The shortest NBA player to ever play the game is Muggsy Bogues. Muggsy Bogues was 5 feet 3 inches in height.
There is this famous photo everyone can see on the internet, where Muggsy Bogues is standing with the late Manute Bol, his teammate. Manute Bol was the second-tallest player to ever play in NBA history. From that picture on the internet, we can see the height difference between the two, and it's enormous. Amazingly, the height gap between them is an incredible 28 inches.
Basketball is usually known as the sport for tall people, and more often than not, we see taller players play the game and be successful. However, every once in a while, we see players who are smaller and considered short come into the game and succeed at the highest level.
Muggsy Bogues is the shortest one to play the game at NBA level. However, many other players have played in the NBA over the years but were considered short. And there are still some shorter players plying their trade in the modern NBA.
Join us in exploring the shortest players to play in today’s NBA as well as from previous eras.
Tyrone Muggsy Bogues
The aforementioned Bogues is known to be the shortest player to ever grace NBA courts. He played in the NBA for 14 years.
The 5’3 point guard was drafted by the Washington Bullets, now known as the Washington Wizards, in 1987. Bogues would end his career in 2001 playing for the Toronto Raptors with a stint with Charlotte Hornets and Golden State Warriors in between. He was most prominent during his stay with the Hornets.
Even though he was the smallest player to ever play the game, by no means was he bad. He had a career average of 7.7 points per game, along with 7.6 assists per game and 1.5 steals per game. A respectable average for a point guard and the smallest player on the court, no less.
Moreover, due to his lower height and his success in the NBA, he was a famous athlete with great marketability during the 90s. He inspired those who thought short height would be a barrier to joining NBA prior to his exploits in the league.
Earl Boykins
Earl Boykins is also one of the shortest NBA players to ever play in the league. He played as a point guard in his NBA career which span 13 years in total.
Boykins was just 5'5 in height, but he managed to pull off a reasonably successful career where he played for 10 NBA teams during his career. He was an undrafted prospect in the 1998 NBA draft and was later signed by the New Jersey Nets.
He often signed short-term contracts with teams. Hence why, he has so many different teams on his resume. The longest he ever stayed with any team was the Denver Nuggets, with whom he signed a five-year contract.
Earl Boykins was so small that he had to use a tennis ball to improve and hone his dribbling skills. When he was three, his father used to carry him in his gym bag to the games so the fare would be off.
Even though he was a short man for the game of basketball, he made the most out of what he got. In fact, in 2004, Earl Boykins became the shortest player to score 30 points in a game while playing for the Denver Nuggets against the Detroit Pistons. However, his career-high points in a game were 36, which he managed to score multiple times.
Melvin Hirsch
Melvin Hirsh was a player who played in the NBA during the 40s. Melvin Hirsh was part of the Boston Celtics.
Standing at 5'6, Melvin Hirsh was regarded as the shortest player ever to set foot on a basketball court until Muggsy Bogues came around several decades later. Four, to be exact. He is still the third shortest player to ever play the game, behind the two players mentioned above.
Hirsh played his college career with Brooklyn, and when he was with the Boston Celtics, the NBA wasn't formed yet. The Boston Celtics he was part of competed in the Basketball Association of America.
However, with Hirsh's sort height, what we can learn is that there were short guys in the old times, too who could make a cut into the professional league to play with the giants.
Hence, it is not impossible for a short person to get into the NBA or any professional basketball league, for that matter.
Some Other Shortest Players in The NBA
Some other short players who played in the NBA include players like
| Anthony Webb | 5'7 |
| Greg Grant | 5'7 |
| Louis Koltz | 5'7 |
| Wataru Misaka | 5'7 |
| Monte Towe | 5'7 |
| Keith Jennings | 5'7 |
| Charlie Criss | 5'8 |
Isaiah Thomas
The shortest basketball player in NBA today is Isaiah Thomas. The 33 year old Isaiah Thomas currently plays for the Charlotte Hornets.
Standing at 5'9, Isaiah Thomas is the shortest listed player who is active and playing in the NBA at the current date. The 2012 NBA draft's 60th overall pick has had an eventful and successful career.
Drafted by the Sacramento Kings, Isaiah has played for 11 teams since he entered the league, including a single-year stay with the NBA G League team in 2021.
Isaiah's most memorable stint was with the Boston Celtics, where he was selected into the NBA All-star games twice and helped guide Boston Celtics into the Eastern Conference Finals.
Apart from Isaiah Thomas, there are some other players who are considered short in today's NBA with a height of 5'10 to 6'0.
Facundo Campazzo
Facundo Campazzo is one of the shortest players playing in the NBA today. Apart from Isaiah Thomas Facundo is the shortest player out there.
Standing at 5'10, Facundo Campazzo plays for the Dallas Mavericks. Hailing from Cordoba, Argentina, Campazzo used to play for Real Madrid in the Euroleague until the Denver Nuggets signed him in 2020 to play in the NBA.
Facundo is one of the shortest players in the league when he steps onto the court.
Jordan McLaughlin
Another present day player who is regarded as short is Jordan McLaughlin. Jordan McLaughlin plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the point guard.
Having gone undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft, he was picked up by the Brooklyn Nets' G league team Long Island Nets. He moved to the Timberwolves in 2019 and has been with them ever since.
Standing at 5'11, Jordan McLaughlin could make many of us regular people seem short. However, in the NBA and inside the court, he is regarded as one of the shortest players out there.
McKinley Wright IV
McKinley Wright IV is another player in NBA today who is considered to be short. The 24 year old point guard plays for the Dallas Mavericks.
Again standing at 5'11, he would be considered a tall man were he to walk on a random street any given day among the ordinary people. However, that's not the case inside the basketball court.
In his occupation, he is one small guy surrounded by many who are taller than him.
Aaron Holiday
With Aaron Holiday we enter a new height category. Aaron stands at 6 feet but it is not enough to rank him among the tallest players in the NBA still.
The 26-year-old Californian plays as a point guard for the Atlanta Hawks. Holiday was selected as the 23rd overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. With a brief stint at the Wizards and the Suns, Holiday is now with his fourth team in five years.
Again, if his height were measured among the ordinary day-to-day people, his size is fine, but among his peers in the league, Aaron Holiday is ranked amongst the shortest.
Chris Paul
Chris Paul might be the most popular name we have entered on our list today. The legendary point guard is still going strong in the NBA at the age of 37.
At 6 feet, Chris Paul is again one of the shortest players in the entire league. However, even with his short height, to begin with, Chris Paul's achievements and recognition are of a tall order.
Considered by many as one of the greatest point guards to have ever played the game of basketball, Chris Paul never let his height come in between his love for the game and his achievements.
Where many others would be discouraged by their short height and would not continue to follow their dream, Chris Paul used his short height as an advantage in the play as his short height gave him more quickness and better maneuverability while dribbling the ball. His height was an advantage in making him one of the greatest point guards in history.
Someone standing at 6 feet is definitely not a small person by any measure compared to regular folks. However, within the NBA, Chris Paul is one of the smallest guys when he takes the court.
Kemba Walker
Another current NBA player standing at 6 feet in height is Kemba Walker. The mercurial point guard plays for the Dallas Mavericks.
Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2011 NBA draft as the 9th overall pick, the 32-year-old was with them for eight relatively unsuccessful years.
Kemba Walker then moved to the Boston Celtics and stayed with them for two years. He helped the Celtics reach an Eastern Conference Finals during his two years. He is with the Mavericks starting this year after spending a year with the New York Knicks.
Just like Chris Paul, Kemba has managed to use his height to his advantage and improve his on-ball skills. The four-time NBA All-Star is considered one of the prominent shortest players today.
Kyle Lowry
Kyle Lowry is yet another player playing in the league today who is considered a short player. The 36 year old plays for the Miami Heat as a point guard.
The six-time NBA All-Star and the 2019 NBA champion Lowry also stand at 6 feet in height. 2016 All NBA 3rd team player started his NBA journey with the Memphis Grizzlies after they selected him as the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2006 NBA draft.
Lowry spent a couple of years with the Rockets before moving to the Raptors, where he spent nine years and won a title before moving to the Heat.
Like everyone else, he would be a regular heightened man amongst the ordinary people. But amongst his peers, he is regarded as one of the shortest.
Some Other Short Players In The NBA Today
| D.J. Augustin | 5'11 |
| Carlik Jones | 6'0 |
| Davion Mitchell | 6'0 |
| Jose Alvarado | 6'0 |
| Patty Mills | 6'0 |
| Trey Burke | 6'0 |
These were some of the other players among many who play in the NBA today but are regarded as short players compared to regular NBA players.
As we can see from all these players, most of them, if not all, play the point guard position. Point guard is one such position in basketball, where being tall is a necessity.
Being short and small gives a player more maneuverability and movement ability, which is crucial for a point guard. Also, a point guard has to handle a ball and dribble more. So, shorter players can enhance their handles and movement with the ball better than taller players.
Hence, being short is not a disadvantage as much as people think. Determined guys who want to make a career in basketball and join the NBA can use their short height to their advantage and grow as a player.
