Tyrone Curtis “Muggsy” Bogues, a former American basketball player who was just 5 feet 3 inches tall, holds the record for being the shortest NBA player. During his 14-year career in the NBA, Bogues played point guard for four different teams and made his name known by the nickname “Muggsy.”
Muggsy Bogues
There are many famous NBA and college basketball players that are incredibly short. One of the most notable is Tyrone Curtis “Muggsy” Bogues. The former American point guard was only 5 feet 3 inches tall, and played for four different teams during his 14-season career. But his short stature isn’t what makes him unique. Bogues’s height has been compared to that of other short NBA players like Chris Paul and Vince Carter.
Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues is the shortest NBA player. He’s 5 feet, three inches tall and weighed 140 pounds at the time of the draft. While he was an amazing athlete, it is still the shortest player in NBA history. During his NBA career, he played point guard for four teams, and despite his small stature, he ranked among the best.
Bogues is the most famous shortest player in the NBA. His height is not a major factor in his playing ability, as he was among the fastest players on the court. He was a great passer and a great defender. He played for the Charlotte Hornets for 10 years, and also faced the Miami Heat in the 1988-89 season. Bogues was an excellent ambassador for diversity in the NBA.
Muggsy was born in Baltimore and spent most of his childhood playing pick-up basketball in the projects. He also had a younger brother who struggled with drug addiction. His sister worked for the Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks, and she died in 2015 from cancer. Muggsy Bogues has since remarried and is proud to have a grandson named Samartine Bogues.
Isaiah Thomas
Despite his small size, Isaiah Thomas is the second-leading scoring guard in the NBA and the shortest basketball player in history. He averages over seven points per game and has become one of the best fourth-quarter scorers in NBA history. Thomas was once viewed as an unlikely star due to his size, but his play on the court has made him a superstar. He has been hailed as the “Mighty I.T.” by his teammates.
Isaiah Thomas is a 5-foot-9 inch (1.75 m) Point Guard with the Sacramento Kings. Thomas played college basketball at Washington University and was a three-time All-Conference selection. He forwent his senior year to enter the 2011 NBA draft and was drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the final pick. Thomas spent three seasons with the Kings before being traded to the Phoenix Suns. In February 2015, he was traded to the Boston Celtics. During his time with the Celtics, he led them to the first seed in the Eastern Conference.
Despite being a lanky, thin player, Isaiah Thomas is a two-time NBA All-Star. The smallest player in the league has played for several NBA teams. His career has taken him all over the world, including two trips to the NBA All-Star Game. Despite his small stature, Thomas averages more than five points per game, 2.9 assists, and one steal per game. Despite his short stature, Isaiah Thomas has played a significant role for his team and is a true asset to the Boston Celtics.
Despite his small stature, Thomas has earned a spot on the United States men’s national team. He was selected to the USA’s 35-player roster for the 2018-20 season and was subsequently added to the team’s 14-player roster for the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup qualifiers. In February 2022, he played in two NBA games for the Charlotte Hornets, scoring nine points against Mexico and one rebound in a 97-73 win over the Bahamas.
Red Klotz
A former NBA player, Louis “Red” Klotz was the shortest basketball player in history. He played for the Baltimore Bullets in the pre-NBA era and was the shortest player on the championship team in 1947. Even as a player in his 60s, Klotz retained his uncanny shooting ability. He regularly beat NBA players in shooting contests and was still embarrassing high school players in pick-up games into his 80s.
During his playing career, Klotz had many achievements. He was the first player of Asian descent to play in the NBA. He led the Utah Utes to a 1944 NCAA championship. He played for several professional teams, including the Washington Generals, and eventually became the team’s player-coach. In 1952, he retired from professional basketball to become a world ambassador for the game, and he died on July 12th.
Although the crowd in Martin, Tennessee cheered Red Klotz’s game, he would not remember feeling any special on that day. The rest of the night had become a blur of travel, shrieking kids, and getting his pants pulled down. He would have pushed aside inklings of something, but the timing was perfect. And he would have won the game again. So Red Klotz is the shortest basketball player in history, and he was always there for his team.
One of his favorite memories of childhood is when he was just six years old. Red Klotz’s office is located in Margate, New Jersey. It overlooks the beach, and the ocean. He was able to get Gloria to notice him because of his red sweater. He had earned that sweater by leading the Philadelphia city basketball team to the championship. He never took off his red sweater, as he believed that it defined him.
Spud Webb
Anthony “Spud” Webb is the shortest basketball player in NBA history. Born at 5 feet 7 inches, he was the shortest player in the league. He began playing basketball when he was just a boy and was overlooked by coaches for his short stature. Despite his small stature, Webb was able to excel in the sport and played 12 seasons in the NBA, including seven with the Atlanta Hawks. He won the NBA dunk contest and retired in 1997.
The shortest basketball player in NBA history has a great deal of celebrity. Spud Webb is the first athlete to ever reach the Slam Dunk Contest, and the NBA’s record for the longest jump in one game was reached by no other player. Webb’s height made it difficult for him to shoot the ball, but he used his short stature to his advantage. He was rejected from joining his school’s basketball team because of his short stature, but he practiced until he was able to play. He joined the team as a junior and scored 22 points in his first game.
The NBA championship that Spud won in 1967 was an incredible feat for any athlete, but his dunks were unique. His one-handed jam, elevator two-handed double-pump dunk, and 360 degree helicopter one-handed dunk are all memorable feats, and many fans would have a hard time forgetting them. His amazing skills and unorthodox height were enough to get full scores.
The shortest basketball player in NBA history has won four championships in the NBA and won the slam dunk three times. He grew up in a low-income neighborhood, where the sport of basketball was not widely popular. Spud was only 5 feet 3 in high school, but made up for his lack of height with speed and athleticism. After he graduated from high school, he received little interest from college basketball programs. However, Bill Blakeley, a NBA agent, set up a tryout for him with the Atlanta Hawks. Spud’s agent arranged a tryout with the team, and he beat out several other guards to make the roster.
Earl Boykins
The NBA’s Earl Boykins is the second-shortest player in league history. Born in 1976, Boykins stands just 5 feet, 5 inches tall. His previous record was 5’3″, set by Muggsy Bogues. Boykins spent three seasons with the Denver Nuggets, including the 2004-05 season, before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. His short stature did not hinder his development as he became an assistant coach for the team and later a coach for college student-athletes.
The shortest player in basketball is a Cleveland native, who played basketball at Eastern Michigan University. His senior year, he was named honorable-mention All-America and was awarded the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. His impressive play and ability to score in the paint earned him All-Mid-American Conference first-team honors. His accomplishments at EMU also led him to win the 1997 World University Games gold medal with the United States.
As a kid, Earl Boykins began playing basketball with tennis balls. He was three years old when he first joined a gym. He was a prodigy and learned to play basketball with bigger players in the gym. By the time he was ready for college, he was the youngest player to receive a scholarship to Division I basketball programs. After being rejected by Iowa, he went on to play professionally for two decades. His height and strength are truly impressive, as he bench-pressed three hundred and fifteen pounds.
Though most NBA players are at least 6 feet, Earl Boykins is the shortest and lightest. He played for 10 NBA teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers. At 5 ft, he was mistaken for a ball boy in high school. His short stature was the biggest obstacle he faced when pursuing his dream to play in the NBA. With the help of his coach, he was able to fulfill his dream.
