Muggsy Bogues
Muggsy Bogues is a former American basketball player who is 5 feet 3 inches tall. He played as a point guard for four teams during his 14-year NBA career. His height has earned him the nickname “Muggsy B” and a special place in NBA history. Bogues was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and grew up in Miami, Florida.
Muggsy Bogues is the smallest NBA player ever. He is 5 feet 3 inches tall, which is the shortest in the NBA. Bogues played in the NBA from 1987 to 2001, but retired at age 36. His high school career was exceptional; he went undefeated during his junior and senior years. He then went on to play for Wake Forest University. He averaged 14.8 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game during his senior year. He was also the ACC’s career leader in steals. Today, his number is retired at Wake Forest.
Bogues played his college basketball at Wake Forest, where he was a three-year starter. He earned the ACC First Team honors while playing for the university. After graduating, Bogues was drafted by the Washington Bullets in the first round. He teamed up with Manute Bol, who was 7 feet tall. Bogues was not a star, but he was a valuable asset to the team. Bogues’ size made it difficult for opponents to shoot against him, and he was able to score from both wings.
Bogues also has an impressive athleticism. During his playing days, he could dunk without any difficulty. However, he did not take credit for it, and attributed it to genetics. He also was concerned that lifting weights would take away his natural athleticism. While Bogues was the shortest NBA player, he was not the lightest player.
Isaiah Thomas
The NBA is known for being a big man’s league, but Isaiah Thomas is the shortest player in the league. He is the second-leading scorer in the league in points per game and is also the NBA’s leading fourth-quarter scorer. Despite his diminutive stature, Thomas has made a name for himself this season by leading the Boston Celtics to back-to-back NBA titles. His play earned him the nickname “King in the Fourth” and a spot in the MVP race.
Thomas has been playing basketball for almost a decade, and is the shortest player in the league. He is 5’10” tall and has won two NBA All-Star honors. He has played for three different teams and is currently a free agent. Although he is the shortest player in the league, his talent is unquestionable.
Thomas is also the shortest player to ever have a triple-double. The former Washington Huskies guard has played for three seasons in college, and is a three-time all-conference selection in the Pac-10. He opted to forgo his senior year to enter the NBA draft and was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the final pick. He played for three seasons in Sacramento before joining the Phoenix Suns. In February 2015, he was traded to Boston, where he led the Celtics to the first seed in the Eastern Conference. He finished the season fifth in MVP voting.
Thomas is not the only player with the shortest NBA height. Four other players have similar heights. The Denver Nuggets have two players who are 5-foot-10. Then there is Markus Howard, who played 37 games in his rookie season, and Facundo Campazzo, who played for the Denver Nuggets last season. There is also Tremont Waters, who is battling for a Milwaukee Bucks roster spot.
Charlie Criss
Charlie Criss was a point guard for the Atlanta Hawks who made his NBA debut in 1977-78. At the time, he was the shortest NBA player. He averaged 11.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game during his rookie season, and he played in the league for eight seasons. Criss is also known as Mister Jennings.
Many people think that the NBA is a big man’s game, but there are countless examples of pint-sized players making an impact in the NBA. From 5’6″ point guard Spud Webb to a 5’5″ spark plug like Early Boykins, there are countless examples of pint-sized players making an impact in the NBA. Here are 10 of the NBA’s shortest players who made a big impact.
Charlie Criss’ height is five feet eight inches. He played for various teams in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the San Diego Clippers and the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 8.5 points per game during his nine-year NBA career and is the shortest NBA player in history.
Another player with a unique height is Earl Boykins. At five feet, 11 inches, he played for the Washington Wizards from 1998 to 2012. He didn’t have a big name, but his skills and athleticism were enough to make him a valuable player for the Wizards.
Another short player is Keith Jennings, who was undrafted and played for the Golden State Warriors for three seasons. He went on to play abroad and became a coach. He was later inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.
Spud Webb
When he entered the NBA, Anthony Jerome “Spud” Webb was the shortest player in the history of the league. He was only five feet seven inches tall, and played most of his NBA games with the Atlanta Hawks. But even though his height is small, he was still able to play a solid game because of his leaping ability. His vertical leap was 50 inches.
In 1986, Webb won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. His amazing dunk surprised the media and the competition. His dunk included a reverse double-pump slam. He beat Dominique Wilkins, who had been a heavy favorite to win the contest.
Webb played college basketball for Midland College and the North Carolina State University before declaring for the 1985 NBA draft. He led Midland College to a national championship in 1982 and was named a college all-star. After the season, he transferred to North Carolina State and played two seasons there. Webb was then drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth round of the draft. During his time with the Hawks, he averaged 10.4 points and 5.7 assists.
Spud Webb is the shortest player in NBA history. He played 12 seasons for the Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Atlanta Hawks. Today, he is the President of Basketball Operations for the Texas Legends, the NBA G League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks.
The following 10 basketball players are among the shortest in the NBA. Although these players are exceptionally short by NBA standards, their determination and work ethic helped them achieve their dreams. They went on to play professionally and even became basketball coaches. If you are looking for inspiration, then these players should be a great start.
Allen Iverson
Despite being the shortest player in the NBA, Allen Iverson has a unique skill set. He is one of the most athletic players in the league, displaying amazing speed. Iverson is also well known for his lack of fear on the court. This allows him to make some incredible moves.
Iverson began his career as a point guard before moving to shooting guard, where he dominated for many years. His athleticism and versatility earned him the nickname ‘the Answer’. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2000, despite his diminutive height. Iverson played hard every game, but unfortunately, that led to injuries.
Despite his small size, Allen Iverson has excelled in the NBA, averaging over twenty points per game in his thirteen years in the league. Though his average height is six feet, he has already amassed over twenty thousand points in his career. This feat is amazing and shows that even a player of a smaller stature can make it big in this league.
Aside from Iverson, Earl Boykins is another short player who has made an impact on the NBA. He played college basketball for the Eastern Michigan University and was one of the team’s most prolific scorers. His jersey number was retired by the university, and he bounced around the league for a while before signing with the Denver Nuggets. Later, he played for the Milwaukee Bucks and was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats. He was known for his confidence on the court, and was known for his quickness and shooting ability.
