10 Shortest NBA Players Ever
Many players of relatively diminutive height have created an impact on the game and have done so in style. Today we take a look at the 10 Shortest NBA Players of the sport.
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Who are the shortest NBA players in history?
It is often considered that the NBA courts are dominated by the tallest players and players of large physiques only. That perhaps is generally the case in terms of athletic prowess. But that surely doesn’t mean shorter players have not excelled across the NBA courts. They have and have done so much better than many other taller players. So who have been the shortest players in NBA history?
Evidently, players of height shorter than six feet often have to walk the extra mile to cement their place in the league. As shorter players often struggle in defensive suits and are often overpowered due to opponents’ height advantage, size surely comes to play in the game of basketball.
Nevertheless, many players of relatively diminutive height have created an impact on the game and have done so in style. Today we take a look at the 10 Shortest NBA Players ever.
Related: Who are the shortest NBA players in 2023
#10 Charlie Criss: 5-foot-7 (1.73m)
Standing at a height of 5-foot-7, Charlie Criss is the 10th shortest NBA player in history. Criss played 8 seasons in the NBA from 1977-1985. The point guard played for Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and San Diego Clippers in his career. Criss amassed 3,534 points, 592 rebounds and 1,335 assists during his NBA career.
#9 Monte Towe: 5-foot-7 (1.70m)
Monte Towe played point guard for the Denver Nuggets from 1975 to 1977. Five feet and seven inches tall, Towe is the ninth shortest NBA player in history. He played college basketball for the University of North Carolina and won the NCAA championships in 1974.
#8 Wataru Misaka: 5-foot-7 (1.70m)
Misaka Wataru was the first ever basketball player of Asian descent in the NBA. He played a short stint with the New York Knicks drafted by the franchise in 1947. Wataru stood at a height of 5-foot-7 and played point guard throughout his career. Misaka also played college basketball for the University of Utah, winning the NCAA Championship in 1947.
#7 Red Klotz: 5-foot-7 (1.70m)
Louis ‘Red’ Klotz was a 5-foot-7 point guard who played for the original Baltimore Bullets in the then-BBA. Red also played for the Washington Generals in his professional career. During his stint with the Bullets, Red won the BBA in the 1947-1948 season. Red Klotz is the seventh shortest player in NBA history.
#6 Keith Jennings: 5-foot-7 (1.70m)
Keith Jennings played for the Golden State Warriors during his time in the NBA. Between 1992 to 1995, he played point guard for the Warriors and was an instrumental player on the squad. Five feet and seven inches tall, Jennings is the sixth shortest player on the list.
#5 Greg Grant: 5-foot-7 (1.70m)
Greg Grant stood at a height of 5-foot-7 and is one of the shortest players in NBA history. During his nine seasons in the league, Grant played for six different franchises in the NBA. Originally drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1989, Greg went on to play for the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets and Washington Bullets.
#4 Spud Webb: 5-foot-7 (1.69m)
Five feet and seven inches tall, Spud Webb is the fourth shortest basketball player in NBA history. Drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1985, Webb played point guard for the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings. He won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1980, as the shortest-ever player to have aced the feat.
#3 Mel Hirsch: 5-foot-6 (1.68m)
Mel Hirsch played a rather short stint with the Boston Celtics between 1946-1947 in the League. Only 5-foot-6, Mel Hirsch was the shortest player in history to have played in the league during his time. The Celtics point guard remains the third shortest player to have graced the game in NBA history.
#2 Earl Boykins: 5-foot-5 (1.65m)
The second name on the list is Earl Boykins who stood at a height of 5-foot-5. During his time in the NBA, Boykins played for the New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards and the Houston Rockets. The point guard amassed 5,791 points, 877 rebounds and 2,092 assists during his time in the league.
#1 Muggsy Bogues: 5-foot-3 (1.60m)
With a FIBA World Cup title to his name, Muggsy Bogues dominated the courts despite his diminutive height. Only five feet and 3 inches tall, Bogues is the shortest NBA player ever. The point guard was drafted into the NBA in 1987 by the then-Washington Bullets. He also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors between 1987 to 2001. During his time in the league, Muggsy amassed 6,858 points, 6,726 rebounds and 1,369 assists.
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Gerard Crispin
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