Calvin Murphy is the shortest player in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame at 5-foot-9. Allen Iverson, who is 6-foot even, is the shortest player to be named league MVP. Isiah Thomas led the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back NBA titles at 6-foot-1, while the 5-foot-9 Isaiah Thomas took the league by storm in 2016-17 with the Boston Celtics, earning his “King in the Fourth” moniker and placing fifth in the MVP race.
A few small players have become some of the NBA’s most famous high-flyers. Nate Robinson won three NBA Dunk Contests -- and jumped over Dwight Howard-- at 5-foot-9.
Spud Webb is remembered as one of the game’s shortest players and most electrifying dunkers. He took home the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest title at 5-foot-6 and played 12 NBA seasons.
Only two players in NBA history have measured shorter than Webb. Here’s a look at the shortest players in the league all-time and in present day.
Who is the shortest NBA player ever?
There have been nine players in NBA history who stood at 5-foot-7 or shorter, led by the 5-foot-3 Muggsy Bogues.
1. Muggsy Bogues, 1987-2001: 5-foot-3
2. Earl Boykins, 1998-2012: 5-foot-5
T-3. Spud Webb, 1985-1996, 1997-1998: 5-foot-6
T-3: Mel Hirsh, 1946: 5-foot-6
T-5. Greg Grant, 1989-1996: 5-foot-7
T-5: Keith Jennings, 1992-1995: 5-foot-7
T-5: Herm Klotz, 1948: 5-foot-7
T-5: Wat Misaka, 1948: 5-foot-7
T-5: Monte Towe, 1975-77: 5-foot-7
Bogues’ height was put into a mind-blowing perspective in a famous photo with teammate Manute Bol, who shares the title of tallest player in league history with Gheorghe Muresan at 7-foot-7.
Hirsh played just 13 games for the Celtics early in the 1946-47 season and held the title of shortest NBA player ever for almost 40 years until Bogues was drafted by the Washington Bullets with the 12th overall pick in 1987.
Wisaka made history in 1948 by breaking basketball’s color barrier, becoming the first non-white player in the NBA (then known as the Basketball Association of America). He played three BAA games and scored seven career points.
Who is the shortest player in the NBA right now?
Four players measure in at 5-foot-10 to share the distinction of shortest player in the NBA right now.
The Denver Nuggets have two of the four players in Facundo Campazzo and Markus Howard. Campazzo stepped up for the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs as they advanced past Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and the Portland Trail Blazers. Howard, meanwhile, played 37 games in his 2020-21 rookie season.
Tremont Waters is competing for a roster spot with the Milwaukee Bucks. Like Bogues, the 5-foot-10 guard had a towering teammate that put his height into perspective, as seen in this photo with the 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall.
The fourth 5-foot-10 player in the league is Jared Harper, who inked a two-way deal with the New Orleans Pelicans in September. He has played in 11 games across two NBA seasons, one with the Phoenix Suns and the other with the New York Knicks.
Who is the shortest player on each NBA team?
There are team leaders across the league who also stand the shortest on their squads. Trae Young, Chris Paul, Donovan Mitchell and Kyle Lowry are among the marquee players with the smallest heights on their teams. Other veteran leaders, like Kemba Walker, Mike Conley and Rajon Rondo, are in the same position on their respective teams.
Here is a list of each team’s shortest player:
Atlanta Hawks
Sharife Cooper, Lou Williams, Trae Young: 6-foot-1
Boston Celtics
Payton Pritchard: 6-foot-1
Brooklyn Nets
Jevon Carter, Patty Mills, Marcus Zegarowski: 6-foot-1
Charlotte Hornets
Ish Smith: 6-foot
Chicago Bulls
Devon Dotson: 6-foot-2
Cleveland Cavaliers
Darius Garland, Kyle Guy, Kevin Pangos, Collin Sexton: 6-foot-1
Dallas Mavericks
Trey Burke, Carlik Jones: 6-foot
Denver Nuggets
Facundo Campazzo, Markus Howard: 5-foot-10
Detroit Pistons
Derrick Walton Jr.: 6-foot
Golden State Warriors
Chris Chiozza: 5-foot-11
Houston Rockets
D.J. Augustin: 5-foot-11
Indiana Pacers
Keifer Sykes: 5-foot-11
Los Angeles Clippers
Eric Bledsoe: 6-foot-1
Los Angeles Lakers
Rajon Rondo: 6-foot-1
Memphis Grizzlies
Tyus Jones: 6-foot
Miami Heat
Kyle Lowry: 6-foot
Milwaukee Bucks
Tremont Waters: 5-foot-10
Minnesota Timberwolves
Jordan McLaughlin, McKinley Wright IV: 5-foot-11
New Orleans Pelicans
Jared Harper: 5-foot-10
New York Knicks
Kemba Walker: 6-foot
Oklahoma City Thunder
Luguentz Dort, Tre Mann: 6-foot-3
Orlando Magic
Cole Anthony, Hassani Gravett: 6-foot-2
Philadelphia 76ers
Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey, Grant Riller: 6-foot-2
Phoenix Suns
Chris Paul: 6-foot
Portland Trail Blazers
Quinn Cook: 6-foot-1
Sacramento Kings
Davion Mitchell: 6-foot
San Antonio Spurs
Tre Jones: 6-foot-1
Toronto Raptors
Malachi Flynn, Fred VanVleet: 6-foot-1
Utah Jazz
Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell: 6-foot-1
Washington Wizards
Aaron Holiday: 6-foot