Latest News About How Tall Was Jerry West

Short answer: Jerry West is officially listed at 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm), though there have been public discussions and claims suggesting he may have been taller in his playing days or that his true height was closer to 6'4" or 6'5" depending on source.

Here’s a concise guide to the topic and current consensus:

Definitions and common figures

• Listed height: 6'3" (191 cm) in most official records and rosters from his playing era. This is the figure most widely cited by credible sources like NBA histories and encyclopedic entries.[6][10]
• Claimed/alternate heights: Several sources and anecdotal reports claim West was taller than the listed height, with claims ranging up to roughly 6'4" or 6'5" in some contexts. The variance largely stems from self-reported numbers and retrospective measurements.[1][3][5]

Wingspan and impact

• West reportedly had a substantial wingspan for his height, which contributed to his on-court effectiveness despite debates about his exact height. Estimates commonly place his wingspan around 6'9" (206 cm) in some sources, which is typical for a guard of his stature and aligns with his noted defensive capabilities and reach.[5][1]

Evaluating sources

• Official/primary sources: NBA profiles and historical retrospectives tend to list 6'3" as the standard height. This is the most defensible figure in contemporary records.[10][6]
• Secondary/claims: Fan sites, videos, and some third-party write-ups occasionally present alternative heights. These should be treated as supplementary and not as definitive without corroborating primary documentation.[2][3][1]

Why the discrepancy persists

• Measurement methods: Heights in the NBA during West’s era were often recorded with shoes on or off, and rounding differences existed. Self-reported heights can also differ from measured heights later in life.[1]
• Revisions over time: Some sources update or dispute historical heights as new information becomes available or as statisticians refine measurement methods, contributing to conflicting numbers.[8][10]

Illustrative takeaway

• If you need a single, sourced figure for formal purposes, use 6'3" (191 cm) as Jerry West’s height, with the caveat that there are credible anecdotes suggesting he may have been taller in reality, and his wingspan was notably long for his height.[6][1]

Would you like me to pull the most recent and authoritative statements from NBA histories or direct statistics databases to confirm the current standard listing and any notable quotes from West or historians about his height? I can also summarize how height discussions about Jerry West have evolved over time with exact source citations.