Regardless of which team had the top starting lineup, the fact is that this Rockets lineup has length, size, and will be extremely difficult to score on.

Houston begins the 2025-26 NBA season trying to play the role of spoiler when the Thunder receive their championship rings on Tuesday night.