Who is shortest basketball player? 25 shortest NBA stars in history
The NBA is usually perceived as a game of tall players. However, some players have defied the odds, proving that height is not all that one requires to excel in the game. The shortest basketball players are exceptionally talented, using their skills to outsmart their tall counterparts. This compilation explores some of the shortest NBA players in history.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Shortest basketball players in history
- 25. Yuta Tabuse - 5’9” (175 cm)
- 24. Nate Robinson – 5'9" (175 cm)
- 23. Ralph O'Brien – 5'9" (175 cm)
- 22. Angelo Musi – 5'9" (175 cm)
- 21. Calvin Murphy – 5'9" (175 cm)
- 20. Ed Melvin – 5'9" (175 cm)
- 19. Lionel Malamed – 5'9" (175 cm)
- 18. Charlie Hoefer – 5'9" (175 cm)
- 17. Kay Felder – 5'9" (175 cm)
- 16. Howie Carl – 5'9" (175 cm)
- 15. Willie Somerset – 5'8" (173 cm)
- 14. Dino Martin – 5'8" (173 cm)
- 13. Yuki Kawamura – 5'8" (173 cm)
- 12. Jacob Gilyard – 5'8" (173 cm)
- 11. Charlie Criss – 5'8" (173 cm)
- 10. Monte Towe – 5'7" (170 cm)
- 9. Markquis Nowell – 5'7" (170 cm)
- 8. Wat Misaka – 5'7" (170 cm)
- 7. Red Klotz – 5'7" (170 cm)
- 6. Keith Jennings – 5'7" (170 cm)
- 5. Greg Grant – 5'7" (170 cm)
- 4. Mel Hirsch – 5'6" (168 cm)
- 3. Spud Webb – 5'6" (168 cm)
- 2. Earl Boykins – 5'5" (165 cm)
- 1. Muggsy Bogues – 5'3" (160 cm)
- Who is currently the shortest player in the NBA?
- Who was the shortest NBA player in history?
- Who is the shortest NBA player to dunk?
- Is 5’7” too short to play basketball?
We strive to provide our readers with valuable insights and information through our various rankings and lists. Information for this list was drawn from multiple sources, including NBA.com, ESPN, The Athletic, and Sports Illustrated. We endeavour to use the most up-to-date and accurate data available during ranking compilations.
Shortest basketball players in history
Undoubtedly, tall players have dominated the NBA, but some short players have also made a mark in the game. Short NBA players have demonstrated agility, exceptional court vision, speed, and unmatched determination. Below are the shortest basketball players with successful NBA careers.
| Basketball player | Height (feet inches/cm) |
| Muggsy Bogues | 5'3" (160 cm) |
| Earl Boykins | 5'5" (165 cm) |
| Spud Webb | 5'6" (168 cm) |
| Mel Hirsch | 5'6" (168 cm) |
| Greg Grant | 5'7" (170 cm) |
| Keith Jennings | 5'7" (170 cm) |
| Red Klotz | 5'7" (170 cm) |
| Wat Misaka | 5'7" (170 cm) |
| Markquis Nowell | 5'7" (170 cm) |
| Monte Towe | 5'7" (170 cm) |
| Charlie Criss | 5'8" (173 cm) |
| Jacob Gilyard | 5'8" (173 cm) |
| Yuki Kawamura | 5'8" (173 cm) |
| Dino Martin | 5'8" (173 cm) |
| Willie Somerset | 5'8" (173 cm) |
| Howie Carl | 5'9" (175 cm) |
| Kay Felder | 5'9" (175 cm) |
| Charlie Hoefer | 5'9" (175 cm) |
| Lionel Malamed | 5'9" (175 cm) |
| Ed Melvin | 5'9" (175 cm) |
| Calvin Murphy | 5'9" (175 cm) |
| Angelo Musi | 5'9" (175 cm) |
| Ralph O'Brien | 5'9" (175 cm) |
| Nate Robinson | 5'9" (175 cm) |
| Yuta Tabuse | 5'9" (175 cm) |
25. Yuta Tabuse - 5’9” (175 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Yuta Tabuse
- Date of birth: 5 October 1980
- Place of birth: Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Position: Point guard
Yuta Tabusa is among the shortest NBA players ever. In 2004, he played for the Phoenix Suns, becoming the first Japanese basketball player in an NBA regular-season game. Currently, he plays for Utsunomiya Brex of the B.League.
24. Nate Robinson – 5'9" (175 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson
- Date of birth: 31 May 1984
- Place of birth: Seattle, Washington, United States
- Position: Point guard
Nate Robinson had an impressive professional career between 2005 and 2018. He played for the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Clippers, among other major NBA teams. Nate is also a three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion.
23. Ralph O'Brien – 5'9" (175 cm)
- Full name: Ralph E. "Buckshot" O'Brien
- Date of birth: 8 April 1928
- Place of birth: Henshaw, Kentucky, United States
- Position: Point guard
Ralph O’Brien is a former NBA player who plied his trade for the Indianapolis Olympians and Baltimore Bullets. Although considered short, his outstanding performance saw him selected four times to the First-team All-MAC. The basketball player passed away on 22 August 2018.
22. Angelo Musi – 5'9" (175 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Angelo Musi Jr.
- Date of birth: 25 July 1918
- Place of birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Position: Guard
Angelo Musi was a Philadelphia-born basketball player. His basketball career started in 1943 with the Wilmington Bombers. He also played for the Philadelphia Warriors and Trenton Tigers before retiring in 1950. The former basketball player died on 19 October 2009.
21. Calvin Murphy – 5'9" (175 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Calvin Jerome Murphy
- Date of birth: 9 May 1948
- Place of birth: Norwalk, Connecticut, United States
- Position: Point guard, shooting guard
Calvin Murphy is another short player who went against the grain to become successful in professional basketball. He played for multiple teams in the NBA and won several accolades. He is a basketball legend and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.
20. Ed Melvin – 5'9" (175 cm)
- Full name: Edward Michael Melvin
- Date of birth: 13 February 1916
- Place of birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Position: Guard
Ed Melvin was a professional basketball player and coach. The former athlete played for the New York Celtics and Pittsburgh Ironmen before starting his coaching career in 1947. He passed away on 30 July 2004, aged 88.
19. Lionel Malamed – 5'9" (175 cm)
- Full name: Lionel M. Malamed
- Date of birth: 15 November 1924
- Place of birth: New York City, New York, United States
- Position: Guard
Lionel Malamed is another basketball player whose height is considered short. Born in November 1924, he started his professional career in 1948, which lasted two years and ended in 1950. He played for the Indianapolis Jets, Rochester Royals, and Paterson Crescents.
18. Charlie Hoefer – 5'9" (175 cm)
- Full name: Adolph Charles "Dutch" Hoefer
- Date of birth: 12 July 1917
- Place of birth: Frankfurt, Germany
- Position: Guard
Charlie Hoefer was a German-American basketball player. He played point guard in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) for two seasons and ended his career in 1950. The basketball player passed away on 12 June 1983, aged 61.
17. Kay Felder – 5'9" (175 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Kahlil Ameer "Kay" Felder Jr.
- Date of birth: 29 March 1995
- Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Position: Guard
Kay Felder of the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) is another short basketball player with remarkable talent. He was the 2016 NCAA assists leader and the 2022 CBA International MVP winner.
16. Howie Carl – 5'9" (175 cm)
- Full name: Howard Hershey Carl
- Date of birth: 7 June 1938
- Place of birth: Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Position: Guard
Howie Carl was an outstanding short basketball player for the Chicago Packers in the 1960s. He played approximately 31 games for the NBA team, scoring 170 points and creating 57 assists. Although he has a short-spanned career, he displayed a deep understanding of the game. He died on 24 October 2005.
15. Willie Somerset – 5'8" (173 cm)
- Full name: Willard F. Somerset
- Date of birth: 17 March 1942
- Place of birth: Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States
- Position: Guard
Willie Somerset, a Pennsylvania native, was a basketball player whose professional career began in the 1960s. He proved that undersized players could shine with skill and determination. He was in the 1960 ABA All-Star and won the 1971 EBA Most Valuable Player.
14. Dino Martin – 5'8" (173 cm)
- Full name: Patrick Donald "Dino" Martin
- Date of birth: 25 May 1920
- Place of birth: Newport, Rhode Island, United States
- Position: Guard
Dino Martin was an American athlete who played basketball for the Providence Steamrollers between 1946 and 1948 before turning to coaching at Boston College in 1953. Although his professional career was limited, he left a lasting influence on Boston-area basketball.
13. Yuki Kawamura – 5'8" (173 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Yuki Kawamura
- Date of birth: 2 May 2001
- Place of birth: Yanai, Yamaguchi, Japan
- Position: Point guard
Yuki Kawamura is a Japanese basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. Despite his short stature in basketball, he has excelled with notable achievements, including winning the 2023 B.League Most Valuable Player.
12. Jacob Gilyard – 5'8" (173 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Jacob Gilyard
- Date of birth: 14 July 1998
- Place of birth: Kansas City, Missouri, United States
- Position: Point guard
Jacob Gilyard of the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League is another impressive short basketball player. Despite his short height, he is an outstanding basketballer. He is the NCAA Division I all-time steals leader and 2023 NBA G League assists leader.
11. Charlie Criss – 5'8" (173 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Charles Washington Criss Jr.
- Date of birth: 6 November 1948
- Place of birth: Valhalla, New York, United States
- Position: Point guard
Charlie Criss is a former American basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. He is one of the shortest basketball players at 5 feet 8 inches (173 centimetres). His professional career spanned a decade between 1975 and 1985. He is a two-time EBA Most Valuable Player (1976, 1977).
10. Monte Towe – 5'7" (170 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Monte Corwin Towe
- Date of birth: 27 September 1953
- Place of birth: Marion, Indiana, United States
- Position: Point guard
Monte Towe is an American basketball coach and former player. He played for the Denver Nuggets between 1975 and 1977 and started his coaching career in 1978.
9. Markquis Nowell – 5'7" (170 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Markquis Morris Nowell
- Date of birth: 25 December 1999
- Place of birth: New York City, New York, United States
- Position: Shooting guard
Markquis Nowell features among the shortest basketball players ever. He plies his trade in the NBA G League for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as a shooting guard. Previously, he played for the Raptors 905 and Toronto Raptors.
8. Wat Misaka – 5'7" (170 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Wataru Misaka
- Date of birth: 21 December 1923
- Place of birth: Ogden, Utah, United States
- Position: Guard
Wat Misaka was an American basketball player who played for the New York Knicks in 1947. Although he was short, his courage and talent helped him win the 1944 NCAA championship.
7. Red Klotz – 5'7" (170 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Louis Herman "Red" Klotz
- Date of birth: 21 October 1921
- Place of birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Position: Guard
Red Klotz played basketball for the Philadelphia Sphas, Baltimore Bullets, and Washington Generals for over four decades. He also became a coach and helped train several basketball teams.
6. Keith Jennings – 5'7" (170 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Keith Russell Jennings
- Date of birth: 2 November 1968
- Place of birth: Culpeper, Virginia, United States
- Position: Point guard
Keith Jennings is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He began his career in 1991 and retired in 2004 after playing for teams such as the Saint Petersburg Lions and Strasbourg. The coach trains the women’s team, Lees–McRae.
5. Greg Grant – 5'7" (170 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Gregory Alan Grant
- Date of birth: 29 August 1966
- Place of birth: Trenton, New Jersey, United States
- Position: Point guard
Greg Grant, a retired professional basketball player, is 5 feet 7 inches (170 centimetres) tall. He started his career in 1989 and proved an exceptional talent when he played for over 15 basketball teams. Greg won the 1995 CBA assists leader and was the 1989 NABC Division III Player of the Year.
4. Mel Hirsch – 5'6" (168 cm)
- Full name: Melvin M. Hirsch
- Date of birth: 31 July 1921
- Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Position: Point guard
Mel Hirsch was an American basketball player who played for the Boston Celtics of the BAA between 1946 and 1947. He demonstrated that short players can compete against their tall counterparts in basketball. He passed away on 31 July 1921.
3. Spud Webb – 5'6" (168 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Anthony Jerome "Spud" Webb
- Date of birth: 13 July 1963
- Place of birth: Dallas, Texas, United States
- Position: Point guard
Spud Webb is an American former basketball player who played for four teams in the NBA from 1985 to 1998. Webb was an outstanding player, scoring 8,072 points and making 4,342 assists. Spud won the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest championship.
2. Earl Boykins – 5'5" (165 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Earl Antoine Boykins
- Date of birth: 2 June 1976
- Place of birth: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Position: Point guard, shooting guard
Earl Boykins is among the famous short basketball players, standing at 5 feet 5 inches (165 centimetres) tall. He had a successful career between 1998 and 2012, representing multiple teams. Currently, he is into coaching and is the assistant coach of the UTEP Miners.
1. Muggsy Bogues – 5'3" (160 cm)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues
- Date of birth: 9 January 1965
- Place of birth: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- Position: Point guard
Muggsy Bogues is the shortest basketball player at 5 feet 3 inches (160 centimetres) tall. He played for the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, and Toronto Raptors before retiring in 2001. He had a prosperous basketball career with multiple achievements, including winning gold in the 1986 FIFA World Championship.
Was Muggsy Bogues any good? He was a talented basketball player with an impressive record. In his career, he scored 6,858 points, created 6,726 assists, and had 1,369 steals.
Who is currently the shortest player in the NBA?
The shortest active NBA player is Yuki Kawamura of the Memphis Grizzlies. He is 5 feet 8 inches (172 centimetres) tall.
Who was the shortest NBA player in history?
Muggsy Bogues holds the record for the shortest NBA player ever, standing at 5 feet 3 inches (160 centimetres). His professional basketball career spanned between 1987 and 2001.
Who is the shortest NBA player to dunk?
Spud Webb, who is 5 feet 6 inches (168 centimetres), is the shortest NBA player to dunk. He achieved the record in 1986 when he won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Is 5’7” too short to play basketball?
Even though 5 feet 7 inches falls below the average height of an NBA player, which is 6 feet 6 inches, it is not too short to play the game. Several players have excelled despite their height falling below 5 feet 7 inches.
For many, shortness seems to be a disadvantage in basketball, where tall players are known to dominate the game. However, some of the shortest basketball players have proved otherwise, bringing their agility, speed, and ball skills to perform exceptionally. They are trailblazers and have inspired many who thought only tall players exceeded in the game.
Legit.ng recently published a list of the tallest NBA players in history. Height is a crucial advantage in basketball, with some of the best players towering as high as over 7 feet.
Tall basketball players can easily defend the ball and reach their opponent’s goal. These players are essential assets in every basketball team as they do almost anything with ease. Read this compilation to discover the tallest players ever to grace the court.
Source: Legit.ng
