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League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 3:10 pm
by ImmortalD24
See Kevin Durant regarding height:
Players adding at least 2 inches to their height based on what I've noticed.
Cooper Flagg pre-draft measurements is 6’7.75” without shoes yet more than 2 years ago he's the same height as alleged 6ft 9 LeBron James:

League has all the tools in the world to do complete measurement scans to accurately represent the players.. Yet they continue to conduct themselves like WWE.
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 3:29 pm
by HotelVitale
6'9 is the same as 6'7.5 in shoes. Also pretty sure Lebron was measured at the combine too, if you really want his height at age 18 or whatever.
I don't get why anyone would care here though. The competition is basketball, not biometrics. Not trying to be glib but whatever teams list as heights is pretty irrelevant for the actual business of playing basketball.
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 3:32 pm
by Anderson Hunt
This is not a difficult concept to understand. A player’s listed height is their height when their ankles are taped with socks and shoes on.
You calculate their listed height by measuring them barefooted and adding one and half inches. This is how it’s always been, and it’s an extremely easy concept to understand.
If Cooper Flagg is 6’7.75 barefooted, he’ll be listed at 6’9. Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan (both listed at 6’6) were both around 6’4.5 barefooted.
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 3:42 pm
by sca
Anderson Hunt wrote:This is not a difficult concept to understand. A player’s listed height is their height when their ankles are taped with socks and shoes on.
You calculate their listed height by measuring them barefooted and adding one and half inches. This is how it’s always been, and it’s an extremely easy concept to understand.
If Cooper Flagg is 6’7.75 barefooted, he’ll be listed at 6’9. Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan (both listed at 6’6) were both around 6’4.5 barefooted.
But why? Why is there a tendency to list player heights with shoes in the first place? I’m just wondering who originally thought it was necessary to make that distinction. When I say I’m 6'0", 183 cm or whatever, I don’t feel the need to add "barefoot." Why is it different in basketball?
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 3:51 pm
by Hook_Em
You can’t make anything of pictures unless they’re taken back to back with no shoes on both the same distance/angle from the camera.
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 3:54 pm
by ImmortalD24
One issue people aren't factoring in is when discussing players of the past eras: they include standard WWE style measurements today and form the conclusion that players are taller, better etc. I'm actually of the belief that skill has improved over time, but players heights not so much. In fact, the league average might be less given the push for positionless basketball and the traditional center being phased out. Height plays a role when evaluating players like it or not. League is too focused on protecting 3PT% than being transparent with the most basic information.
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 4:05 pm
by ImmortalD24
Hook_Em wrote:You can’t make anything of pictures unless they’re taken back to back with no shoes on both the same distance/angle from the camera.
IE:

I've been following the Kobe vs T-mac era since it's infancy.. 15+ years later T-Mac (who was always 6ft 7-8) is now magically 6ft 9- 6ft 10. Make that make sense.
Here's McGrady (who clearly now has no credibility) attempting to boost his height stats with Garnett:
Garnett is like.. if you're 6'9.. what am I? 7ft 3?
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 4:56 pm
by Liam_Gallagher
I'm pretty sure in 2019 the NBA started to give actual player heights. Lots of players dropped an inch or two (Dwight Howard to 6'10'', Marc Gasol to 6'11'', DeMarcus Cousins to 6'10'', etc.). But some players actually gained an inch or two lol (Westbrook to 6'4'', Ibaka to 6'11'', Brook Lopez to 7'1'' and Giannis to 6'11'').
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 5:04 pm
by levon
Liam_Gallagher wrote:I'm pretty sure in 2019 the NBA started to give actual player heights. Lots of players dropped an inch or two (Dwight Howard to 6'10'', Marc Gasol to 6'11'', DeMarcus Cousins to 6'10'', etc.). But some players actually gained an inch or two lol (Westbrook to 6'4'', Ibaka to 6'10'', and Giannis to 6'11'').
LeBron gained an inch too
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 5:09 pm
by Drakeem
sca wrote:Anderson Hunt wrote:This is not a difficult concept to understand. A player’s listed height is their height when their ankles are taped with socks and shoes on.
You calculate their listed height by measuring them barefooted and adding one and half inches. This is how it’s always been, and it’s an extremely easy concept to understand.
If Cooper Flagg is 6’7.75 barefooted, he’ll be listed at 6’9. Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan (both listed at 6’6) were both around 6’4.5 barefooted.
But why? Why is there a tendency to list player heights with shoes in the first place? I’m just wondering who originally thought it was necessary to make that distinction. When I say I’m 6'0", 183 cm or whatever, I don’t feel the need to add "barefoot." Why is it different in basketball?
Because when they play basketball, they're not barefoot. Their height barefoot is irrelevant to their play on the court.
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 5:55 pm
by UcanUwill
...
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 5:58 pm
by peZt
At one point a couple years ago Sabonis was listed at 7'1.
He was measured 6'9 at the combine at age 20. Supposedly grew 4 inches after that

Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 6:02 pm
by UcanUwill
Drakeem wrote:sca wrote:Anderson Hunt wrote:This is not a difficult concept to understand. A player’s listed height is their height when their ankles are taped with socks and shoes on.
You calculate their listed height by measuring them barefooted and adding one and half inches. This is how it’s always been, and it’s an extremely easy concept to understand.
If Cooper Flagg is 6’7.75 barefooted, he’ll be listed at 6’9. Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan (both listed at 6’6) were both around 6’4.5 barefooted.
But why? Why is there a tendency to list player heights with shoes in the first place? I’m just wondering who originally thought it was necessary to make that distinction. When I say I’m 6'0", 183 cm or whatever, I don’t feel the need to add "barefoot." Why is it different in basketball?
Because when they play basketball, they're not barefoot. Their height barefoot is irrelevant to their play on the court.
I never understood this argument, it is so stupid its unbelievable to me. Everyone freaking wear shoes, you take that off when you measure your freaking height. When people ask my height, I do not add 3 cms cause I wear shoes, like WTF is that? I can not believe this argument seriously. F1 drivers are below 3'0 when they compete, should we list their height at that now, like wtf is that? Wow, Lebron is 6'9 cause get it, he WEAR SHOES, holly crap... No, but seriously, what is your REAL HEIGHT LeBron?
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 6:02 pm
by NoDopeOnSundays
Wemby is listed at 7'3", he's very clearly taller than Edey who measured 7'3.75" at the combine. He's recently said 7'5" on IG but hasn't measured himself in awhile.
The heights are all over the place because guys are being measured at 18-19, so some could still be growing and some of the listings are with shoes. It's not that big of a deal.
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 6:03 pm
by peZt
Drakeem wrote:sca wrote:Anderson Hunt wrote:This is not a difficult concept to understand. A player’s listed height is their height when their ankles are taped with socks and shoes on.
You calculate their listed height by measuring them barefooted and adding one and half inches. This is how it’s always been, and it’s an extremely easy concept to understand.
If Cooper Flagg is 6’7.75 barefooted, he’ll be listed at 6’9. Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan (both listed at 6’6) were both around 6’4.5 barefooted.
But why? Why is there a tendency to list player heights with shoes in the first place? I’m just wondering who originally thought it was necessary to make that distinction. When I say I’m 6'0", 183 cm or whatever, I don’t feel the need to add "barefoot." Why is it different in basketball?
Because when they play basketball, they're not barefoot. Their height barefoot is irrelevant to their play on the court.
This is such a stupid argument and really only found in the US where of course you have to do something a different way again. What if I wear 3 inch shoes when being measured and then play with 2 inch shoes? Or vice versa? What is this stupid logic?
You wanna compare height between players? Just measure them **** barefoot. That's their height, that's how tall they are. Everybody is on the same page, nobody can cheat using bigger shoes. It makes absolutely 0 sense to measure something that is meant as a tool of comparison by introducing inconsisten variables. You measure by its natural state, something that will always be the same for everybody. Why do I care how tall someone is with shoes? How do I know he didnt wear high heels?
Your explanation alone shows how stupid this is "Height is with socks and shoes on and then calculated by adding one and a half inches". Jesus christ, how about you stop calculating and just start measuring?
Btw., this is also where this myth comes that 17% of all 7 footers in the US play in the NBA. Spread by Pablo Torre btw.
Why? Because to base his calculation, he used the listed heights of NBA players (with shoes) and compared it to the national database which measures people barefoot. Therefore all the 6'10,6'11 players were counted in his calculation when in fact at that time Roy Hibbert was the only true american 7 footer. That's why this is stupid.
You know why we always have these stupid debates about player heights? Exactly because of this. Because americans feel the need to cheat their height by measuring with shoes, europeans dont do that, but some americans also dont measure with shoes but bareefoot and then heights are all over the place.
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 6:10 pm
by UcanUwill
peZt wrote:At one point a couple years ago Sabonis was listed at 7'1.
He was measured 6'9 at the combine at age 20. Supposedly grew 4 inches after that

Yeah, I made comment how NBA really exaggerate their heights for no reason, and I mentioned Sabonis in particular, because that one is just dumb, it just made up out of nowhere, because it is not even close to reality. I somehow deleted the comment before posting, so you beat me at this...
No dunks crew talked about Charles Barkley, they used to work in same studio in Atlanta, and they always said Trey Kerby is taller than barkley, and Trey is 6'4 according to them. Bakley is famously very undersized, but NBA still listed him at 6'6 I believe, where in real peoples word, but was maybe 6'3 and a half.
We Euros caught up to that a long time ago I feel, when we talk prospects, we take that into consideration now. When Euro is listed 6'10 in Europe, we now all say in the NBA, that guy will instantly turn 7'0 and wont be shorter than most guys who are ''7 footers'' over there. Thats just how it is and everyone knows it.
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 6:34 pm
by Chokic
Ive always went by players in shoes height bc ppl always referred to mj and kobe as 6'6 but then ppl are so adamant to call charles barkley 6'4 when hes the same height as Jordan barefoot and in 6'6 in shoes.
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 6:40 pm
by God Squad
LOL
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 6:41 pm
by Drakeem
peZt wrote:Drakeem wrote:sca wrote:But why? Why is there a tendency to list player heights with shoes in the first place? I’m just wondering who originally thought it was necessary to make that distinction. When I say I’m 6'0", 183 cm or whatever, I don’t feel the need to add "barefoot." Why is it different in basketball?
Because when they play basketball, they're not barefoot. Their height barefoot is irrelevant to their play on the court.
This is such a stupid argument and really only found in the US where of course you have to do something a different way again. What if I wear 3 inch shoes when being measured and then play with 2 inch shoes? Or vice versa? What is this stupid logic?
You wanna compare height between players? Just measure them **** barefoot. That's their height, that's how tall they are. Everybody is on the same page, nobody can cheat using bigger shoes. It makes absolutely 0 sense to measure something that is meant as a tool of comparison by introducing inconsisten variables. You measure by its natural state, something that will always be the same for everybody. Why do I care how tall someone is with shoes? How do I know he didnt wear high heels?
Your explanation alone shows how stupid this is "Height is with socks and shoes on and then calculated by adding one and a half inches". Jesus christ, how about you stop calculating and just start measuring?
Btw., this is also where this myth comes that 17% of all 7 footers in the US play in the NBA. Spread by Pablo Torre btw.
Why? Because to base his calculation, he used the listed heights of NBA players (with shoes) and compared it to the national database which measures people barefoot. Therefore all the 6'10,6'11 players were counted in his calculation when in fact at that time Roy Hibbert was the only true american 7 footer. That's why this is stupid.
You know why we always have these stupid debates about player heights? Exactly because of this. Because americans feel the need to cheat their height by measuring with shoes, europeans dont do that, but some americans also dont measure with shoes but bareefoot and then heights are all over the place.
I'm just saying WHY they do it. To be fair, I think it's too small of a topic to even have a debate about. Realistically, the scouts and GMs know the real heights, so who actually cares? You can't "cheat" when at the combine they'll measure you in individual workouts.
Re: League inflating players heights is out of control
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 6:49 pm
by JonFromVA
Drakeem wrote:sca wrote:Anderson Hunt wrote:This is not a difficult concept to understand. A player’s listed height is their height when their ankles are taped with socks and shoes on.
You calculate their listed height by measuring them barefooted and adding one and half inches. This is how it’s always been, and it’s an extremely easy concept to understand.
If Cooper Flagg is 6’7.75 barefooted, he’ll be listed at 6’9. Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan (both listed at 6’6) were both around 6’4.5 barefooted.
But why? Why is there a tendency to list player heights with shoes in the first place? I’m just wondering who originally thought it was necessary to make that distinction. When I say I’m 6'0", 183 cm or whatever, I don’t feel the need to add "barefoot." Why is it different in basketball?
Because when they play basketball, they're not barefoot. Their height barefoot is irrelevant to their play on the court.
But then player's started wearing thicker shoes to the weight ins to cheat the measurement ... so, yes NBA teams have been required to measure players before the season without shoes and report it to the nba. They are not required to report weights, however, and heights can still vary by 1-2" depending the time of day a tall player is measured.