Taylen Kinney might not be a household name yet in basketball, but he’s already famous on the internet. He was at the heart of the meme ‘6-7’ that took over social media overnight and became a worldwide trend.
Outside of his contribution to social media and meme culture, Kinney is one of the most talented basketball players in his class. In September 2025, Kinney committed to play basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks.
He recently took part in the McDonald’s All-American Game, and it seems like Kinney has a knack for doing things that catch people’s attention. The Kansas commit showed off his Joker tattoo on his right leg.
The supervillain from DC Comics is one of the most popular characters and has been represented on screen by several acting legends. The one on Kinney’s leg resembled the late Heath Ledger’s portrayal from ‘The Dark Knight’.
Kinney averaged 20.1 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1.9 turnovers in 30.6 minutes per game in 20 appearances for Overtime Elite this past season. He shot 55.6% from the field, making him one of the most efficient scorers.
During a podcast appearance, Kinney was asked how he felt about his high school career coming to an end and if he felt emotional about ending this journey. The 6’3 point guard said that he was excited to start a new chapter of his basketball career.
“I think I’m really ready to get it over with, I’m ready to start college, just start a new grind because I’ve been doing the same thing over and over for the last five years. So, just going in, kinda starting new grind,” he said.
Kinney said that he was looking forward to a new challenge because the level of basketball that he’s used to will be remarkably different from what he’ll face in college.
Taylen Kinney on Why He Chose Kansas
Kinney had offers from Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, and Oregon, but he chose to go with Kansas. Head coach Bill Self’s presence played a huge role in Kinney committing to the Kansas Jayhawks.
“Bill Self is a great coach, he’s got a great coaching staff — Jacque Vaughn played in the league,” he said. “The skill development at guard would be top-level. I mean, it’s Kansas — a legendary program.”
He said that meeting Bill Self was “the best thing” on his visit to KU, and once he learned about his vision for the program, Kinney knew that he wanted to be a part of it.
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