Over the last several months, the Los Angeles Lakers have brought in a number of promising young players, and those players have helped the team quickly become a championship contender once again.
One of those young players is forward Jarred Vanderbilt. He was acquired along with D’Angelo Russell and the now-departed Malik Beasley in February’s Russell Westbrook trade, and he quickly became L.A.’s defensive standout.
Although he’s listed at 6-foot-8, he tried his hand guarding various stars ranging from the 6-foot-7 Luka Doncic to 6-foot-2 speedster Ja Morant, and he was effective across the board.
There have been rumors floating around the internet this summer that Vanderbilt has somehow sprouted up to 6-foot-11. While on the “Tidal League” podcast, he addressed this speculation while playing it coy (h/t Sports Illustrated).
“They saying I’m 6’11 now… I don’t know,” said Vanderbilt. “That’s what the streets saying, I’m just the messenger.”
According to Healthline, men are “unlikely to grow significantly after the ages of 18 to 20.” Vanderbilt is 24 years of age, so generally speaking, it’s extremely unlikely he has gained even one inch.
However, if the rumors are true, it may open up some more opportunities for him in the Lakers’ rotation. If he really is 6-foot-11 now, perhaps head coach Darvin Ham will play him a little bit at the 5 spot, especially given the fact L.A. doesn’t have a true backup defensive center on its roster behind Anthony Davis.