10 NBA Players Who Are Surprisingly Short
When most basketball fans picture pro players, they imagine giants towering over everyone else. The average height in today’s league is around 6’6″, so it’s easy to assume these athletes are walking skyscrapers. Still, some of the game’s most impactful players have thrived despite being shorter, and we’re not just talking about the obvious cases. These 10 players dominated their eras with heights that still have fans scratching their heads.
Allen Iverson
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Listed at six feet, Allen Iverson became the shortest and lightest player to win MVP in the 2000-01 season. ‘The Answer’ famously led a roster devoid of offensive firepower to the Finals that year, even stealing Game 1 on the road against Shaq and Kobe’s Lakers. Despite playing in an era full of hard fouls, Allen averaged 26.7 points for his career against guys half a foot taller.
Charles Barkley
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When you remember that Charles was listed at 6’6″, though some sources say closer to 6’4″, his stats sound unreal. Charles won the rebounding title in 1986-87 and was named MVP in the 1992-1993 season despite being one of the shortest starting power forwards. The man could talk trash, but his game did most of the talking.
Muggsy Bogues
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At 5’3″, Muggsy Bogues remains the shortest player in NBA history. Still, he carved out a 14-year career and accumulated 6,726 dimes. Drafted 12th overall in 1987, he became a starter for the Charlotte Hornets for much of the 1990s. Muggsy even landed a role in Space Jam alongside Michael Jordan. His speed, ball-stealing ability, and court vision proved that someone of his height could compete at the highest level.
Wes Unseld
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Standing 6’7″ as a center, Wes Unseld became one of the most dominant rebounders and physical presences in NBA history during the 1960s and 1970s. He won both Rookie of the Year and MVP in 1968-1969, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to accomplish that feat. The Hall of Famer led the Washington Bullets to the 1978 championship and earned Finals MVP honors despite being undersized for his position.
Ty Lawson
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At 5’11”, Ty Lawson didn’t look like someone who should be finishing through contact in a crowded NBA lane. Yet in Denver, he attacked gaps and ran pick-and-rolls with confidence. The surprise is how often his speed turned no-chance drives into clean layups. During the 2012-2013 season, he averaged 16.7 points and 6.9 assists while shooting 45.6 percent from the field, thus helping lead Denver to a franchise-best 57 wins at the time.
Fred VanVleet
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Fred VanVleet’s six-foot height sounds ordinary until you watch him take hits and launch big shots as if he were built in a lab for those moments. He went undrafted, then became an essential piece of the Raptors’ 2019 title run, including that Eastern Conference Finals heater where he rained threes. He doesn’t look physically imposing, but he plays like a brick wall with a jumper.
Chris Paul
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Chris Paul is listed at 6’0″, one of the shorter point guards to dominate the league. What’s wild is that CP3 ranks second all-time in both assists and steals, trailing only John Stockton in those categories. He has made 12 All-Star teams and earned 11 All-NBA selections.
Calvin Murphy
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Calvin Murphy was 5’9″ and still spent 13 seasons getting buckets in an era where hand-checking was legal. He averaged 17.9 points per game for his career, topped 20 points per game multiple times, and ended up in the Hall of Fame. That’s elite performance considering his height. Today, the former Rockets player ranks third in team scoring, behind only Hakeem Olajuwon and James Harden.
Nate Robinson
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From the moment he stepped into Madison Square Garden, the 5’9″ Robinson captured hearts with his athleticism and personality. Nate kept rising above defenders who had half a foot on him and won the Slam Dunk Contest three times despite his height. His 34-point explosion against the Brooklyn Nets in the 2013 playoffs showcased his ability to be a legitimate offensive weapon when it mattered most.
Slater Martin
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If someone tells you a former NBA champion was 5’10”, you’d assume they mean a bench spark plug. Slater Martin wasn’t that. Instead, he made seven consecutive All-Star teams and earned a reputation as one of the toughest perimeter defenders of the 1950s. His game was physical and surprising, considering his height. By the time he retired, he had five rings with the Lakers and Hawks.