Getty Image
None of the NBA players who will represent the United States at the Summer Olympics in Paris are lacking in the height department, but Kevin Durant has accused some of his teammates of inflating their vertical gifts after a photoshoot led to people realizing something wasn’t adding up.
Prior to 2019, NBA teams had a fair amount of leeway when it came to listing the height of the guys on their rosters, but that all changed when the league instituted a new policy that required every squad to measure players (sans shoes) by the time training camp wraps up as part of a push to cement the “integrity of information” it provides to the public.
That pivot can be linked to a fairly antiquated view of basketball that gave players motivation to fudge their official height to avoid being put in a particular box. For example, seven-footers who didn’t want to be pigeonholed as a center would frequently underreport, while shorter guys who preferred to play closer to the basket would add some extra inches.
That’s not really an issue in a modern game where traditional roles have become increasingly flexible, but that hasn’t stopped height from being a hot topic of discussion ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
Earlier this week, Team USA gathered for a group photo that led to some renewed scrutiny concerning the true height of Kevin Durant (who the NBA officially lists at 6’11” after he spent years insisting he was 6’9″) as well as some of his teammates.
KD appears to have at least a couple of inches on Anthony Davis even though they’re both officially listed at 6’10” on the Team USA roster and seemed to be almost eye-to-eye with Joel Embiid even though the 76ers big man is purportedly an even 7′.
The math, as the kids, say, ain’t mathin’, and Kay Adams decided to address the issue while interviewing Durant on Up & Adams in the hopes of getting to the bottom of things once and for all.
.@usabasketball forward Kevin Durant addresses the rumors about how tall he really is 😅🔊
“I’m 6’9″ so those guys must be shorter than what they say… Embiid’s not 7 feet.” @KDTrey5 @heykayadams https://t.co/rN61YQMrdK pic.twitter.com/XcpyBELwbC
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 11, 2024
Durant once again insisted he is actually 6’9″ despite all evidence to the contrary before accusing his teammates of fabricating their height, saying:
“I guess those guys are shorter than what their numbers say. I’m 6’9″, so it looks like Bam Adebayo’s probably 6’8″ instead of 6’10” [he’s actually listed at 6’9″ by both the NBA and Team USA] and AD is probably 6’9″.
They’re probably adding a little more on their height while I’m keeping mine the same. I’m not lying about my height…Embiid’s not seven feet.”
Of course, Durant is one of the NBA’s most noted trolls, so it seems like there’s a pretty good chance he’s having some fun at the expense of a few of his teammates.