By Rikki Lee Travolta
The WWE professional wrestling promotion is notorious for exaggerating the height of their athlete entertainers.
The late Macho Man Randy Savage is my favorite wrestler of all time. He was listed at 6’2” but I got to meet the man once and have a picture to show for it. I stand 5’11” and in the picture we appear essentially the same height. So, there’s really no way you’re going to convince me he as 6’2”.
The NBA also has a tendency to exaggerate height. Kirk Hinrich is one of my favorite Chicago Bulls of recent memory. He was a tough, scrappy guard who always impressed me with his balance of tenacity and professionalism. He’s listed at 6’4”. Like with the Macho Man, I have a photo of Kirk and I together. Again, we are almost eye to eye. I’d say he is an honest 6’ even.
But the over-exaggeration of heights isn’t the only fibbing in the NBA. There are a few players who like to downplay their height. For some odd reason “The Kid” Kevin Garnett didn’t want to be considered 7’, so he was always listed at 6’11”. Some commentators joked he was 6’12”.
In the current era of basketball, Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns lists himself at 6’9”. This is ridiculous, of course, because he easily towers over other seven-footers. I would put his height as at least 7’1”.
Hollywood is also known for fictionalizing the height of its famous members. Mel Gibson is listed at 5’10. In truth, he is no taller than 5’7”. The same applies to Tom Cruise – he too is listed at just two inches under 6’, but when pictured next to Nicole Kidman or Katie Holmes you can tell he’s no bigger than 5’7”.
There was an interesting rumor about me floating around Hollywood for a while that I stand 6’2”. I would love it if that were true. But, it’s not. I’m 5’11”.
However, I’m in fine company. Elvis Presley was 5’11” until he started doing Hollywood films. After that, he was listed at six feet tall.
I guess your ability to customize your height goes along with the amount of fame you have. I can only hope one day I will be famous enough to be six feet tall.
