Who Is The Shortest NBA Player Right Now?

Height has always been one of the determining factors of a successful basketball player. Or, not really. Most basketball legends are extremely tall that allows them to do the unthinkable.

However, it is not without exception. There are still NBA players who are short but their gameplay is amazing. Let’s learn more about the shortest NBA player with Scott Fujita in this article. 

The Shortest Basketball Player In NBA History

In NBA history, Muggsy Bogues is the shortest player. He is only 5’3″, equivalent to 1.60m. Muggsy Bogues’s height is even lower than the average American male height.

His real name is Tyrone Curtis Bogues. His teammates called him Muggsy due to his birthplace, Maryland. Muggsy Bogues’ defense is excellent. He is very good at mugging his opponents.

From 1987 to 2001, he played 889 games in total. Charlotte Hornets was Bogues’ longest-serving teammate from 1988 to 1997. When Muggsy Bogues was 36 years old, he announced his retirement. His average performance is 7.7 points per game and 7.6 assists per game.

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List Of The Shortest NBA Players Of All Time

1. Muggsy Bogues – 5’3″, 136 pounds

5’3” is Muggsy Bogues height.

A list of the shortest basketball players without the presence of Muggsy Bogues is an empty list. Bogues ‘ presence is still outstanding, despite standing a foot shorter than other players on the court. His natural proportions have made him an excellent ball stealer and passer.

Over 14 seasons in the NBA, Bogues averaged a staggering 7.6 assists per game. More than that, he got 38 blocks. One of them was before Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks.

2. Earl Boykins – 5’5″, 135 pounds

Earl Boykins picture.

Earl Boykins holds second place on the list with a slightly taller height than Bogues by two inches. However, he is the lightest player in NBA history.

Because of his physical weakness, no team included him in their draft lineup, so Boykins had to change units constantly. The Denver Nuggets had his most extended landing, from 2003 to 2007.

Despite his size, Earl Boykins is an actual shooter. He is the shortest player ever to score more than 30 points in a game.

3. Mel Hirsch – 5’6″, 165 pounds

Picture of Melvin Hirsch.

Mel Hirsch served as a Pilot in the South Pacific in the United States Air Force. Here he played on the squadron officers’ basketball team. He played in 13 games with the Boston Celtics in the Basketball Association of America. It was the forerunner of the NBA.

4. Greg Grant – 5’7″, 140 pounds

Picture of Greg Grant.

At the College of New Jersey, Greg Grant was a standout from Division III. Then the Phoenix Suns drafted him. During his nine-year career on six NBA teams, Greg Grant has faced opponents nearly twice his size. For one of the shortest players in the NBA, this is not a wrong career.

5. Red Klotz – 5’7″, 150 pounds

69 years old Red Klotz.

Red Klotz has two characteristics that make us remember him. In 1948, Klotz won the Basketball Association of America title with the Baltimore Bullets. He is the shortest player ever to get this title.

Klotz is also the founder of Washington Generals. This team has a legendary losing history against the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters.

6. Wataru Misaka – 5’7″, 150 pounds

Wataru Misaka picture.

Despite growing up in poverty, Wataru Misaka did not succumb to fate. The Japanese point guard broke the color barrier in professional basketball. He is the first Asian and non-white player to play in the NBA.

7. Keith Jennings – 5’7″, 160 pounds

Keith Jennings in the NBA league.

Short stature is a disadvantage for basketball players. Keith Jennings is a prime example. No team drafted him, and he had to join the NBA as a free agent. However, the Golden State Warriors presented an opportunity for Jennings, and he took it to the fullest.

Although his career lasted only a few years, people will remember Jennings’ breakthrough performance in the final game forever. He excellently scored 23 points and ten assists, an impressive number.

8. Monte Towe – 5’7″, 150 pounds

Picture of Monte Towe.

Monte Towe is the creator of the alley-oop. In 1974, he began his career as a point guard on the North Carolina state championship team. Towe also demonstrated outstanding baseball ability when leading Wolfpack’s baseball team to the ACC Championship that same year.

He appeared in both the NBA and ABA Draft. Towe participated in two seasons with the Denver Nuggets under Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown.

9. Spud Webb – 5’7″, 133 pounds

Spud Webb slam dunk.

Spud Webb is the shortest player in the NBA ever participating in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Even more surprising was that he was the winner of that tournament in 1986.

Spud Webb’s opponent at the Slam Dunk Contest was Dominique Wilkins, with a height of 6’8″. Webb won the final round with a perfect 50 points twice.

In addition, Spud Webb is also an outstanding player in the NBA. In the 1994-95 season, he led with a free throw rate of more than 93% from the charity line.

10. Dino Martin – 5’8″, 160 pounds

Dino Martin has the same height as Charlie Criss.

Dino Martin is with BAA’s Providence Steamrollers (the predecessor to the NBA) after a successful career at Georgetown. On January 9, 1947, the 5’8 keeper became the first professional player to score 40 points in a single game.

11. Nate Robinson – 5’9″, 180 pounds

5’9” is Nate Robinson height.

Although the height of Nate Robinson is not impressive, his abilities are incredibly exceptional. Robinson came to the NBA as a bright star, and he proved he deserved it.

Although his height is inferior to that of his competitors, Nate Robinson’s career is outstanding. He studied Spud Webb to hone his dunk skills. The result was a well-deserved win at the NBA slam Dunk Contest in 2006 for a player under six feet tall. With three NBA league titles, Robinson has had a fantastic career.

12. Calvin Murphy – 5’9″, 165 pounds

Toughest little man Calvin Murphy.

Calvin Murphy is an NBA player with top-notch defense, especially when he’s facing more prominent players. His free throw rate set a record. During more than a decade of playing basketball, Murphy has averaged 18 points per game.

In 1993, Murphy became the shortest NBA player on the list of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Who Is The Shortest NBA Player Right Now?

Picture of Isaiah Thomas.

Among the shortest NBA players 2022, Isaiah Thomas is the most prominent name not only because of his height.

At 5′ 10″, Isaiah Thomas had a great time with the Boston Celtics from 2015 to 2017. Since the Houston Rockets acquitted 5’9″ Chris Clemons in January 2001, he became the shortest player in the NBA league at the moment.

His average performance is 5.5 points per game, 2.9 assists, and a steal per game. His average game time is 19 minutes.

Conclusion

Via this article, now you know who is the shortest player in the NBA. Despite having no physical advantage and thanks to playmaking and formidable basketball IQ, they still make history. Scott Fujita still has many interesting articles about the NBA in particular and basketball in general. You can choose and read what you like. 

Don’t forget to share your thoughts. Thank you for reading!