<P> To measure the wingspan of a bird, a live or freshly - dead specimen is placed flat on its back, the wings are grasped at the wrist joints, ankles and the distance is measured between the tips of the longest primary feathers on each wing . </P> <P> The wingspan of an insect refers to the wingspan of pinned specimens, and may refer to the distance between the centre of the thorax to the apex of the wing doubled or to the width between the apices with the wings set with the trailing wing edge perpendicular to the body . </P> <P> In basketball and gridiron football, a fingertip - to - fingertip measurement is used to determine the player's wingspan, also called armspan . This is called reach in boxing terminology . The wingspan of 16 - year - old BeeJay Anya, a top basketball Junior Class of 2013 prospect who now plays for the NC State Wolfpack, was officially measured at 7 feet, 9 inches across, one of the longest of all National Basketball Association draft prospects, and the longest ever for a non-7 - foot player . The wingspan of Manute Bol, at 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m), is (as of 2013) the longest in NBA history, and his vertical reach was 10 feet 5 inches (3.18 m). </P> <Ul> <Li> Aircraft (flight planned in 2017): Stratolaunch carrier aircraft--117 m (385 ft) </Li> <Li> Aircraft (one flight in 1947): Hughes H - 4 Hercules "Spruce Goose"--97.51 m (319 ft 11 in) </Li> <Li> Aircraft (current) Antonov An - 225 Mriya - 88.4 m (290 ft) </Li> <Li> Bat: Large flying fox--1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) </Li> <Li> Bird: Wandering albatross--3.63 m (11 ft 11 in) </Li> <Li> Bird (extinct): Argentavis--Estimated 7 m (23 ft 0 in) </Li> <Li> Reptile (extinct): Quetzalcoatlus pterosaur--10--11 m (33--36 ft) </Li> <Li> Insect: White witch moth--28 cm (11.0 in) </Li> <Li> Insect (extinct): Meganeuropsis (relative of dragonflies)--estimated up to 71 cm (28.0 in) </Li> </Ul>

Who has the longest wingspan in nba history