The NBA is a league entirely populated by genetic anomalies and physical freaks of nature. But every once in a while, an image hits the internet that completely breaks our brains and makes us question everything we know about human anatomy.
If you’ve been anywhere near NBA Twitter or Instagram lately, you know exactly what picture we are talking about.
It’s the viral shot of Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant giving each other a high-five. On the surface, it’s just two future first-ballot Hall of Famers showing mutual respect. But if you actually zoom in on their hands? It looks like a completely ridiculous Photoshop edit.
Despite Kevin Durant being a near 7-foot scoring alien, Kawhi Leonard’s legendary “Klaws” make KD’s hands look absolutely tiny. It is stupid. It makes no sense. And it has sparked one of the funniest debates in basketball right now.
The Tale of the Tape: The Measurements Make No Sense
To truly understand why this high-five looks so utterly absurd, we have to look at the actual biological numbers. Let’s break down the physical specs of these two legends:
Kevin Durant (The Slim Reaper):
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Height: 6’10” (Basically 7-foot in shoes)
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Hand Length: 8.3 inches
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Hand Span: Roughly 8.5 inches
Kawhi Leonard (The Klaw):
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Height: 6’7″
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Hand Length: 9.75 inches
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Hand Span: 11.25 inches
Read those numbers again. Let that completely sink in.
Kevin Durant has a massive, sprawling 7-foot frame, yet his hands are technically smaller than the average NBA point guard. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard, who is significantly shorter than KD, is walking around with hands that are over 11 inches wide from thumb to pinkie. Kawhi’s hands are roughly 52% wider than the average adult male’s. They are the size of actual waffle irons. They rival the hand size of 7’1″ Shaquille O’Neal.
The “Tiny Hand” Flex
Of course, the internet was absolutely ruthless when the high-five picture dropped. Fans were joking that KD looked like a toddler reaching up to high-five his dad, and that Kawhi could easily palm a bowling ball if he wanted to.
But here is the dramatic twist to this whole situation: KD’s “small” hands are actually his ultimate flex.
Durant has openly admitted in the past that he actually struggles to palm a fully inflated NBA basketball. Think about how insane that is! We are talking about arguably the most lethal, unstoppable three-level scorer in the history of the sport. A guy who can cross you over like a streetball legend and pull up from 35 feet—and he does it without the massive mitts that legends like Michael Jordan or Julius Erving relied on for ball control. KD dominates through pure, unadulterated skill, alien-like length, and a shooting touch so soft it defies logic.
The Klaw’s Biological Cheat Code
On the other side of the high-five, you have Kawhi, whose entire basketball identity is built around those monstrous hands.
When Kawhi is locked in on defense, his 11.25-inch hand span allows him to completely swallow the basketball. It’s the reason he can rip the ball away from grown men like they are children. It’s the reason he can casually snatch an alley-oop attempt out of the air with one hand and turn it into a fast break. While KD plays the game with pure finesse, Kawhi plays it with terrifying, mechanical leverage.
Two completely different body types. Two wildly different hand sizes. Two undeniable legends of the game.
