Charles Barkley says the NBA lies about player heights, so does DraftExpress:

[CavaliersFTW]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/sp...l/22score.html

The Important Bits:

[QUOTE=New York Times]

How many times have you heard or read that a basketball player is listed at, say, 6 feet 8 inches but that he is really closer to 6-6? Do you ever wonder how something as objective as height can be in doubt, especially for elite players?

[Vienceslav]

Well as long as everybody gets to exaggerate their height in a equal manner it

[CavaliersFTW]

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/...urements-2912/

The full explanation from the Draft Express

[QUOTE=Draft Express]At the annual pre-draft camp we find out how big players really are. Prior to a few weeks ago the only measurements available were from this decade, but the recent 90

[thelucifer69]

They Listed With Shoes - Charles 6-6 With Shoes No Doubt

[CavaliersFTW]

[QUOTE=Vienceslav][B]Well as long as everybody gets to exaggerate their height in a equal manner it

[Vienceslav]

Oh god, please tell me that was sarcasm

Duh.

[PP34Deuce]

very interesting read....

Height doesn't mean as much now a days...Wingspan has been a big advantage for players...

Boston has been able to start Bradley and Rondo(Rondo 6'1 and Bradley 6'2) because they have wingspans of a 6'6- 6'7 player with great athletiscm.

Wade is more like 6'3 1/2 but the dude plays 6'7.

[dunksby]

[QUOTE=Vienceslav]Well as long as everybody gets to exaggerate their height in a equal manner it

[Vienceslav]

Actually KD insisted on being measured barefooted, now please proceed to GTFO.

It begins!

[dunksby]

It begins!

Here let me post a pic for comparison, I hope the angle is not that questionable for your feeble mind:

[La Frescobaldi]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/sp...l/22score.html

The Important Bits:



(continuing...)

In America everything has to get bigger and better every year or you failed. I never did understand the logic of corporate-America; it has actually destroyed some great companies.

Heights haven't changed much at all in the 45 years I've been watching the NBA, except that forwards are taller and guards are slightly smaller.

People say "there's more 7 footers in the league today therefore so and so couldn't make it in today's league." Or whatever. Which is almost pure corporate-America logic. In the NBA, a player can either get it done, or he can't; height has little impact on the world class athletes. There's more teams so naturally, there are more players, of all sizes.

On average though it's the same it has always been, it's simply the players lying about their height to get a payday. And then they have to support the lies the rest of their careers.

[Rake2204]

I think one of the primary issues about height is the standard with which we measure all heights. It seems through time, whether this is right or wrong, it has been a player's "height in shoes" that has prevailed in media guides and high school basketball programs. I don't find that to be much of an issue as long as its consistent with how other players are being measured as well. For the most part, that seems to be the case. For instance, in shoes, perhaps Charles Barkley is 6'6'' and in shoes, Dennis Rodman is 6'7'' (as they're both listed). This would mean barefoot, Barkley would likely be closer to 6'5'' and Rodman 6'6''. It's still telling me there's only a one inch difference between those two players, regardless of their overall total. That's really all I need to know.

The real issue for me would come in if it became clear half of the players were going by barefoot heights and the other half were going by "shoes" height. In that case, if Barkley was going by his barefoot height (6'5'') and Rodman went with his shoes height (6'7''), things become a lot more misleading. However, over the years, it seems a large majority (if not very large majority) of NBA, college, and high school players go by the "shoes" height, so there's still likely general uniformity in that regard.

What that means is that it's likely always possible to see a guy like Al-Farouq Aminu (listed at 6'9'') and say, "Man, wow, he's great. He's not even a legit 6'9''. He's more like 6'7''." And there'd be some truth to that, as his barefoot measurement is 6'7''.25 (while his shoes height is 6'8''.50) but we could just as well likely say that about every single player in the NBA.

So sure, Chuck Barkley might not be a legit 6'6'', but Ben Wallace isn't a legit 6'9'', and David Robinson may not have been a legit barefoot 7'1'', or Chauncey Billups a legit barefoot 6'3''. Due to the shoe height, I'd figure most everyone has an inch or so added to their heights. For me personally, I don't find this a revelation or an area of concern. Barefoot, I'm a smidge below 6'3''. With shoes, I'm a legit 6'4''. Depending on what realm of comparison is being used, I'll refer to one or the other.

[Vienceslav]

Here let me post a pic for comparison, I hope the angle is not that questionable for your feeble mind:

Durant is 7ft tall!

[CavaliersFTW]

They Listed With Shoes - Charles 6-6 With Shoes No Doubt

No, read the articles. Shoe heights to justify/extrapolate listed heights is acknowledged as nothing but "Flawed Logic" in the eyes of draftexpress. Their players often show up to camps wearing shoes that are larger than shoes they'll ever play in, and a players in-shoes height still holds no merit in ultimately determining a list height. Dwight Howard, 6'9, 6'10.25 in shoes, 6'11 listed height?... Hmmm my math teachers always told me to round down if the decimal is below 0.5, does the NBA not know simple math?, or do they simply not give a f*ck about shoe heights because that isn't even the point?




And Barkley's shoes in the early 80's when he was a freshman in college when they pegged him at 6-6 were certainly not 1 inch in thickness. Shoes of that kind of thickness were not being seen until the mid 1980's, shoes were very thin prior to the huge high-top Nike era.

[Lebron23]

very interesting read....

Height doesn't mean as much now a days...Wingspan has been a big advantage for players...

Boston has been able to start Bradley and Rondo(Rondo 6'1 and Bradley 6'2) because they have wingspans of a 6'6- 6'7 player with great athletiscm.

Wade is more like 6'3 1/2 but the dude plays 6'7.

Wade is 6'3 3/4" (6'5" in shoes). He has a 6'11" wingspan.