Top 10 Shortest NBA players

Basketball has always been a tall person's game. The NBA's average height between 1985 and 2006 was about 6'7". The two tallest players in NBA history are Gheorghe Muresan, from Romania, and Manute Bol, from Sudan; both stand at an astounding 7'7".

However, the world is always challenged by rule-breakers. Even though the ten basketball players we are talking about are extremely small by NBA standards, they did not give up on their goals.

10. Charlie Criss – 5’8”

In 1977, his dream finally came true, thanks to his sheer determination and persistence, seven years after he finished college. When he joined the Atlanta Hawks as a guard, Criss, who was 28 years old, earned the title of "the NBA's smallest player and oldest rookie" by Sports Illustrated.

Hubie Brown, his coach, selected Criss for his agility and skill in passing and shooting. According to Brown, Charlie is a force to be reckoned with on the court. "Things happen when he's on the court." Before making his transition to the NBA, Criss was voted MVP twice in the Continental Basketball Association.

9. Keith “Mister” Jennings – 5’7”

Jennings graduated from East Tennessee State University in 1991. He joined the Golden State Warriors of California as a point guard in 1992 and remained with them until 1995.

Furthermore, he also played for various teams in France, Russia, Germany, Spain, and Turkey. After his playing days, Jennings transitioned into coaching and worked at multiple universities and schools in Virginia and Tennessee. In recognition of his achievements, he was honored with induction into the East Tennessee State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.

8. Monte Towe – 5’7”

Monte Towe, standing at 5'7", may have seemed like an underdog, but he definitely silenced the doubters once he hit the court. When he joined the NC State Wolfpack in 1972, coach Norm Sloan had his doubts.

Towe's performance quickly proved Sloan wrong, as he became an essential player on the team that clinched the national championship in 1974.

Towe played for the Denver Nuggets from 1976 to 1977 after being drafted by them. Towe joined NC State as an assistant coach following his playing career. He was admitted to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

7. Wataru “Wat” Misaka – 5’7”

Wataru "Wat" Misaka stood at a modest height of 5'7". Despite not being particularly tall, he faced more discrimination and prejudice as a child due to his Japanese heritage rather than his stature. Born in Ogden, Utah, Misaka was still a high school student when World War II erupted. Once he finished his high school studies, he enrolled at the University of Utah and joined the Utah Utes basketball team. Together with his teammates, he played a crucial role in securing the 1944 NCAA championship.

Following graduation from college, Misaka made history as the first Asian-American (and non-Caucasian) player to play in the NBA, which was then known as the Basketball Association of America, by spending a brief stint as point guard for the New York Knicks between 1947 and 1948. Misaka was admitted to the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

6. Louis “Red” Klotz – 5’7”

Louis "Red" Klotz was famous for his vibrant red hair and compact 5'7" build. In 1947, Klotz joined the Baltimore Bullets as a point guard in the NBA. Later on, he acquired the Philadelphia Sphas of the American Basketball League and rebranded them as the Washington Generals.

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5. Greg Grant – 5’7”

Greg Grant, who stands 5'7", made up for his lack of height with sheer skill and drive. "He's a spark plug, a guy who can come off the bench and get the crowd involved and change the flow of it," said Philadelphia 76ers manager Jim Lynam.

After being selected in the 1989 NBA Draft, Grant played for the Phoenix Suns for a season before joining the New York Knicks as a free agent in 1990. He signed a contract with the Orlando Magic in 1994 after playing point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers from December 1991 to 1993.

4. Anthony “Spud” Webb – 5’7”

Anthony "Spud" Webb is only 5'7" tall, like the other five players on this list, but he didn't let that stop him from pursuing a career in professional basketball. The point guard averaged 9.9 points per game in 814 NBA games, which is astounding.

After signing a contract with the Atlanta Hawks in 1985, Webb played for the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Orlando Magic. Webb is most famous for winning the NBA Slam Dunk competition in 1986. He is the shortest player to ever win the competition.

3. Melvin Hirsch – 5’6”

Melvin "Mel" Hirsch was a point guard and at 5'6", he was the third-shortest player in NBA history.

When the NBA was still known as the Basketball Association of America, Hirsch signed with the Boston Celtics in 1946. Hirsch played 13 games and scored 19 points for his team, even though the Celtics were eliminated from the postseason.

2. Earl Boykins – 5’5”

Earl Boykins was so small that he had to learn how to dribble with a tennis ball when he first began playing basketball. Boykins' NBA bio states that despite being only 5'5" and 133 pounds, he can bench press 315 pounds, or almost 2.5 times his weight.

Even though no NBA team selected him after he graduated from college, he still left his mark on the game by signing short-term contracts. He even played a season in the Italian A League with Virtus Bologna in 2008. However, he signed a contract with the Washington Wizards of the NBA in 2009, and in the years that followed, he played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets.

1. Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues – 5’3”

Muggsy Tyrone Bogues was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and acquired his nickname from local players. They said he was "mugging" them because he was so skilled at defense. Bogues is the shortest player in NBA history, standing 5'3".

He played in the NBA for 14 seasons after being drafted in the NBA after graduating from college, most famously as a guard for the Charlotte Hornets.

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