Basketball is widely known to be a sport with the tallest players at an advantage. While the average stature of a man is about 5'9" in the U.S., the average NBA player's height is 6'6".
While most of the current NBA players are above 6 feet, some have made a name for themselves regardless of their small height.
Players such as Earl Boykins, Spud Webb, Mel Hirsch, Greg Grant, etc., are among the shortest players in the NBA of all time, dominating the court with practice and skill.
Minnesota Timberwolves' Jordan McLaughlin, Indiana Pacers' David Stockton, and Dallas Mavericks' McKinley Wright IV are among the shortest NBA players currently at 5'9" height.
Boykins is the second shortest player in NBA history, standing 5 feet 5 inches tall behind Muggsy. He has been serving as a basketball coach for different programs since retirement.
1. Muggsy Bogues
- Years Active - 1987 to 2001
- Height - 5 feet 3 inches (1.6 meters)
Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues is the shortest NBA player ever. He played for four different teams throughout his 14-season career in the NBA.
The Baltimore, Maryland native point guard Bogues was picked 12th overall by the Washington Bullets during the 1987 NBA draft.
After a season, Bogues was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1988 NBA expansion draft after the Bullets left him unprotected. He is best known for his time with the Hornets.
After ten seasons with the Hornets, Bogues played point guard for the Golden State Warriors from 1997 to 1999 and Toronto Raptors from 1999 to 2001 before retirement.
Throughout his NBA career, he recorded an average of 7.7 points, 7.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
After retirement, Bogues last served as the head coach of the United Faith Christian Academy boys' high school basketball team from 2011 to 2014.
2. Earl Antoine Boykins
- Years Active - 1998 to 2012
- Height - 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters)
The former professional American point guard Earl Boykins is the second-shortest NBA player. He was signed short-term contracts by five different teams in the NBA before 2003.
Boykins began his NBA career in 1999, jumping from the New Jersey Nets to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic.
Before the 2003-2004 NBA season, Boykins signed a five-year contract for $13.7 million with the Denver Nuggets.
He became the shortest NBA player in history to record 30 or more points in a game after scoring 32 points in a 117-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons in November 2004.
Throughout his career in the NBA, Boykins recorded an average of 8.9 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
After retirement in 2012, Earl has served as an assistant coach of the UTEP Miners basketball team since 2021.
3. Spud Webb
- Years Active - 1985 to 1998
- Height - 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 meters)
The former American professional basketball point guard Anthony Jerome "Spud" Webb played for four different NBA teams throughout his career.
The Dallas, Texas native, Spud, despite his short height, won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1986. He was picked 87th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 1985 NBA draft.
After being released by the Pistons before the preseason, Webb joined the Atlanta Hawks the same year through tryout, making the opening roster.
He led the Hawks with the then-career-high 32 points to a 139-127 victory over the Nuggets in March 1991.
After being traded by the Hawks in 1991, Webb played five seasons with the Sacramento Kings from 1991 to 1995 and led the NBA in free throws during his final season with the team.
He has served as the NBA G League's Texas Legends' president of basketball operations since 2010.
4. Mel Hirsch
- Years Active - 1946 to 1947
- Height - 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 meters)
Melvin M. Hirsch was a professional American basketball point guard who played the 1946-47 season for the Basketball Association of America's (currently known as NBA) Boston Celtics.
Hirsch was the shortest player in the NBA until, after more than 40 years, Muggsy joined the league.
He played 13 games during his time with the Celtics, leading to a career record of 1.5 points and 0.8 assists per game.
He served in the US Army Air Corps in the 13th Troop Carrier Squadron as the C-47 aircraft navigator after graduating from Brooklyn College in 1943.
Hirsch played on the basketball team of the squadron's officer. However, he passed away from leukemia at the age of 47 in December 1968.
5. Greg Grant
- Years Active - 1989 to 1998
- Height - 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 meters)
The former American professional basketball point guard Gregory Alan Grant was picked 52nd overall in the 1989 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns.
He played for the Suns from 1989 to 1990, New York Knicks from 1990 to 1991, Charlotte Hornets in 1991, Philadelphia 76ers from 1991 to 1993, and Denver Nuggets in 1995.
Following that, he joined the Washington Bullets (Wizards) for the 1995-96 season and rejoined the Nuggets in 1996 before joining the Atlantic City Seagulls.
Grant played college basketball for Trenton State College (currently known as The College of New Jersey) and was named the NABC Division III Player of the Year in 1989.
Throughout his NBA career from 1989 to 1996, Grant scored a career-high record of 767 points, 751 assists, and 248 rebounds in 274 games.
6. Red klotz
- Years Active - 1942 to 1989
- Height - 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 meters)
The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native and former professional basketball player Louis Herman "Red" Klotz was the oldest living NBA champion at his demise in 2014.
Klotz began his professional career as a point guard for the Philadelphia Sphas, a former American Basketball League's team, from 1942 to 1947.
Klotz played for the Basketball Association of America's Baltimore Bullets the following season, leading the team to the 1948 BAA Championship win.
He is considered the shortest NBA player to play in a championship game and the fourth-shortest NBA player overall.
During his time with the Bullets, Klotz averaged 1.4 points and 0.6 assists per 11 games he played. He then played for the Washington Generals from 1953 to 1989.
7. Keith Jennings
- Years Active - 1991 to 2005
- Height - 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 meters)
Keith Jennings is a former professional American basketball player who currently serves as a head coach of the Lees-McRae women's basketball team.
Jennings played college basketball at East Tennessee State men's basketball program from 1987 to 1991 and led the NCAA Division I in three-point field goals in 1991.
The Culpeper, Virginia native Jennings played point guard for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA from 1992 to 1995.
Keith played 164 games throughout his NBA career, scoring an average of 6.6 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
He began coaching as the head coach of the Highland School's boys' Varsity basketball team from 2004 to 2007.
8. Wataru Misaka
- Years Active - 1947 to 1948
- Height - 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 meters)
The Japanese descent former professional American basketball player Wataru Misaka played point guard for the New York Knicks in the NBA for the 1947-48 season.
He was picked 61st overall in the 1947 BAA draft by the Knicks, leading to him becoming the first player of Asian descent to play in the league.
Wataru played college basketball for Weber State from 1941 to 1943 and the Utah Utes from 1943 to 1944 and 1946 to 1947.
The Ogden, Utah native Misaka led the Utes men's basketball program to the 1944 NCAA and the 1947 NIT championships wins before joining the Knicks.
During his time with the Knicks, Misaka played three games, averaging 2.3 points and 4.3 field goal attempts per game.
9. Monte Towe
- Years Active - 1975 to 1977
- Height - 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 meters)
The retired professional American basketball point guard Monte Corwin Towe has served as the head coach at Oak Hall School since 2017.
Towe played college basketball for the North Carolina State Wolfpack men's basketball team from 1972 to 1975, leading the club to the 1974 NCAA Division I Championship win.
The Marion, Indiana native Towe was picked 57th overall in the 1975 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets in the 1975 ABA draft.
He signed with the Nuggets alongside David Thompson, his NC State teammate, and played for the team from 1995 to 1997.
Towe played the 1996-97 season when the Nuggets joined the NBA and appeared in the 1976 ABA All-Star Game before being waived in September 1977.
10. Markquis Nowell
- Years Active - 2023 to Present
- Height - 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 meters)
Markquis Morris Nowell is a professional American basketball player who joined the NBA's Toronto Raptors through a two-way contract as an undrafted agent in 2023.
He scored three rebounds, 17 points, and 12 assists during the summer league in a 108-101 victory against the Golden State Warriors in July 2023.
Nowell played college basketball for the Little Rock Trojans from 2018 to 2021 and the Kansas State Wildcats from 2021 to 2023.
He leads the NCAA Division I in single-game assists with 19 assists in the 2023 Sweet Sixteen Tournament.
Nowell averaged 14.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game throughout 131 games played during his college years.
11. Charlie Criss
- Years Active - 1975 to 1985
- Height - 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 meters)
The Valhalla, New York native Charles Washington Criss Jr. played point guard in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks, San Diego Clippers, and Milwaukee Bucks from 1977 to 1985.
Before joining the Hawks in 1977, Criss played professional basketball for the American Basketball League's Scranton Apollos for two seasons starting in 1975.
In 1977, as Criss joined the Hawks, he was the shortest active basketball player in the league. He played two seasons for the club and joined the Clippers in 1981.
While with the Clippers, he recorded his career-best of 34 points and eight assists in a 118-101 victory game against the San Antonio Spurs.
In the NBA, he played a career-high 418 games, averaging 8.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
12. Dino Martin
- Years Active - 1946 to 1948
- Height - 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 meters)
The former professional American basketball point guard Patrick Donald "Dino" Martin coached the Boston College Eagles men's basketball before his demise in 1999.
The Newport, Rhode Island native Martin played college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball program from 1939 to 1942, averaging 4.3 points per game.
In 1946, he began his professional career as the point guard for the Basketball Association of America's Providence Steamrollers.
Martin played for the team for two seasons, averaging 12.2 points and 3.2 points per game during his rookie and final seasons.
As a coach, he led the Boston College Eagles men's basketball in 1958 to make the NCAA tournament with a record of 109-102.
13. Willie Somerset
- Years Active - 1965 to 1973
- Height - 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 meters)
One of the shortest NBA players in history, Willard F. Somerset, played professional basketball in the NBA for the Baltimore Bullets during the 1965-66 season.
While with the Bullets, he played eight games for the club, averaging 5.6 points per game. Also, he played in the American Basketball Association for the Houston Mavericks and New York Nets.
During his time in the ABA from 1967 to 1969, Somerset played 135 games and averaged 22.8 points per game.
In addition, he ranked fifth in points per game and eight in assists per game in the league during the 1968-69 season. Also, he was named to the 1969 ABA All-Star team.
Throughout his NBA and ABA career, Somerset scored an average of 21.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.
14. Jacob Gilyard
- Years Active - 2022 to Present
- Height - 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 meters)
Jacob Gilyard is a professional American basketball point guard for the National Basketball Association's Memphis Grizzlies. He joined the team through a two-way contract in April 2023.
During college, he played for the Richmond Spiders men's basketball program from 2017 to 2022 and has led the NCAA in all-time career steals of 466 since December 2021.
The Kansas City, Missouri native Gilyard signed with the Memphis Grizzlies' NBA G League affiliate, Memphis Hustle, in 2022 and was named to the team's opening night roster.
Gilyard debuted in the NBA with the Grizzlies in a 105-100 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder in April 2023.
He registered three steals, four rebounds, seven assists, and three points during his NBA debut match.
15. Calvin Murphy
- Years Active - 1970 to 1983
- Height - 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 meters)
Calvin Jerome Murphy, a Norwalk, Connecticut native, is a retired professional basketball point guard who played for the Houston Rockets in the NBA from 1970 to 1983.
Murphy was picked 18th overall in the 1970 NBA draft by the San Diego Rockets (soon to be Houston Rockets in 1971).
At a height of 1.75 meters, Murphy was the shortest NBA player to play in an NBA All-Star Game until Isaiah Thomas tied the distinction in 2016.
The shortest NBA player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993, Murphy was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1971.
Murphy recorded eleven 1000-point NBA seasons, 78 consecutive free throws made in a season, and two-time Consensus First-Team All-American during his NBA career.
16. Chris Clemons
- Years Active - 2019 to Present
- Height - 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 meters)
The Raleigh, North Carolina native Christopher Adam Clemons is a professional basketball point guard for the NBA G League's Windy City Bulls.
Clemons played for the Houston Rockets in the NBA until 2021 as one the shortest basketball players after being signed as an undrafted agent in 2019.
He debuted in the league in a 129-100 loss against the Miami Heat in November 2019 and scored 16 points. He scored a career-high 19 points in a victory game against the Timberwolves.
In addition to the Rockets, Clemons played for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2022 NBA Summer League before joining the Windy City Bulls in September.
Besides the NBA, Clemons played for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers and the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association from 2022 to 2023.
17. Nate Robinson
- Years Active - 2005 to 2018
- Height - 5 feet 9 inches
Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson, a Seattle, Washington native, is a retired professional American basketball player and the NBA's first thrice Slam Dunk Champion since 2010.
Robinson was picked 21st overall in the 2005 NBA draft by the Suns and traded on that night to the New York Knicks.
During his five seasons with the Knicks from 2005 to 2010, Robinson became the NBA Slam Dunk Champion thrice in 2006, 2009, and 2010.
In his rookie season with the Knicks, he played 72 games, averaging two assists and 9.3 points per game.
Besides the Knicks, Nate played for the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, and New Orleans Pelicans in the league.
18. Isaiah Thomas
- Years Active - 2011 to Present
- Height - 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 meters)
A professional American basketball point guard, Isaiah Jamar Thomas last played for the NBA's Charlotte Hornets in 2022.
Isaiah played college basketball for the Washington Huskies men's basketball program from 2008 to 2011, being named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2009.
The Tacoma, Washington native Thomas was picked 60th overall by the Sacramento Kings during the 2011 NBA draft and selected to the 2012 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
He is well-known for his time with the Boston Celtics from 2015 to 2017, where he became the NBA All-Star twice in 2016 and 2017 and was named to the 2017 All-NBA Second Team.
Besides the Kings and the Celtics, Thomas played point guard for the Suns, Cavaliers, Lakers, Nuggets, Wizards, Pelicans, Mavericks, and Hornets in the NBA.
