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.

“People don’t understand, our practice, a lot of the college coaches, they came to our practice more so than they came to our games,” Bogues said. “And practice was something that was even tougher than the games. People don’t realize, we might have had the second best team in the country on the bench. I mean, that’s how talented our guys were.”

Muggsy was determined to leave an imprint on the scouts. He wanted everyone to look at him, forget about his height, and remember his playing style. That kind of attitude brought Bogues quite a few offers to play in college, and the point guard was sure about where he was going.

Choosing Wake Forest: Family ties and ACC challenges

Bogues decided to commit to Wake Forest and play in ACC, the toughest conference at the time, with quite a few big names playing there – one of which was Michael Jordan. While Muggsy had to separate from his friend Reggie Williams, he explained why he went there.

“The decision for me to go to Wake Forest was based on ACC was the toughest conference back then,” he said. “My mom, you know, she couldn’t afford to travel. My dad was in prison, so they could just turn on the TV every Saturday and watch their little fellow play.”

Bogues’ connection to his family was always a big part of him, and Muggsy even explained how he built his mom a house with his first paycheck in the NBA.

The 5’3” standout played for the Demon Deacons for four years up to 1987. During Muggsy’s first year, he wasn’t getting a lot of minutes, but he managed to make a breakout in his sophomore year. When Bogues was in his senior season, he led the ACC in both steals and assists, earning the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, and by the end of his college career, the Baltimore native held the ACC record for career assists and steals.

Muggsy’s height wasn’t an obstacle in the 1987 NBA Draft when he was selected 12th overall by the Washington Bullets, where Bogues played with Manute Bol, one of the tallest players ever, and eventually carved out a respectable 14-year career.