Many players in NBA are telling tall stories
New Jersey Nets center Jason Collins is listed at 7-feet tall in the NBA's player guide.
Truth be told, Collins needs a boost to even come close.
"In sneakers, with my orthotics, ankle braces and two pairs of socks, I'm a good 6-111/2," said a chuckling Collins, whose Nets trail the San Antonio Spurs 2-1 in the best-of-seven NBA Finals heading into tonight's Game 4 in New Jersey. "It's almost a joke."
Collins, who's more like 6-foot-8, isn't the only basketball player telling a tall tale.
Many NBA hopefuls exaggerate their height while in high school or college to make themselves more appealing to coaches and scouts who prefer taller players. Collins, for example, remembers the exact day he picked to experience a growth spurt.
"Media day, my junior year," the Stanford graduate said. "I told our sports information guy that I wanted to be 7 feet and it's been 7 feet ever since."
Collins isn't fooling any of his teammates.
Four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo, a legitimate 7-foot-2, said he and Collins don't exactly see eye-to- eye.
"They're giving him 4 inches," Mutombo said. "There are a lot of guys who list heights that they are not."