The 9 Shortest NBA Players Who Managed To Hold Their Own In The League

The nature of basketball means guys who are gifted with an exorbitant amount of height tend to have an edge over the rest of the competition. However, there are a number of comparatively vertically challenged players who’ve managed to hold their own in the NBA.

The average American male stands at 5’9″, but as of the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, that number rises to 6’7″ when it comes to the players who comprise the world’s premier basketball league.

It goes without saying people who aren’t even able to check that first box are facing an uphill battle in their quest to make it to the NBA, but there are more than a few people who’ve not only defied the odds but ended up having a pretty solid career.

For the purpose of this list, I’m only considering players who managed to play at least 164 games; an admittedly arbitrary cutoff but one that essentially signifies they were able to last for a minimum of two full seasons.

Without further ado…

Muggsy Bogues: 5'3"

I feel like most NBA fans are aware that Muggsy Bogues firmly set the record for the shortest player in NBA history when the second overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft made his debut with Washington in 1987 (a team that also featured the tallest player in NBA history in the form of 7’7″ Manute Bol).

The guard certainly overcame his 5’3″ frame while playing close to 900 games over the 14 seasons he spent in the NBA, averaging 7.7 points, 7.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.

If there was a Mount Rushmore for Short Kings, Bogues would probably be on it (it’s worth noting college basketball sort of had one in the form of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award—formerly presented to the best player 6’0″ or shorter—which he won in 1987 for his play at Wake Forest).

Earl Boykins: 5'5"

Earl Boykins became the second shortest player in NBA history after the undrafted guard kicked off a five-game stint with the Nets in 1999 before finishing out the year with the Cavaliers (he also won the Pomeroy trophy).

Boykins was a journeyman who played for 10 different NBA teams during his 13 seasons in the league (he also played in Italy during the 2008-09 campaign) and racked up 652 regular season games between those franchises while cementing himself as a roleplayer who averaged 8.9 points and 3.2 assists per contest.

Spud Webb: 5'6"

Spud Webb had a solid college career at NC State, and while he was drafted by the Pistons, he was released before playing a single game before the Hawks decided to take a chance on the 5’6″ rookie.

The 1985-86 season marked the start of Webb’s 12-year career and also featured what was easily the most memorable moment: his victory at the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1986, which he clinched by topping Dominique Wilkins in the final round.

When everything was said and done, Webb ended up averaging 9.9 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in the 814 games he played.

Greg Grant: 5'7"

Greg Grant led all Division III players in scoring during his final season at Trenton State, and the Suns subsequently decided to scoop him up with the 52nd overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft.

He spent the bulk of his career as a benchwarmer (he only started five of the 274 games he played with six different teams) and averaged just 2.8 points and 2.7 rebounds before wrapping up his playing career with some semi-pro teams.

However, the fact that he lasted as long as he did is certainly nothing to scoff at.

Keith Jennings: 5'7"

We’ve got our third Pomeroy Award winner courtesy of Keith Jennings (who, if you can’t guess, is the guy on the right in the picture), who secured it in 1990 while playing for East Tennessee State.

Jennings wasn’t drafted but eventually landed a contract with the Warriors and spent the entirety of his NBA career with Golden State.

He played in 164 games in three seasons (although he only appeared in eight during his rookie campaign) while averaging 6.6 points, 3.7 assists, and a single steal. He finished out his pro career in Europe and eventually pivoted to coaching after heading back to the United States.

Charlie Criss: 5'8"

There had only been a few NBA players with a more diminutive height than Charlie Criss when he got a shot with the Hawks in 1977 after making a name for himself with the Continental Basketball Association.

However, none of them came close to experiencing the success Criss did once he made the leap en route to playing 418 games with three different teams over the span of eight seasons.

He hung up his sneakers in 1985 after averaging 8.5 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 rebounds per game.

Calvin Murphy: 5'9"

There’s only one man on this list who’s ended up enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, and that honor goes to Calvin Murphy.

Murphy was also inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame thanks to his career at Niagara (he averaged 33.1 points per game) and he picked up where he left off when the Rockets selected him with the 18th overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft.

He was a lights-out free throw shooter who spent the entirety of his 13-year career with the team that drafted him and held the record for the most points in franchise history when he retired in 1983 after averaging 17.9 points, 4.4 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 1,002 regular season games (a pace that largely matches his performance in 51 postseason contests).

Nate Robinson: 5'9"

Nate Robinson was basically Spud Webb 2.0 despite having a few inches on the latter, and he’s probably best known for being the only player to win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest three times (which included back-to-back wins in 2009 and 2010).

The 21st overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft played for eight different teams over the course of 11 seasons and averaged 11 points, 3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Oh, he’s also the fourth and final Pomeroy Award recipient on this list.

Isaiah Thomas: 5'9"

Isaiah Thomas is technically the only active NBA player on this list; the soon-to-be 36-year-old hasn’t played since a six-game stint with the Suns at the end of last season (he recorded a grand total of 19 minutes), but he recently signed with Utah’s G League team in the hopes of getting some time with the Jazz.

As things currently stand, Thomas has played in 556 games spanning a grand total of 11 seasons, and it’s safe to assume a comeback wouldn’t drastically alter a stat line that’s seen him average 14.5 points, two rebounds, and two assists.