Who Is the Shortest Player in NBA History?

Standing just 5-foot-3, Tyrone Bogues, who went by the nickname “Muggsy,” played 14 years in the NBA, from 1987 to 2001. He was a regular starter into his 30s and remains the second-longest tenured player in Charlotte Hornets franchise history. His 632 games are only eclipsed by Dell Curry.

Bogues also holds the franchise record for assists (5,557) and steals (1,067) and in 1993-94, he averaged a double-double, scoring at a 10.8 points-per-game clip and dishing out 10.1 assists-per-game.

Bogues was the team’s primary starting point guard in its most successful season of 1997-98. The Hornets went 51-31 during the regular season, finishing third in the Eastern Conference. They knocked off the Atlanta Hawks in the first round before falling to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the second.

Muggsy Bogues in College

Dunbar High in Baltimore, Maryland, produced one of the most dominant teams in high-school basketball history. Bogues played on a team at Dunbar alongside future NBA players David Wingate, Reggie Lewis and Reggie Williams. They were coached by future University of Maryland head coach Bob Wade, as well, and Dunbar went a combined 50-0 over Bogues' final two seasons.

That earned him plenty of high-level Division-I looks despite his frame. He chose Wake Forest over Virginia, Penn State and others. Bogues played in 32 games as a freshman, but played less than 10 minutes per game.

But he was a starter the next three years and he led the Atlantic Coast Conference in both assists-per-game and steals-per-game in each of his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. Bogues remains the school's all-time leader in assists (781) and steals (275).

Muggsy Bogues' NBA History and Retirement

Originally taken 12th overall in the 1987 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets, Bogues played just one season in the nation’s capital before the Hornets grabbed him in the 1988 expansion draft ahead of their first season.

Bogues was traded to the Golden State Warriors alongside fellow point guard Tony Delk for B.J. Armstrong in 1997. His playing time began to slow at Golden State as he managed just 95 games over two seasons.

In September 1999, the Toronto Raptors signed Bogues who found his health again and played in 80 games, with five starts, that season. Even though he was traded two more times - from the Raptors to the Knicks and then from the Knicks to the Mavericks - Bogues played his final NBA game with Toronto in 2000-01 season.

Since his retirement, Bogues has worked in real estate and coaching, including a stint as head coach of the Charlotte Sting in the WNBA from 2005-06.