The bench press portion of the NBA Combine isn’t anywhere near as important as it is in the NFL Combine, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to discuss.
If anything, it’s interesting to see how top basketball prospects compare in strength to the average human being since the bench total they use for reps in the NBA combine – 185 pounds (just about 84 kilograms) – is far more attainable for the regular person than the NFL’s 225-pound bench press.
The most famous NBA Combine bench press story to this day is Kevin Durant failing to hit even one rep of 185 pounds. One MVP and two championships later, Durant now says top prospects should skip the combine all together.
Likely sound advice for the players in the running for the No. 1 pick.
Anyway, below, we present the bench press rankings from NBA All-Stars at the Draft Combine.
Blake Griffin: 22 repetitions
Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 1 in 2009
Draft position: No. 1
Al Horford: 20 repetitions
Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 6 in 2007
Draft position: No. 3
Kevin Love: 18 repetitions
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 9 in 2008
Draft position: No. 5
James Harden: 17 repetitions
Jack Arent/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 7 in 2009
Draft position: No. 3
Deron Williams: 15 repetitions
Harry How/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 10 in 2005
Draft position: No. 3
Victor Oladipo: 15 repetitions
Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 5 in 2013
Draft position: No. 2
Paul Millsap: 15 repetitions
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 19 in 2006
Draft position: No. 47
Chris Kaman: 15 repetitions
Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 15 in 2003
Draft position: No. 6
Jameer Nelson: 15 repetitions
Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 14 in 2004
Draft position: No. 20
David Lee: 14 repetitions
Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 18 in 2005
Draft position: No. 30
Jimmy Butler: 14 repetitions
Jack Arent/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 14 in 2011
Draft position: No. 30
Kyle Korver: 13 repetitions
Jeff Gross/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 21 in 2003
Draft position: No. 51
Mike Conley: 13 repetitions
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 32 in 2007
Draft position: No. 4
Damian Lillard: 13 repetitions
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 16 in 2012
Draft position: No. 6
Jeff Teague: 13 repetitions
Jack Arent/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 18 in 2009
Draft position: No. 19
Carlos Boozer: 13 repetitions
Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 20 in 2002
Draft position: No. 34
Isaiah Thomas: 13 repetitions
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 18 in 2011
Draft position: No. 60
Joe Johnson: 12 repetitions
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 29 in 2001
Draft position: No. 10
Russell Westbrook: 12 repetitions
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 31 in 2008
Draft position: No. 4
Bam Adebayo: 12 repetitions
Rich Storry/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 9 in 2017
Draft position: No. 14
Amare Stoudemire: 12 repetitions
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 32 in 2002
Draft position: No. 9
Joakim Noah: 12 repetitions
Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 34 in 2007
Draft position: No. 9
Gilbert Arenas: 12 repetitions
Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 29 in 2001
Draft position: No. 30
Michael Redd: 12 repetitions
Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 24 in 2000
Draft position: No. 43
David West: 11 repetitions
Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 33 in 2003
Draft position: No. 18
Andre Drummond: 10 repetitions
John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 25 in 2012
Draft position: No. 9
Stephen Curry: 10 repetitions
John Hefti-Imagn Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 25 in 2009
Draft position: No. 7
Gordon Hayward: 10 repetitions
Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 20 in 2010
Draft position: No. 9
Chris Paul: 10 repetitions
Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 44 in 2005
Draft position: No. 4
Danny Granger: 10 repetitions
Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 44 in 2005
Draft position: No. 17
Donovan Mitchell: 10 repetitions
Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 17 in 2017
Draft position: No. 13
Derrick Rose: 10 repetitions
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 39 in 2008
Draft position: No. 1
Dwyane Wade: 9 repetitions
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 46 in 2003
Draft position: No. 5
Draymond Green: 9 repetitions
John Hefti-Imagn Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 30 in 2012
Draft position: No. 35
Chris Bosh: 9 repetitions
Harry How/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 46 in 2003
Draft position: No. 4
Devin Booker: 8 repetitions
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 23 in 2015
Draft position: No. 13
DeAndre Jordan: 8 repetitions
Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 52 in 2008
Draft position: No. 35
Nikola Vucevic: 8 repetitions
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 35 in 2011
Draft position: No. 16
LaMarcus Aldridge: 8 repetitions
Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 53 in 2006
Draft position: No. 2
Bradley Beal: 8 repetitions
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 33 in 2012
Draft position: No. 3
Rudy Gobert: 7 repetitions
Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 31 in 2013
Draft position: No. 27
Kemba Walker: 7 repetitions
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 36 in 2011
Draft position: No. 9
Jalen Brunson: 7 repetitions
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 28 in 2018
Draft position: No. 33
Brook Lopez: 7 repetitions
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 55 in 2008
Draft position: No. 10
Carmelo Anthony: 7 repetitions
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 56 in 2003
Draft position: No. 3
Dwight Howard: 7 repetitions
Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 49 in 2004
Draft position: No. 1
Jrue Holiday: 6 repetitions
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 37 in 2009
Draft position: No. 17
Brandon Roy: 6 repetitions
Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 63 in 2006
Draft position: No. 6
Devin Harris: 5 repetitions
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 54 in 2004
Draft position: No. 5
Klay Thompson: 5 repetitions
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 39 in 2011
Draft position: No. 11
Luol Deng: 5 repetitions
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 54 in 2004
Draft position: No. 7
DeMar DeRozan: 5 repetitions
Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 38 in 2009
Draft position: No. 9
Josh Howard: 4 repetitions
Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 66 in 2003
Draft position: No. 29
Jarrett Allen: 4 repetitions
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 39 in 2017
Draft position: No. 22
Paul George: 4 repetitions
Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 39 in 2010
Draft position: No. 10
Khris Middleton: 4 repetitions
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 46 in 2012
Draft position: No. 39
Andre Iguodala: 4 repetitions
Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 57 in 2004
Draft position: No. 9
Maurice Williams: 3 repetitions
Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 67 in 2003
Draft position: No. 47
Kawhi Leonard: 3 repetitions
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 46 in 2011
Draft position: No. 15
Caron Butler: 2 repetitions
Jamie Squire/ Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 68 in 2002
Draft position: No. 10
Tyson Chandler: 2 repetitions
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Draft combine ranking: No. 69 in 2001
Draft position: No. 2
Kevin Durant: 0 repetitions
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Draft combine ranking: No. 75 in 2007
Draft position: No. 2
