Photo via Yahoo Sports

"My hands are even bigger than LeBron's" – WNBA star Brittney Griner on the agonizing reality of growing into her 6’8” frame

WNBA legend Brittney Griner has shared the physical and emotional toll of growing into her towering 6-foot-8-inch frame, a journey that began long before she became one of the most dominant centers in women’s basketball history. From middle school through college, Griner endured excruciating knee pain and awkward coordination struggles as her body rapidly expanded—her feet ballooned to a men’s size 17 (larger than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s), her hands surpassed LeBron James’s, and even basic tasks like sitting in school chairs became agonizing.

By high school, she had already reached 6-foot-7, forcing her to adapt to a frame that made her feel like a ‘museum exhibit’ in everyday life, yet she still fumbled with fundamental skills like catching the ball. Despite these challenges, her natural athleticism and height eventually transformed her into a two-way force at Baylor, where she averaged 6.4 blocks and 18.4 points per game as a freshman and later became a college basketball standout, culminating in her 2012 breakout season.

Griner’s early years were marked by both physical discomfort and self-doubt, as her rapid growth left her feeling out of sync with her surroundings. The pain subsided by ninth grade, coinciding with the end of her growth spurt, but the memories of those formative struggles remain vivid.

Today, her once-unwieldy frame is celebrated as the foundation of her WNBA dominance, yet her story underscores how even extraordinary physical gifts come with a cost during the years it takes to harness them.

Up nextNBA· 12h ago

How much are Knicks home opener tickets? See Brunson and LeBron at MSG