Known as the shortest player in NBA history, Muggsy Bogues made an impact with his tiny frame of only 5’3″, and he will be forever remembered as a symbol of overcoming obstacles. However, Bogues wasn’t just a small player who got to the Association. Muggsy was a defensive menace who managed to play for 14 years in the best basketball league in the world.
The Baltimore native joined the league during the hand-checking era and stayed until 2001. Muggsy’s determination made him a big pest on the court even before the NBA, during his high school and college days.
“My motto was, whoever they came to watch, I wanted to make sure they talked about me going out,” he said on the “All the Smoke” podcast.
Dunbar High School dominance: Bogues’ rise to stardom
Muggsy managed to overcome his difficult childhood, during which he was shot as a kid . He went to Dunbar High School, where he first made a name for himself. Bogues’ teammates were future NBA players—David Wingate, Reggie Williams, and Reggie Lewis. During his junior and senior years, they had an impressive 59-0 record, which is why many scouts would come and watch them play…