When you think of basketball players, you think of height. In the NBA, even the guards tend to stand well above the height of a regular person.
But that isn't always the case. Over the history of the NBA, there have been several players under 6 feet tall who have made their mark on the game.
Muggsy Bogues, Spud Webb and Earl Boykins are names that are commonly thrown around. Isaiah Thomas nearly averaged 30 points per game standing in at 5-9.
It takes a special skillset and talent to be an NBA player that is shorter than 6 feet tall. The list of active players under that height benchmark could hardly fill out a starting lineup.
Who are the shortest players in the NBA today and who are the shortest players in NBA history? The Sporting News has you covered with answers for both of those questions below.
Who are the shortest NBA players?
There are only six players in the NBA who are shorter than 6 feet tall.
Raptors undrafted rookie Markquis Nowell is currently the shortest player in the league, listed at 5-8. He and Grizzlies guard Jacob Gilyard (5-9) are the only players in the league under 5-10.
There are 13 players who are listed at 6 feet even, headlined by Chris Paul, Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, Jose Alvarado and Davion Mitchell.
The following list comes from official heights on NBA.com.
| Rank | Player | Height | Team | Nationality |
| 1. | Markquis Nowell | 5-8 | Raptors | USA |
| 2. | Jacob Gilyard | 5-9 | Grizzlies | USA |
| T-3. | Kennedy Chandler | 5-11 | Grizzlies | USA |
| Keifer Sykes | 5-11 | Nets | USA | |
| Jordan Walker | 5-11 | Mavericks | USA | |
| McKinley Wright IV | 5-11 | Mavericks | USA |
Shortest players in NBA history
Muggsy Bogues holds the record for the shortest player to ever play in the NBA at 5-3. He played an impressive 14 seasons in the league, serving as a full-time starter in five of those seasons.
Earl Boykins is the next-shortest player in NBA history, coming in at 5-5. Boykins played 13 years in the NBA, averaging as much as 14.6 points per game in a single season.
Spud Webb is another common name mentioned among the shortest players in history, winning the Slam Dunk Contest despite standing in at only 5-7.
Once Nowell (5-8) enters his first NBA game this season, he will be tied for the 8th-shortest player in NBA history.
You can find the complete list of shortest players in NBA history below.
| Rank | Player | Height | Years active | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Muggsy Bogues | 5-3 | 1987-2001 | USA |
| 2. | Earl Boykins | 5-5 | 1999-2012 | USA |
| 3. | Mel Hirsch | 5-6 | 1946-1947 | USA |
| T-4. | Spud Webb | 5-7 | 1985-1998 | USA |
| Greg Grant | 5-7 | 1989-1996 | USA | |
| Keith Jennings | 5-7 | 1992-1995 | USA | |
| Red Klotz | 5-7 | 1947-1948 | USA | |
| Monte Towe | 5-7 | 1976-1977 | USA | |
| T-8. | Markquis Nowell | 5-8 | 2023-Present | USA |
| Charlie Criss | 5-8 | 1977-1984 | USA | |
| Dino Martin | 5-8 | 1946-1948 | USA |
