17) D.J. Augustin

Though he was listed at six feet while playing at Texas, Augustin was obviously under that threshold and NBA scouts were rightfully concerned about his height being an issue. Bobcats coach/general manager Larry Brown was nonetheless enamored with Augustin’s leadership and handle and selected him with the ninth pick in 2008. He was an immediate contributor, named 2nd-Team All-Rookie after averaging 11.8 points per game, and has lasted 14 seasons and counting in the league, mostly as a backup for Charlotte, Indiana, Chicago, Detroit, Oklahoma City, Denver, Orlando, Milwaukee, and Houston. 

16) Johnny Egan

Nicknamed “Mr. Spark Plug” by Bullets fans, Egan often ignited the offense despite standing just 5’11”, which made him the shortest player in the NBA for most of the ’60s. A teammate of Lenny Wilkens at Providence, Egan was drafted 12th overall in 1961 by the Pistons, a high selection considering his stature and his lack of individual accolades at the NCAA level. He struggled to find playing time early on but eventually broke out after later trades to the Knicks and Bullets. With a career high 5.4 per game, he was fourth in assists per game in the NBA in ’63-’64 and averaged a career high in scoring that year as well, with 13.0 points per game. Egan eventually landed with the Lakers and was key off the bench for the ’68-’69 and ’69-’70 teams that reached the NBA Finals.

15) Earl Boykins

Few basketball fans outside of Cleveland (where he would eventually be named the greatest prep player of the ’90s) or Ypsilanti, Michigan had ever heard of Boykins before March of 1996, but he announced himself as a pint-sized basketball force that spring. With 23 points, five assists, and four steals, Boykins carried Eastern Michigan to a dominant upset of Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Two years later, he finished second in the nation in scoring as a senior but went un-drafted that summer due to his 5’5″ stature. Eventually signed by the Nets, Boykins played for six different franchises in his first six seasons before finally catching on in the Nuggets rotation in ’03-’04. Over a four-year prime he averaged 12.3 points and 4.1 assists per game. Early in the ’04-’05 season, he became the shortest player to score 30+ points in a game, then repeated the feat seven more times. Boykins stands as the second shortest player in NBA history behind Muggsy Bogues, and, at a listed weight of 135 pounds, the second lightest behind Spud Webb.

14) Dana Barros

Though he was listed as only 5’11” and in actuality may have been even shorter, Barros impressed enough at Boston College that the Sonics drafted him in the first round in 1989. He wasn’t nearly as strong at defense or ball handling as Gary Payton, so Barros vacillated between the bench at point guard and sometimes starting at shooting guard despite his height. One thing Barros did incredibly well was shoot the ball from long range. He participated in four All-Star Three-Point Shootouts and led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage in ’91-’92. He was also a surprise All-Star in ’94-’95 and named Most Improved Player after averaging 20.6 points and 7.5 assists per game for the 76ers.

13) Travis Best

A four-year starter at Georgia Tech, where he was named All-ACC three times, Best was ready to immediately contribute to the Pacers team that drafted him late in the first round in 1995. He was the backup point guard behind Mark Jackson for his first five seasons, during which time Indiana reached three Conference Finals, finally breaking through to the NBA Finals in 2000. When Jackson finally departed, Best was still just splitting the starting job with Jalen Rose, but did average careers highs in ’00-’01 with 11.9 points and 6.1 assists per game. He had later short stints with the Bulls, Heat, Mavericks, and Nets before moving on to a successful career in Italy. Though Best’s 5’11” height limited his NBA success, it certainly didn’t stop him in his high school days. Playing for Springfield Central in Massachusetts, he once scored a state record 81 points in a game, in the same season he led his school to the state title. 

12) Nate Robinson

Most fans rightfully remember the dunk contest performances first and foremost, but Robinson had his share of highlights during games too. He topped 40 points in a game three times, averaged as much as 17.2 points per game for the Knicks in ’08-’09, and had additional successful stints later in Boston (where he played in the 2010 NBA Finals) and Chicago (where he took over for an injured Derrick Rose as the starting point guard for one season). The Slam Dunk Contest was where Robinson truly did shine though, amazing fans with his consistent ability to throw down monster dunks despite standing just 5’9″, and becoming the first player to ever win the competition three times. He ultimately played for eight teams over 11 years in the NBA, and late in his career released a book that was appropriately titled “Heart Over Height.” Robinson’s father, Jacque, had a brief career as an NFL running back and stood 6’1″, but Nate reached his height during his sophomore year of high school and never had a further growth spurt. 

11) J.J. Barea

With the NBA instituting new, more stringent measurements heading into the ’19-’20 season, the 35-year-old Barea suddenly lost a couple inches of height. Listed throughout his career as a six-footer, Barea is now officially listed at his actual height, 5’10”. The veteran point guard took the news in stride, joking that he was worried he would be listed even shorter. Despite his height challenges, Barea has lasted 14 seasons in the NBA, 11 of those with the Mavericks. He was fifth in scoring and second in assists on the ’10-’11 Dallas championship team, and has averaged 10+ points and five-plus assists per game in five different seasons (one of which came with the Timberwolves) despite never being a starter. He’s also in the top 10 in Mavericks history in three point field goals and assists.

10) Ty Lawson

Listed just shy of six foot at 5’11” but likely slightly shorter, Lawson still took the NCAA by storm, winning the Bob Cousy Award for best point guard and the ACC Player of the Year while leading North Carolina to the ’08-’09 title. He fell to the 18th pick of the Nuggets due to his short stature but contributed immediately in the NBA. During a three year stretch starting in ’11-’12, Lawson was arguably one of the league’s best point guards, averaging 16.9 points and 7.4 assists per game, and finishing 12th in MVP voting in 2013. He thrilled Denver fans with his fearless attacking of the basket, like a smaller version of Allen Iverson. But Lawson also had near constant injury issues and those combined with a growing rap sheet of DUI arrests to tank his career. He was out of the league by age 30 but has remained active since in China, Greece, and Tunisia. During his heyday with the Nuggets, Lawson became friendly with fellow short guy Nate Robinson, and the two adopted the nickname “Smurf Gang,” with Lawson even commissioning a diamond-encrusted Smurf necklace to add to his jewelry collection.

9) Muggsy Bogues

Just being the shortest player in NBA history was enough for him to become a household name but the pint-sized Bogues was a truly solid player by any standards, let alone for a guy who stood only 5’3″. He left Wake Forest as the ACC’s all-time leader in assists and steals, and to this day still holds those records in Hornets franchise history. Drafted initially by the Bullets, Bogues briefly teamed up with the league’s all-time tallest player, Manute Bol (their 28-inch height difference certainly didn’t go unnoticed by fans and the media) before coming to Charlotte via the 1988 expansion draft. In 632 games (501 of them starts) over the next decade, Bogues wowed Hornets fans with his quick feet, even quicker hands (he got the nickname “Muggsy” from his ability to “mug” opponents defensively), and sixth sense on the court. He even averaged a double-double for the season in his prime, with 10.8 points and 10.1 assists per game in ’93-’94. It’s been over 20 years since the Hornets traded him away to Golden State, and many empirically better players have passed through the city since but none of them are as continually beloved as Bogues.

“”Mighty Mouse” was not just a nickname and a tattoo choice for the 5’10” [Damon] Stoudamire, it was an ethos.”

8) Spud Webb

In a possibly apocryphal story, the then 5’3″ Webb was cut during tryouts for the varsity team at his Dallas junior high school, but was a late addition to the roster when another player didn’t properly fill out his medical forms. He grew a few more inches from there, topping out at 5’7″, and was already able to dunk as a high school freshman, but Webb drew little interest from major NCAA programs (he attended junior college Midland before finally playing two seasons at N.C. State) or NBA scouts (considered a better prospect for the Harlem Globetrotters, he fell to the fourth round of the draft in 1985 and was waived by the Pistons during his rookie training camp). But Webb landed on his feet in Atlanta, and quickly wowed fans with his leaping ability. He stunned teammate Dominique Wilkins in the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest in his rookie season, becoming the shortest player to ever win the exhibition. Though he’s best known for his time with the Hawks, Webb’s statistical peak came in later seasons with the Kings, averaging 13.7 points and 6.7 assists per game over a four-year stretch starting in ’91-’92. Born Anthony Webb, he supposedly received the nickname “Spud” as a baby from a family friend, not due to his size but in reference to the Soviet space shuttle, Sputnik.

7) Michael Adams

As he was typically the shortest player in pick-up games growing up in his native Hartford, Adams developed a unique shooting style that he would later self-describe as a “push shot.” It was arguably the quirkiest shooting style in modern NBA history and it served him well, as Adams set the NBA record for consecutive games with a three-pointer made (it’s since been broken by Stephen Curry, amongst others) and twice led the league in total three-point field goals. While playing for the Nuggets in ’90-’91, he averaged 26.5 points and 10.5 assists per game, and became the shortest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, at 5’10” (a record since broken by Isaiah Thomas). Though he was overlooked for the All-Star team that season, Adams did make the roster in 1992 while playing for the Bullets. His career was ultimately cut short due to injuries but he finished with over 9,000 points and over 4,000 assists.  

6) Damon Stoudamire

“Mighty Mouse” was not just a nickname and a tattoo choice for the 5’10” Stoudamire, it was an ethos. Whether it was his time starring under Lute Olson at Arizona, his early NBA breakout with the expansion Raptors, or his notable later years with the Blazers, Stoudamire always played bigger than his frame suggested. He is one of just three players in NBA history under six feet to score 50+ points in a game, but he also had several distinctions in his career that didn’t involve his height as a qualifier. While winning Rookie of the Year for the Raptors in ’95-’96, Stoudamire set the record for three point field goals by a rookie. He also set the Raptors franchise record for career triple-doubles and later set the Portland record for most points in a single game, with his 54-point outburst. All of the aforementioned records have since been broken, but there’s no denying Stoudamire’s impact and success.

5) Terrell Brandon

Just shy of six feet at 5’11”, Brandon had a slight advantage over most of the guys on this list. He was obviously still short for NBA standards but that didn’t stop him from becoming the first player in Oregon history to forgo eligibility to declare for the NBA Draft, or the Cavaliers from selecting him 11th overall. It was a perfect fit for Brandon, who studied under Mark Price for four years before taking over as the starting point guard and being named to back-to-back All-Star teams in 1996 and 1997. He was soon traded to the Bucks as part of a deal involving Shawn Kemp coming to Cleveland, and had brief, solid stints with Milwaukee and Minnesota before a knee injury derailed his career at age 31.

4) Avery Johnson

One of the great underdog stories in NBA history, Johnson started his pro career un-drafted and playing in the USBL, and was waived or traded eight times by NBA teams before finally catching on with the Spurs. Standing just 5’10” and commanding the offense in San Antonio, he never put up impressive stats but was appropriately nicknamed “The Little General” for his floor presence. Johnson was the starting point guard for six seasons with the Spurs, including the ’98-’99 title run. He hit the series-clinching shot in those NBA Finals against the Knicks, a game five jumper with 47 seconds remaining that gave the Spurs the lead. After brief stints late in his career with the Nuggets, Mavericks, and Warriors, Johnson retired in 2004 and put his leadership skills to use in the coaching ranks, guiding Dallas to the 2006 NBA Finals.

3) Isaiah Thomas

Supposedly named after the legendary point guard after his Lakers obsessed father lost a bet when the Pistons captured the 1989 NBA title, Thomas, at 5’9″, is four inches shorter than his namesake but has still crafted a successful pro career of his own. A breakout star at Washington, where he wore #2 in honor of a fellow height-challenged Huskies great, Nate Robinson, Thomas fell to the final pick of the 2011 NBA Draft but was undeterred. He averaged 20.4 points per game in his third season, playing for Sacramento, and became the shortest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. He notched several more distinctions over the next few years, also becoming the shortest player to ever be named to an All-NBA team, the shortest to ever play in multiple All-Star Games, and the shortest to ever finish in the top five in MVP voting.

2) Calvin Murphy

Undersized at 5’9″, especially in a time when big men dominated the NCAA and NBA ranks, Murphy honed the skill where his shots couldn’t be blocked by the giants: getting to the line and making free throws. He became one of the greatest free throw shooters in NBA history, with a career average of 89.2% that ranks eighth all-time, and a 95.8% clip in ’80-’81 that’s the second greatest single season total ever recorded. Murphy was a terrific scorer overall, averaging as much as 25.6 points per game in his prime, plus an elite passer and a formidable defender, using his quickness to overcome his height disadvantage. He became the first player under 5’10” to be named an All-Star, and was the only one for 37 years until Isaiah Thomas joined him. Murphy is also the shortest player to score over 10,000 points and the shortest to be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.

1) Slater Martin

Though he was almost always the smallest player on the floor, the 5’10” Martin was never afraid to scrap with guys much bigger than him. This bulldog attitude served him well in a rough-and-tumble NBA of the ’50s and Martin’s only true rival at point guard was Bob Cousy. As the floor leader of the Minneapolis Lakers and St. Louis Hawks, he was named to seven All-Star teams and five All-NBA teams, and played in seven NBA Finals, winning five titles. If Defensive Player of the Year or All-Defensive honors existed at the time then Martin certainly would have added more to his trophy case, as he was widely considered the best perimeter defender of his era. He was also often the enforcer for George Mikan and Bob Pettit, even though his two legendary teammates both stood a solid foot or more taller than him. Along with Calvin Murphy, Martin is one of just two players under six feet to be inducted in the Hall of Fame, and he is also the only Texas Longhorn to be so honored.

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