List of shortest players in National Basketball Association history

This is a complete listing of the shortest basketball players in National Basketball Association  history at a listed height of 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) or shorter. Only 25 players in NBA history have been at or below this height.^[1] The shortest NBA player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is Calvin Murphy at 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m). All of the players listed here have played or play the position of point guard. The most seasons played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) by a player listed at 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) or shorter was 14 seasons by Muggsy Bogues who played from 1987 to 2001.

The shortest player ever in the old American Basketball Association (1967–76) was Penny Ann Early, a 5-foot-3-inch (160 cm) jockey who took part in one play in one game for the Kentucky Colonels as a publicity stunt in 1969. (The shortest signed ABA players were Jerry Dover and Monte Towe, both 5 feet 7 inches or 170 centimetres.)

Table

Height	Weight	Player	Nationality	Teams	GP	Points		Rebounds[a]		Assists		Steals[b]		FG%	FT%	Notes
						Total	Per game	Total	Per game	Total	Per game	Total	Per game
5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)	136 lb (62 kg)	Muggsy Bogues[2]	USA	Washington Bullets (1987–1988) Charlotte Hornets (1988–1997) Golden State Warriors (1997–1999) Toronto Raptors (1999–2001)	889	6,858	7.7	2,318	2.6	6,726	7.6	1,369	1.5	.458	.827	Played alongside the second tallest player in NBA history, Manute Bol, during the 1987–88 season for the Washington Bullets; their difference in height was 28 inches (71 cm). Appeared in the film Space Jam,[3] which was filmed in 1995.[4]
5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)	135 lb (61 kg)	Earl Boykins[5]	USA	New Jersey Nets (1999) Cleveland Cavaliers (1999, 2000) Orlando Magic (1999) Los Angeles Clippers (2001–2002) Golden State Warriors (2002–2003) Denver Nuggets (2003–2007) Milwaukee Bucks (2007, 2011) Charlotte Bobcats (2008) Washington Wizards (2009–2010) Houston Rockets (2012)	652	5,791	8.9	877	1.3	2,092	3.2	390	0.6	.417	.876
5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Mel Hirsch[6]	USA	Boston Celtics (1946–1947)	13	19	1.5	—	—	10	0.8	—	—	.200	.500
5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)	140 lb (64 kg)	Greg Grant[7]	USA	Phoenix Suns (1989–1990) New York Knicks (1990–1991) Charlotte Hornets (1991–1992) Philadelphia 76ers (1991–1992, 1992–1993, 1995–1996) Washington Bullets (1995–1996) Denver Nuggets (1994–1995, 1995–1996)	274	767	2.8	248	0.9	751	2.7	161	0.6	.383	.710
5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	Keith Jennings[8]	USA	Golden State Warriors (1992–1995)	164	1,090	6.6	248	1.5	614	3.7	164	1.0	.436	.852
5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)	150 lb (68 kg)	Red Klotz[9]	USA	Baltimore Bullets (1947–1948)	11	15	1.4	—	—	7	0.6	—	—	.226	.333	Shortest player to ever win an NBA championship. Later served as longtime head coach of the Washington Generals.
5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)	150 lb (68 kg)	Wat Misaka[10]	USA	New York Knicks (1947–1948)	3	7	2.3	—	—	0	0.0	—	—	.231	.333	First Non-Caucasian player and first Asian American player in the NBA.
5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	Markquis Nowell^[11]	USA	Toronto Raptors (2023–present)	1	2	2.0	2	2.0	2	2.0	1	1.0	.000	1.000
5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)	150 lb (68 kg)	Monte Towe[12]	USA	Denver Nuggets (1976–1977)	51	130	2.5	34	0.7	87	1.7	16	0.3	.406	.720	The shortest player in the original ABA. ABA All-Star (1976)
5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)	133 lb (60 kg)	Spud Webb[13][14]	USA	Atlanta Hawks (1985–1991, 1995–1996) Sacramento Kings (1991–1995) Minnesota Timberwolves (1996) Orlando Magic (1998)	814	8,072	9.9	1,742	2.1	4,342	5.3	922	1.1	.452	.848	Won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1986; shortest player to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest.
5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Charlie Criss[15]	USA	Atlanta Hawks (1977–1981, 1983–1984, 1984–1985) San Diego Clippers (1981–1982) Milwaukee Bucks (1982–1984)	418	3,534	8.5	592	1.4	1,335	3.2	366	0.9	.432	.831
5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	Jacob Gilyard^[16]	USA	Memphis Grizzlies (2023–present)	31	115	3.7	35	1.1	104	3.4	22	0.7	.392	1.000
5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	Dino Martin[17]	USA	Providence Steamrollers (1946–1948)	92	834	9.1	—	—	73	0.8	—	—	.294	.638
5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Willie Somerset[18]	USA	Baltimore Bullets (1965–1966)	8	45	5.6	15	1.9	9	1.1	—	—	.419	.818	ABA All-Star (1969)
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	Howie Carl[19]	USA	Chicago Packers (1961–1962)	31	170	5.5	39	1.3	57	1.8	—	—	.333	.706
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	176 lb (80 kg)	Kay Felder[20]	USA	Cleveland Cavaliers (2016–2017) Chicago Bulls (2017) Detroit Pistons (2018)	58	223	3.8	59	1.0	78	1.3	21	0.4	.364	.754
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	158 lb (72 kg)	Charlie Hoefer[21]	DEU	Toronto Huskies (1946–1947) Boston Celtics (1947–1948)	65	361	5.6	—	—	36	0.6	—	—	.250	.646
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	150 lb (68 kg)	Lionel Malamed[22]	USA	Indianapolis Jets (1948) Rochester Royals (1948–1949)	44	258	5.9	—	—	61	1.4	—	—	.334	.831
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Ed Melvin[23]	USA	Pittsburgh Ironmen (1946–1947)	57	281	4.9	—	—	37	0.6	—	—	.263	.654
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Calvin Murphy*[24]	USA	San Diego/Houston Rockets (1970–1983)	1,002	17,949	17.9	2,103	2.1	4,402	4.4	1,165	1.5	.482	.892	Shortest NBA player to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, as well as appear in at least one All-Star Game.[c]
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	145 lb (66 kg)	Angelo Musi[26]	USA	Philadelphia Warriors (1946–1949)	161	1,359	8.4	—	—	117	0.7	—	—	.290	.771	BAA champion (1947)
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	Ralph O'Brien	USA	Indianapolis Olympians (1951–1952) Fort Wayne Pistons (1953) Baltimore Bullets (1953)	119	848	7.1	192	1.6	180	1.5	—	—	.360	.830
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Nate Robinson[27]	USA	New York Knicks (2005–2010) Boston Celtics (2009–2011) Oklahoma City Thunder (2011) Golden State Warriors (2011–2012) Chicago Bulls (2012–2013) Denver Nuggets (2013–2015) Los Angeles Clippers (2015) New Orleans Pelicans (2015)	618	6,807	11.0	1,446	2.3	1,826	3.0	543	0.9	.423	.796	The only three-time winner of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, winning in 2006, 2009 and 2010.
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	155 lb (70 kg)	Gene Rock[28]	USA	Chicago Stags (1947–1948)	11	10	0.9	—	—	0	0.0	—	—	.222	.500
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Yuta Tabuse[29]	JPN	Phoenix Suns (2004–2005)	4	7	1.8	4	1.0	3	0.8	0	0.0	.167	1.000	The first Japanese-born player to play in the NBA.
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Isaiah Thomas[30]	USA	Sacramento Kings (2011–2014) Phoenix Suns (2014–2015) Boston Celtics (2015–2017) Cleveland Cavaliers (2017–2018) Los Angeles Lakers (2018, 2021) Denver Nuggets (2018–2019) Washington Wizards (2019–2020) New Orleans Pelicans (2021) Dallas Mavericks (2021) Charlotte Hornets (2022)	550	9,715	17.7	1,321	2.4	2,638	4.8	472	0.9	.434	.872	Shortest player to be included in an All-NBA Team. Shortest player to play in an NBA All-Star game (tied with Calvin Murphy). Shortest player to play in multiple All-Star games. Shortest player to record a triple-double in a game.

See also

• List of shortest people
• List of tallest players in National Basketball Association history
• NBA records
•  Basketball portal
•  Sports portal

Notes

References

This page was last edited on 28 February 2024, at 13:04