Mariagabriela Gracia y Darwin Silva
Basketball is a sport of giants, in fact we have seen men like Yao Ming play in the NBA, who, without being the tallest in the history of the league, was 2.29 meters tall. There have also been smaller players, like Muggsy Bogues who we cannot forget about, he had his speed and his charm, with which he won over basketball fans.
Now, Muggsy has not been the only small player to be successful in the best basketball in the world. If you want to know which are the top 5 shortest players in the NBA, read this article to the end so you don’t miss any detail.
1. Tyrone Curtis “Muggsy” Bogues, the shortest player in NBA history.
Tyrone Curtis “Muggsy” Bogues played 14 years in the NBA, playing 889 regular season games, averaging 28.6 minutes, 7.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 7.6 assists per game. In addition, he shot 46% from the field, 28% from three-point range and 83% from the free throw line. Not bad for someone who was 5’11”, the shortest man to ever play in the NBA.
In addition to his talent playing basketball, Muggsy Bogues always showed a great attitude that made him earn the respect of his opponents. He was never one to give up, and he worked hard to keep his spot with the Washington Bullets first, followed by the Charlotte Hornets, then the Golden State Warriors, and finally the Toronto Raptors (1999-2001).
A curious fact about this player is that he received the nickname Muggsy because of his ability to steal balls, leaving behind his first name, Tyrone.
Another Muggsy Bogues’ anecdote is that in 1987 he played for the Bullets with Manute Bol, who at 2.31 meters is the second tallest player to participate in the NBA.
2. Earl Boykins, at 5’6″, is the second shortest player in the NBA.
Earl Boykins played in the NBA for the first time in 1999 with the New Jersey Nets, and was later traded to Cleveland that same year. He went on to play for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets. A total of 11 franchises enjoyed the play of this NBA player.
At 5’11” Earl Boykins played 652 games throughout his NBA career, averaging 19.9 minutes, 8.9 points, 3.2 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game.
Strength, skill and quickness were the skills that made Earl Boykins a good NBA player.
3. Spud Webb, the shortest player to win an All Star Game dunk contest.
In 1986, Spud Webb surprisingly won the NBA All-Star Weekend dunk contest over teammate Dominique Wilkins, becoming the shortest player in NBA history to win the contest.
Spud Webb played in 814 games, averaging 24.9 minutes per game, 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 45.2% from the field and 84.8% from the free throw line. Excellent statistics for a player who was only 1.68 meters tall.
4. Isaiah Thomas, the shortest player to make a triple double.
Isaiah Thomas was twice selected to the NBA All-Star Game, and he averaged 28.9 points per game in the 2016 – 2017 season, season in which he played for the Boston Celtics. His career fell due to a hip injury. After several 10-day contracts, he was able to prove his level with the Charlotte Hornets, and he retained a spot with this team until the end of the 2021-2022 season.
Isaiah Thomas is the smallest player to achieve a triple double in an NBA game, and also the player to be included in one of the best NBA quintets. He is 1.75 meters tall. He is a basketball star who we hope will return renewed for the 2022 – 2023 season.
5. Nate Robinson, one of the shortest players in the NBA, who knew how to nail it.
Nate Robinson played 12 seasons in the NBA, and he is the only player to have won the NBA All-Star Weekend dunk contest three times, despite being only 5’11” tall.
This enthusiastic player participated in 618 NBA games, averaging 11 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3 assists, 42.3% from the field, 36% from three-point range and 79.6% from the free throw line.
This athletic point guard reminded us all that there is no such thing as impossible when talent, hard work and discipline go hand in hand.
And you, are you taller than these players? Which of the top 5 shortest NBA players is your favorite?
If you found it interesting to know which are the shortest NBA players, then you can’t miss our article titled Top 3 NBA basketball players tattoos.
