Basketball players tend to be much taller and leaner than most athletes. There’s no denying that height gives a player an advantage in the sport, being tall has important features such as:
- Arm reach
- Hand span
According to the NBA, male professional players tend to be about nine inches taller than the average American male.
However, these players prove that height isn’t everything. Here are the 12 shortest basketball players in NBA history.
1. Calvin Murphy is 5 ft 9 in and played for the San Diego/Houston Rockets from 1970 to 1983. Murphy is the shortest NBA player to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, as well as appear in at least one All-Star Game.
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2. Willie Somerset stands at 5 ft 8 in and played for the Baltimore Bullets from 1965 to 1966. During his time in the NBA as a point guard, Somerset averaged 5.6 points per game.
North American Soccer League Players3. Charlie Criss is 5 ft 8 in and played eight seasons in the league with the Atlanta Hawks, San Diego Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks. When he entered the NBA, he was the league’s shortest active player.
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4. Louis Herman ‘Red’ Klotz stands at 5 ft 7 in and played for the Baltimore Bullets from 1947 to 1948. Klotz is the shortest layer to ever win an NBA Finals championship.
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5. Keith ‘Mister’ Jennings stands at 5 ft 7 in and played for the Golden State Warriors from 1992 to 1995. He played in 164 games in the league and averaged 6.6 points and 3.7 assists in 18.0 minutes per game.
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6. Monte Towe is 5 ft 7 in and played for the Denver Nuggets from 1976 to 1977. Towe was the shortest player in the original ABA (American Basketball Association).
Johnson City Press7. Wataru ‘Wat’ Misaka is 5 ft 7 in and played for the New York Knicks from 1947 to 1948. He was the first Non-Caucasian player and the first Asian player in the NBA.
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8. Greg Grant stands at 5 ft 7 in and player for the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Bullets, and the Denver Nuggets.
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9. Anthony ‘Spud’ Webb is 5 ft 7 in and played for the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Orlando Magic. He won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1986 and was the shortest player to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest.
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10. Melvin Hirsch stands at 5 ft 6 in and played for the Boston Celtics from 1946 to 1947. He was initially the shortest player to ever play in the league during its beginnings.
Sikids11. Earl Boykins stands at 5 ft 5 in and has played for twelve teams in fourteen professional seasons.
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12. Tyrone ‘Muggsy’ Bogues stands at 5 ft 3 in and has played point guard for four teams during his 15-season career in the NBA. Bogues is the shortest player ever to play in the National Basketball Association.
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