While basketball is arguably the only sport in which height matters the most, we have seen several athletes defy the odds and prove that being tall does not define one's ability to make it in the game.
Like in other leagues, these unique players are at a disadvantage when they go up against the tallest stars in the NBA, but their talent, skill set and unique reading of the game not only make them stand out, but has seen a few go on to have remarkable careers.
Isiah Thomas, drafted as the second overall pick in 1981 by the Detroit Pistons, stood at 6-foot-1 but led the franchise to back-to-back NBA titles between 1989 and 1990, while being named Finals MVP in 1990 and finishing his illustrious career as a 12-time All Star.
Like Thomas, there have been several other short players to leave their mark on the league, including Spud Webb, who despite being the third-shortest player to grace the NBA at 5-foot-6, enjoyed a 12-year-long career and remarkably won the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest.
With the 79th NBA season nearing its beginning, Sports Mole takes a look at the shortest player in the league heading into the new campaign as well as the record shortest in its history.
WHO IS THE SHORTEST NBA PLAYER?
Cleveland Cavaliers point-guard Jacob Gilyard is currently the shortest player in the league, standing at 5-foot-8 with a 5-foot-10 wingspan.
Gilyard burst onto the scene in college, where he spent five years with the Richmond Spiders, winning the A-10 Championship in 2022 and picking up the Most Outstanding Player award that year, before leaving as a four-time All-Atlantic 10 selection and Richmond's all-time assists, steals and three-points leader.
The 26-year-old signed for the Memphis Grizzlies in March 2014, and made 37 appearances, averaging 4.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 41.7% from the field, two years before moving to the Brooklyn Nets in a two-way deal.
Gilyard, who holds the record for the most steals in NCAA history (466), signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers six months later, becoming the shortest player in the franchise's history, breaking the record set by Isaiah Thomas, who measures 5-foot-9.
WHO IS THE SHORTEST NBA PLAYER EVER?
© Imago
While there have been nine players who measured 5-foot-7 and below in NBA history, the record for the shortest player to play in the league is held by Muggsy Bogues, who stood at 5-foot-3.
Drafted as the 12th overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft by the Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards), Bogues enjoyed a 14-season career, featuring for the Bullets, Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, and the Toronto Raptors.
Despite his height disadvantage, Bogues scored a career-high 24 points and recorded 19 assists on three occasions while finishing his NBA career with 39 blocks, most notably one on 7-foot Patrick Ewing in a game between the Hornets and New York Knicks in April 1993.
Ten shortest players in NBA history
1. Muggsy Bogues — 5'3"
2. Earl Boykins — 5'5"
3. Spud Webb — 5'6"
= Mel Hirsch — 5'6"
= Greg Grant — 5'6"
6. Keith Jennings — 5'7"
= Red Klotz — 5'7"
= Wat Misaka — 5'7"
= Markquis Nowell — 5'7"
= Monte Towe — 5'7"
Check out how to watch every game in the 2024-25 NBA season as well as the fixtures for the campaign, including pre-season schedule, standout matches, key dates, festive fixtures and notable duels.
Joshua Ojele
