NBA Teams Will Reportedly Have to Certify and Submit Each Player's Height and Age

According to a series of tweets by the New York Times‘ Marc Stein, NBA teams will now have to certify and submit the height and age of each of their players. Citing “league sources,” Stein reports that teams were notified of the new policy this week.

Heights will reportedly be measured with players’ shoes off to avoid adding any extra inches. The league will not seek to certify players’ weights, because “that number fluctuates so often.”

Players have been listed as being taller or shorter than they actually are for years, and as Stein writes, “the league clearly wants to change that.” The move is reportedly also a reaction to Buddy Hield’s age being reported incorrectly in 2018. Hield was believed to be turning 25 when he actually was turning 26. He insisted he never lied about his age and that it was simply reported incorrectly. “That’s their fault, not my fault,” he said at the time. “The first time I saw it on Wikipedia, my mom said, ‘Why do they have your age wrong?’ I said, ‘I have no idea.’”

The heights and ages of each player must be certified and submitted within the first week of training camp — which means we may soon find out whether Kevin Durant is actually 6’9″.

Check out Stein’s tweets below.

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

For years some players have been listed as taller — and some shorter — than they really are. The league clearly wants to change that.

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 26, 2019

Height will be measured with players' shoes OFF, I'm told. Player weight will not be sought because that number fluctuates so often …

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 26, 2019

Among the motivations for this new policy, sources say, is the fact that Buddy Hield's age was found to be recorded incorrectly in 2018 … as covered in this @BenHoffmanNYT story: https://t.co/tlHpU0Aw5x

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 26, 2019

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