There were some major questions raised about Kevin Durant’s height after a recent photo of Team USA went viral, and his explanation might lead to even more confusion.
Team USA posed for their official team photos this week ahead of the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris. Durant stood next to Joel Embiid, and the two appeared to be almost the exact same height. What was perhaps even more surprising is that Durant looked like he was an inch or two taller than Anthony Davis.
The biggest lie in NBA History is Kevin Durant’s listed height pic.twitter.com/yrFOyMK4cB
— HTB (@HenryTheBlasian) July 9, 2024
Durant has been listed at 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-11 throughout his NBA career. The Phoenix Suns have him at 6-foot-11. Embiid is listed by the Philadelphia 76ers as 7-feet tall, and the Los Angeles Lakers list Davis at 6-foot-10. Judging by the photo, those figures actually make sense. Durant looks maybe the slightest bit shorter than Embiid and a tad taller than Davis.
Here is where it gets confusing. Durant was asked about the viral photo during a Thursday appearance on “Up & Adams” with Kay Adams. He said he is 6-foot-9 and questioned whether his Team USA teammates have told the truth about their respective heights.
.@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
“They probably adding a little more to their height while I’m keeping mines at the same, you know?” Durant said. “I’m not lying about my height.”
If Durant is telling the truth that he is 6-foot-9, that means a lot of “official” heights are inaccurate — including his own.
Durant’s style of play is probably the reason the photo generated so much buzz. It is rare for a player who is as tall and long as him to be able to play the way he does. When you see him next to “bigs” like Embiid and Davis, it just doesn’t seem right that their heights are so similar.
Somebody should get out the tape measure and get to the bottom of this.
