The story of the shortest ever NBA player

The photo of Muggsy Bogues standing next to Manute Bol is one of the most iconic images in NBA history. It’s the kind of image no one forgets—an instant classic that the NBA has cleverly woven into its ongoing narrative, one that’s helped the league reach audiences across the globe.

And it’s no wonder. After all, it captured the shortest and tallest players ever to play in the NBA, standing side by side as teammates on the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards). Bogues stood at just 1.60 meters (5′3″), while Bol towered over him at 2.31 meters (7′7″).

Bogues, a point guard (naturally), still holds the record as the shortest player to ever play in the league. As for Bol, he was the tallest until Gheorghe Mureșan edged him out—barely—in height, although Mureșan’s size was largely due to acromegaly, a disorder of the pituitary gland. Still, Bol held the title for a time.

Bogues was a curiosity from the moment he stepped onto the court. His stature guaranteed attention—he was always under the spotlight, frequently photographed beside players who towered over him (which was essentially everyone). But beyond the novelty, Muggsy carved out a respectable NBA career.

He used his low center of gravity and quickness to his advantage, slipping past defenders, penetrating the lane with ease, and displaying a natural gift for passing. He had excellent court vision and protected the ball well, averaging just 1.6 turnovers per game over his career, with only one season above two—a stellar stat for a primary ball handler.

Bogues entered the NBA in the 1987 draft, a strong class in its own right. Before that, he made a name for himself at Dunbar High School in Baltimore, where he shared a locker room with future NBA players like David Wingate, Reggie Williams, and Reggie Lewis. He then played four seasons at Wake Forest University, posting 11.3 points, 8.4 assists, and 3.1 steals per game as a junior, and improving to 14.8 points, 9.5 assists, 3.9 steals, and 3.8 rebounds as a senior—all while standing just 5′3″.

The Bullets selected him 12th overall in the draft, where he briefly teamed up with Manute Bol. That same draft also featured future stars like David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller, Kevin Johnson, and Horace Grant—all selected ahead of him. Behind Bogues came notable names like Mark Jackson and Reggie Lewis. It was a group that would help shape the NBA in the years to come, just as Michael Jordan was ascending to dominance in the 1990s—six rings in eight years, a brief retirement, a legendary return... you know the story.

Bogues played just one season with the Bullets, averaging 5 points and 5 assists across 79 games (14 starts). Then came the turning point: Charlotte.

In 1988, the NBA began a wave of expansion, adding the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets as new franchises. When expansion happens, each existing team can protect up to eight players, while the rest are left exposed to be drafted by the new franchises. Despite lacking depth at the point guard position, the Bullets chose not to protect Muggsy. On June 22, 1988, he was selected by the Hornets in the expansion draft.

A similar process would repeat the next year with the introduction of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic, and again in 1995 with the Vancouver Grizzlies (now the Memphis Grizzlies) and the Toronto Raptors, which marked the NBA’s arrival in Canada. Each expansion brought new opportunities—and for Muggsy, it meant the beginning of a new legacy.

He would go on to spend nine of his 14 NBA seasons in Charlotte, where he became a local hero and one of the faces of the young franchise. His speed, passing, and defensive instincts made him a fan favorite and a key contributor during the Hornets’ early years. Charlotte didn’t boast big-name talent at the time, and cracking the Eastern Conference—dominated first by the “Bad Boy” Pistons and then by Jordan’s Bulls—was no small feat. Complicating things further, the NBA was still riding the twilight of Larry Bird’s Celtics, and the Western Conference was packed with talent as well.

Even so, the Hornets found ways to shine. In the 1989–90 season, Bogues averaged 9.4 points, 1.7 steals, and 2 steals per game. By 1992–93, they upset the Boston Celtics (without Bird) in the first round of the playoffs and pushed Pat Riley’s Knicks to the brink in the semifinals—three of their four losses coming by four points or fewer. The Hornets were finally relevant, thanks in part to Bogues, and supported by a rising core that included Dell Curry, Larry Johnson, and Alonzo Mourning—then one of the league’s premier big men, averaging 21 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.

The 1994–95 season marked the Hornets’ first 50-win campaign, a milestone they extended to 54 wins two years later. But despite the regular season success, they never advanced past the conference semifinals. To this day, the Hornets (along with the Pelicans) remain one of the few franchises to have never reached the Conference Finals.

As time passed, Bogues’ role diminished. He was traded to the Golden State Warriors early in the 1997–98 season, and he closed out his career with the Toronto Raptors, though he played only three games in his final year. His rights were later traded to the Knicks and Mavericks, but he never suited up for either team. Still, he left behind a lasting legacy.

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Over 14 seasons, Muggsy Bogues appeared in 889 games (starting 556), scoring 6,858 points, dishing out 6,726 assists, and recording 1,369 steals. He was never a three-point threat, but he was a crafty penetrator and a sharp playmaker. After retiring, he entered the real estate business before becoming head coach of the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting in 2005. He remained in that role until the team folded in early 2007. Today, he serves as an ambassador for the Hornets—still beloved, still remembered.

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