The NBA is seen as a big man’s league with the average American male being 5’9″ while the average NBA player is 6’7″. The sheer size of most players is hard for fans to fathom. Think about it like this: Los Angeles Lakers guard Isaiah Thomas is often on the wrong end of short jokes and is often dwarfed by his competition on the court. But at 5’9″, Thomas is the height of the average American male. With that in mind, we should take some time to appreciate the players that managed to slay giants despite being shorter than the rest.

Muggsy Bogues

Muggsy is the quintessential short player. At 5’3″ he is the shortest player in NBA history, and he managed to stay in the league for 15 seasons. He was always a solid contributor due to his passing ability. During his best season, Bouges averaged 11 points, ten assists, 1.7 steals and four rebounds per game. While Bouges was more known for his passing ability, our next entry was more of a leaper.

Spudd Webb

Webb is the shortest player to ever win a slam dunk contest, but he was much more than a dunker on the court. During the 91-92 season, Webb averaged 16 points, seven assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Not bad for someone who was only 5’7″.

Earl Boykins

Boykins spent 16 seasons in the NBA despite only being 5’5″. During his best season in the league, Boykins averaged 15 points, four assists, two rebounds and one steal per game.