Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
Advantages to being 6’11”:
- ability to reach every top shelf
- easier to dunk a basketball
- a reach advantage in a head-to-head swimming competition
OK, the last one might not come up too often, but Enes Kanter is likely very happy to be 6’11” today. The Boston Celtics center barely beat his 6’3″ teammate, Marcus Smart, in a highly anticipated swimming race in the NBA bubble Saturday, thanks in large part to his reach advantage.
Kanter’s height advantage was apparent from the start, as his kick on the start gave him an advantage over Smart, who never was quite able to catch up. If we’re looking at it from a purely objective perspective, Smart is a slightly faster swimmer—albeit not significantly enough to make up for Kanter’s height.
Had the two raced down and back, perhaps Smart would have been able to pull off the come-from-behind victory. Instead, this is just another victory for tall people everywhere.