The second annual In-Season Tournament of Emirates NBA Cup kickstarted on November 12 is on its way to Knockout Rounds. Nearly a month-long Group Plays which shortlisted 6 along with two wildcards for quarterfinals has ended with a dramatic exit of the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs. While this happened regardless of the Suns’ win over the latter by 104-93, Kevin Durant’s viral crossover and Iman Shumpert’s response to it catches the spotlight. 

The trigger comes with NBA sharing Tuesdays Suns-Spurs Game highlight videos including Kevin Durant, on its IG handle. This one shows the 2x NBA Champion making an iconic layup while tricking the 7’3″ Victor Wembanyama, with 7:09 remaining in the second quarter. As the video surfaced, it caught a stifling jibe from the former Cleveland Cavaliers Champion. “Not Clean,” he called out. However, the legend made efforts to clarify his take. 

To be specific, KD made a hesitation dribbling, only to transition to a layup after a crossover move. The videos with a fuzzy commentary were captioned: “@easymoneysniper hesi into the smooth lay! 🫣  🏆 PHX clinches West Group B with win + OKC loss   🏀 #EmiratesNBACup on NBA League Pass,” where easymoneysniper is Durant’s IG name.

As for Shumpert’s opinion, he commented: “I wanted to say not clean but it’s just a long crossover 😂. And it’s fair cuz that man is tall asf too.” Since the 14xNBA All-Star is known for a deep bag appreciated even by his Idol Tracy McGrady, this argument needs a closer look.

Indeed, NBA has a 5 minute video dedicated to Kevin Durant’s double crossovers over the years. For a clear picture, consider visiting the 2021 East Semi-Finals Game 2 of Nets-Bucks where he hoops from inside the paint following a double crossover with 7:25 left for the first quarter. Moreover, his career average of 27.2 points and 7 rebounds vouch for his offense on the hard floor. This might make many disagree with 2016 NBA champion’s jibe at Durant focusing on his height. 

On retrospection, this could be indicative of the chatter around the 14xNBA Scoring Champion’s height. Care to have a peak? 

Height-talks on Kevin Durant

The Sun’s forward is listed as 6’11” while there are records of 6’10” across his career, while the player himself claims to be 6’9″ recently. The controversy occurs predominantly due to his height compared to 7 footers. A viral Olympics game photograph where he looks only slightly shorter than 7-foot Joel Embiid while standing beside him could be a tip-off point for contentions. 

Whatever, the 2xNBA Final MVP recently attempted to put it straight on the “Up & Adams” show with Kay Adams. But it turns hilarious with him pointing at his US Olympics teammates with a lame argument that they are lying of their heights. “I’m 6’9’’ so it looks like Bam Adebayo’s probably 6’8’’ instead of 6’10’’, and AD is probably 6’9,’’ said Durant while mocking Embiid for lying to be 7 foot. 

Meanwhile, there is a possibility for the Texas Alum staying short to avail opportunities he could have missed with a 7-foot height. Since the Sun’s forward plays like he isn’t being limited to the post, dunking or making layups, such a rationale makes sense. 

The comment made by Iman Shumpert could be seen in the light of such discourse. However, the question of whether his height impedes his cross-over performance needs expert opinion.