Willis Reed only measured 6-8, Wes Unseld only measured 6-5 and 1/2

[CavaliersFTW]

Digging up measurement data left and right the past couple weeks this is cool. Chalk up another rare example of exaggerated height data from the 1960's. That's 3 players now with pretty much spot on modern-style inflated list info (vs the about a dozen or so players I've uncovered measurement data on where the opposite is true).

Good to finally have found something concrete on both these guys though, as I did always suspect they were shorter than their list info.

Willis Reed:
6' 8" without shoes
240-245lbs

Wes Unseld:
6' 5.5" without shoes
245-270lbs

That would make Wes the shortest center in NBA history (to my knowledge). Though he's also among the heavier players to have played the game, particularly before weight lifting was popular.

[CavaliersFTW]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rSE2zJNY6Ts/VRuEFsjVi4I/AAAAAAAAF4Q/aw75RijMqGw/s0/Measurement%2520data%25204-1-15.jpg

Starting to put it in a template similar to what you could find on draftexpress. What I've got so far of Wilt Chamberlain era player data.

As you can see, knowing exactly how tall a player was back then is case by case. While generally, the collective average reflects that players were on average listed near their barefoot height, one can't just assume they were measured barefoot. There are outliers, in both directions.

This is different than today, where generally the outliers are ones who list as "low" as what they measured barefoot. I've yet to come across a modern player who chose to list lower than his barefoot height, despite literally hundreds of modern players measurement data existing.

[KG215]

I thought Reed was generally listed at 6'9"? BBR has him at 6'9" and I'm fairly positive I've seen him listed at 6'9" other places, too.

That's not too surprising about Unseld, though. I figured he was in the 6'5" range without shoes based on what I've read. Thing is, while it is a bit inflated, being measured at 6'5.5" without shoes and being listed at 6'7" really isn't that big of a deal/stretch to me compared to some of what you see now days.

[CavaliersFTW]

I thought Reed was generally listed at 6'9"? BBR has him at 6'9" and I'm fairly positive I've seen him listed at 6'9" other places, too.
In his era, he is almost always called 6-10

At least that's what the game broadcasts and newspapers keep indicating.

[aj1987]

Starting to put it in a template similar to what you could find on draftexpress. What I've got so far of Wilt Chamberlain era player data.

As you can see, knowing exactly how tall a player was back then is case by case. While generally, the collective average reflects that players were on average listed near their barefoot height, one can't just assume they were measured barefoot. There are outliers, in both directions.

This is different than today, where generally the outliers are ones who list as "low" as what they measured barefoot. I've yet to come across a modern player who chose to list lower than his barefoot height, despite literally hundreds of modern players measurement data existing.
Where did you get Wilt's max vert from? West and Baylor's max vert reach as well...

EDIT: Add more players. Thurmond, Greer, etc..

[CavaliersFTW]

Where did you get Wilt's max vert from? West and Baylor's max vert reach as well...

EDIT: Add more players. Thurmond, Greer, etc..
I can only add players as I get data from - believe me I look around for everyone. Particuarly Nate Thurmond. But I'm not sure I've looked much into Greer so I'll look for data on him.

I could add some roleplayer/non super star names to that list though I guess. I think I've got Tom Boerwinkle and some other rookies weight data recently.

All the data comes from random newspaper articles of the time. You can of course hold some/any of it with a grain of Salt. But it's numbers that I've found and can plug into a database.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Kdm0AfWCvuQ/VRuNMwWlLKI/AAAAAAAAF4s/dQbeLGaNF60/s800/Russell%2520can%2520reach%252012-7%2520Chamberlain%252012-9%2520%2528cropped%2529.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bGaOOY_thOk/VRuNuzyWRnI/AAAAAAAAF5A/s12jx74X8E4/s800/Baylor%252022%2520inches%2520above%2520rim%2520230 lbs.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Wv7Q3FQToYY/VRuOL3Zuv_I/AAAAAAAAF5Y/y03KaxmKa1E/s800/Jerry%2520Lucas%25206-7%2520and%25201-2%252015%2520inches%2520above%2520the%2520rim%2520 reach.jpg

Jerry West's 16" above the rim claim comes straight from NBA.com, I've not found it in newspaper print yet but it's a valid source from his NBA bio, and plus I've got him on film at age 34 touching 14" above the rim... 2" higher as a rookie is very plausible.

[aj1987]

I can only add players as I get data from - believe me I look around for everyone. Particuarly Nate Thurmond. But I'm not sure I've looked much into Greer so I'll look for data on him.

I could add some roleplayer/non super star names to that list though I guess. I think I've got Tom Boerwinkle and some other rookies weight data recently.

All the data comes from random newspaper articles of the time. You can of course hold some/any of it with a grain of Salt. But it's numbers that I've found and can plug into a database.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Kdm0AfWCvuQ/VRuNMwWlLKI/AAAAAAAAF4s/dQbeLGaNF60/s800/Russell%2520can%2520reach%252012-7%2520Chamberlain%252012-9%2520%2528cropped%2529.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bGaOOY_thOk/VRuNuzyWRnI/AAAAAAAAF5A/s12jx74X8E4/s800/Baylor%252022%2520inches%2520above%2520rim%2520230 lbs.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Wv7Q3FQToYY/VRuOL3Zuv_I/AAAAAAAAF5Y/y03KaxmKa1E/s800/Jerry%2520Lucas%25206-7%2520and%25201-2%252015%2520inches%2520above%2520the%2520rim%2520 reach.jpg

Jerry West's 16" above the rim claim comes straight from NBA.com, I've not found it in newspaper print yet but it's a valid source from his NBA bio, and plus I've got him on film at age 34 touching 14" above the rim... 2" higher as a rookie is very plausible.
I don't think I've every doubted Wilt's leaping ability. Only the tales about his strength

Are you gonna add the stats of the the "modern" era players as well? I'm pretty sure that DE only has all the stats from '07 onwards.

[Deuce Bigalow]

Wilt lost 2 FMVPS to a 6'8" player...good to know.

[Psileas]

I wonder what was Wilt's weight in '93, when he met Shaq before that game vs the Knicks. I know 327 was billed as his maximum weight, but I wonder up to which stage of his life this info can be called "official".

PS. Has Google Archive returned?

[KobesFinger]

Chuck Hayes? Listed at 6'6

[CavaliersFTW]

I wonder what was Wilt's weight in '93, when he met Shaq before that game vs the Knicks. I know 327 was billed as his maximum weight, but I wonder up to which stage of his life this info can be called "official".

PS. Has Google Archive returned?
Wilt claimed to be in the 270 range in the early 90's around the time he'd have met up with Shaq. Not sure how accurate that is but that's just a claim I know that was made by him around that time.

Shaq was upwards of 370 when he really got fat. I know just before the Cavaliers he was called about 340lbs on his Shaq vs show.

Google News Archives never technically closed, but they closed their original search function, where you could search for specific dates, and add other detailed search parameters. For a while I thought they had shut down the whole ability for one to search for anything but recently I figured out you can type:

site:google.com/newspapers (insert what words you want searched here, minus the parenthesis)

Into the google search bar and news papers can still be searched. I can't put any search instructions on ranges of dates however, so it's somewhat more difficult to find things such as specific game or playoff series coverage. But if you are good at putting in the right keywords, you can find all sorts of cool shit being discussed about basketball of that era, such as how I find the player measurements. I'll type in things to try and find these guys actual heights, weights, or wingspans, or even their vertical reach and sometimes I get results.

[Akrazotile]

What did he measure where it matters most, OP?