It's not uncommon in basketball — or life, for that matter — for someone to overestimate their height. Size and the potential that comes with it can open doors for young players, and almost no one goes to great lengths to prove they are actually shorter than previously thought. The NBA has one major exception.
Suns star Kevin Durant insists he's not as tall as many believe, and NBA fans are calling him out on it.
Durant has been listed at 6-10 and 6-11 throughout his career, but many fans believe he stands at seven feet tall. Durant not only rejects that idea but goes even lower — he claims he's 6-9.
The team photo for USA Olympic men's basketball is stirring renewed discussion about his height compared to other NBA stars.
The biggest lie in NBA History is Kevin Durant’s listed height pic.twitter.com/yrFOyMK4cB
— HTB ♨️ (@HenryTheBlasian) July 9, 2024
Here's what you need to know about Durant's height and why some believe he isn't telling the truth about it.
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Kevin Durant's height, explained
Durant has long been listed at 6-10 or 6-11, but many have seen him stand shoulder-to-shoulder with 7-footers and look like he belongs in that club. Durant, on the other hand, claims he's just 6-9.
After the Team USA photo featuring Durant went viral, the Suns star reiterated that he's 6-9 regardless of what anyone believes.
"I guess those guys might be shorter than what their numbers say. I'm 6-9, though," Durant said on Kay Adams' "Up & Adams" show, accusing Bam Adebayo of being just 6-8 and Anthony Davis of standing at 6-10.
When pressed by Adams about how he stacks up against Embiid, who is listed as a 7-footer, Durant was in disbelief. "Yeah, Embiid's not seven feet," he said.
"So they probably adding a little more on their height while I'm keeping mine at the same, you know? I'm not lying about my height," Durant added.
So Kevin Durant is 6’9 and the rest of team USA is lying?!
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) July 11, 2024
😂 @KDTrey5 pic.twitter.com/565158PWMw
If there's any reason to lend Durant some credibility, most players don't go out of their way to say they're actually shorter than most believe. Durant also has a long history of being brutally honest, whether in interviews or on social media.
Then again, someone isn't telling the truth here. Durant might first need to take it up with his own team, which lists him as 6-11.
Part of Durant's generational appeal when he entered the NBA was the simple fact he didn't play anything like most players his size do. Durant is tall and lanky, but he can do a little bit of everything and score from anywhere on the floor. That's become more common over the last 15 years, with centers morphing into excellent passers and shooters in some cases, but Durant was among the first to prove a player his size can still do just about all of what a guard can do.
Durant is unquestionably tall for his skillset; just don't tell him he's any taller than 6-9.
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How tall is Kevin Durant?
Durant is listed by the Suns as 6-11 at the moment, though he's been listed as 6-10 at different points during his career. The man himself says he's 6-9, but photo evidence doesn't support that unless, like Durant says, many other players are exaggerating their height.
Durant appears to be only slightly shorter than Embiid, if even shorter at all. He appears to be at least an inch taller than Davis, who is listed at 6-10. Adebayo, listed at Durant's self-proclaimed height of 6-9, appears even shorter than Davis.
Someone is not telling the truth about their height, which Durant made clear. Unless it's everyone else, it's hard to believe Durant is 6-9. 6-11 or seven feet seem much more likely than 6-9 for the former MVP, based on the Team USA image.
Past images have shown Durant standing a bit taller than LeBron James, who is listed as 6-9 but has been labeled 6-8 at other times. Durant doesn't tower over James by any means, giving credence to the idea he could just be 6-10, but 6-9 seems to be out of the question.
