When Kevin Durant was drafted in 2007, he listed his height at 6’9″. While that may have been true at the time, Durant is clearly no longer 6’9″, even though his official NBA bio says he is.
That’s because, for years, the NBA didn’t have a process of verifying the heights or ages of players they’re sent from teams. Why? There’s no real rhyme or reason, but starting this season, that will change.
According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, the NBA notified teams that starting this season, teams will need to send accurate information regarding the height and age of their players within the first week of training camp. Per Stein, the official listed height of players will be their height with their shoes off.
NBA teams were notified this week that they must certify and submit the precise height and age for every player within the first week of training camp, league sources tell @NYTSports
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 26, 2019
Player are measured on their height with and without shoes at the NBA Draft Combine, but not everyone attends the combine and some players grow after or during their rookie seasons. Durant, for example, is not 6’9 anymore — he’s said so himself.
The age requirement probably has a smaller margin for error among teams, but there are a few exceptions. Last year, it was revealed that Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield was two years older than his — and everyone — thought. So, by the time he’s eligible for his rookie extension, Hield will be 27, not 25. That’s a huge difference when a team is thinking of committing a multi-million dollar, four-year contract to a player.
Is it a small change? Yes. Will it have any effect on players or teams? Maybe not, but if it does, it’s going to be really, really entertaining to watch unravel.
