One of the annual traditions of the process leading up to the NBA draft is the measuring of a few basic aspects of a player, including height, wing span and vertical jump. On Wednesday, ESPN's Chad Ford was around for the official measuring of Illinois center Meyers Leonard, one of the elite post players available in this year's class.
Here's how Leonard came out:
Meyers Leonard vitals: 6-11.5 no shoes.7-1 in shoes.7-2.5 wing. 8-11 reach.31 no step vert. 33 1 step vert
— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) May 30, 2012
There's nothing especially crazy here, as Leonard was measured at 7-1, 245 pounds in shoes while playing for Illinois. As Ford noted, teams measure players without shoes to ensure that they're not adding lifts to their shoes to gain an additional height advantage. Playing at over seven-feet tall, Leonard is one of the tallest players in the draft and the rare athlete that could ultimately become a true center in the NBA.
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