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For most people, when you think of a basketball player, you think of someone that is very tall. In most cases, that is true. However, there are some players whose talent was so astronomical that their height, or lack thereof, didn’t stop them from pursuing their dreams of playing in the NBA. There are quite a few NBA basketball players that were well under six feet tall.

Short Players, Big Games

Charlie Criss, Dino Martin, and Willie Somerset were all 5′ 8″. Charlie Criss was able to have a productive career despite his height and was able to pave the way for other basketball players that were considered short by the NBA’s standards.

Greg Grant, Keith Jennings, Red Klotz, Wataru Misaka, Monte Towe, and Spud Webb were all 5’7″. Spud Webb even went on to win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1986.

Mel Hirsch played for the Boston Celtics from 1946-1947. His arrival into the NBA made him the shortest player in NBA history (at 5’6″) until 1987.

Earl Boykins joined the NBA in 1999 at a whopping height of 5’5″. In addition to being one of the shortest players in NBA history, he is also the shortest player in NBA history to score over 30 points in a single game.

The Legend Himself

Tyrone “Mugsy” Bogues is the shortest player in NBA history at 5’3″. On top of being the shortest player, he is also known for being the Charlotte Hornets’ leader in assists and steals.

All of these gentlemen proved that though they were small in stature, they were still basketball powerhouses.