Muggsy Bogues is well-known for being the smallest player to ever make it into the NBA at only 5’3”. Despite his size disadvantage, he was a reliable player for 14 years, primarily for the Charlotte Hornets.
Bogues cemented himself as a reliable point guard with his playmaking but also annoyed plenty of opposing point guards with his defensive work. It was his biggest strength because almost every player who matched against him knew what kind of impact he had on his team.
“When you’re facing a guy like me who’s constantly full-court pressing all day and challenging you for the ball, that becomes annoying,” Bogues said to HoopsHype in 2019. “I’d see guys get really frustrated, which is what you want when you’re a pest. Those are some of the things that come with the game – you need to know what each player can bring to the table… It was unique for these players to go up against a guy who’s my size; a lot of them had never played against a guy my size.”
Bogues always played his heart out
Since he was always at a disadvantage when playing against players who were a foot taller than him, Muggsy had to play with extra heart. He endured that kind of pressure because he had experience dealing with issues like bullying when he was younger.
Bogues always used his size disadvantage as motivation to become a better player. He was a reliable playmaker but became more known as one of the hardest defenders to score on. Most coaches and basketball people would agree that shooting over Muggsy was the best action, but his quick hands helped him strip the ball away.
Being smaller in stature also meant Bogues could move around well, making it easier to guard the ball. Another trait Muggsy had was his strength, as his size did not help the opponent from posting him up. He was strong as an ox, which meant he was a formidable defender despite his size due to his smarts and talent.
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Even Jordan did not like playing against Bogues
Michael Jordan was the greatest scorer during the 1990s. They had many duels against each other as players in the Eastern Conference. While they did not guard each other for most of the game, the possessions where Bogues guarded Jordan was a tough go-around for His Airness.
The six-time champion dominated almost every matchup he went against, but he always struggled against smaller players. Jordan got asked which players he struggles with, and then he immediately answered with the little guards, even citing Muggsy .
“The hardest opponent for me to play against in terms of 1-on-1? Small guys: Iverson, Damon Stoudamire, Rod Strickland, Muggsy. Those little guards like that, it was hard for me,” MJ once said .
Bogues knew he had that kind of impact on players, but it must feel validating for the undersized guard because he was one of the players Jordan struggled against due to the mix of speed and smarts.
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