Even in a league full of giants, small players are capable of doing big things in the NBA.
According to NBA.com, a total of 27 players who appeared in at least one game during the 2021-22 season measured in at 6 feet or shorter.
A number of those players remain unsigned as of this writing, but the list includes a trio of former All-Stars in Isaiah Thomas, Kyle Lowry and Kemba Walker, an NBA legend in Chris Paul, and a few role players such as Patty Mills, Davion Mitchell, Jose Alvarado and Ish Smith.
MORE: Who are the 10 shortest players in NBA history?
Who are the shortest NBA players?
Two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas is currently listed as the shortest player in the NBA at 5-foot-9. There is a group of players listed at 5-foot-10, headlined by Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo.
Of players 6 feet and under, Chris Paul is the only one who was named an All-Star in the 2021-22 season.
A member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, Paul is one of the most accomplished players in NBA history. In addition to 12 All-Star selections and 11 All-NBA selections, he's led the NBA in assists five times and steals six times.
The following list is compiled from NBA.com's database.
Rank | Player | Height | Team | Nationality |
1. | Isaiah Thomas | 5-9 | - | USA |
2. | Facundo Campazzo | 5-10 | Nuggets | Argentina |
Jared Harper | 5-10 | - | USA | |
Markus Howard | 5-10 | - | USA | |
Tremont Waters | 5-10 | - | USA | |
3. | Carsen Edwards | 5-11 | - | USA |
Chris Chiozza | 5-11 | - | USA | |
D.J. Augustin | 5-11 | - | USA | |
Jordan McLaughlin | 5-11 | Timberwolves | USA | |
Keifer Sykes | 5-11 | - | USA | |
McKinley Wright IV | 5-11 | Mavericks | USA | |
4. | Aaron Holiday | 6-0 | Hawks | USA |
Brandon Goodwin | 6-0 | - | USA | |
Carlik Jones | 6-0 | Bulls | USA | |
Chris Paul | 6-0 | Suns | USA | |
Darren Collison | 6-0 | - | USA | |
Davion Mitchell | 6-0 | Kings | USA | |
Derrick Walton Jr. | 6-0 | - | USA | |
Ish Smith | 6-0 | Nuggets | USA | |
Jose Alvarado | 6-0 | Pelicans | USA | |
Kemba Walker | 6-0 | Pistons | USA | |
Kyle Lowry | 6-0 | Heat | USA | |
Patty Mills | 6-0 | Nets | Australia | |
Tim Frazier | 6-0 | - | USA | |
Trey Burke | 6-0 | Rockets | USA | |
Tyus Jones | 6-0 | Grizzlies | USA | |
Zavier Simpson | 6-0 | Magic | USA |
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Who are the shortest players in NBA history?
The shortest player in NBA history is Muggsy Bogues at 5-foot-3. The shortest player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, meanwhile, is Calvin Murphy at 5-foot-9.
Rank | Player | Height | NBA playing career |
1. | Muggsy Bogues | 5-3 | 1987-2001 |
2. | Early Boykins | 5-5 | 1998-2012 |
3. | Spud Webb | 5-6 | 1985-98 |
Mel Hirsch | 5-6 | 1946-47 | |
5. | Greg Grant | 5-7 | 1989-96 |
Keith Jennings | 5-7 | 1992-95 | |
Red Klotz | 5-7 | 1947-48 | |
Wataru Misaka | 5-7 | 1947-48 | |
Monte Towe | 5-7 | 1976-77 | |
10. | Dino Martin | 5-8 | 1946-48 |
Willie Somerset | 5-8 | 1965-66 | |
Charlie Criss | 5-8 | 1977-86 |
Spud Webb, tied for the third-shortest player in NBA history, is the shortest player ever to win the NBA's Slam Dunk contest.
Louis Herman "Red" Klotz, a member of the championship-winning Baltimore Bullets, is the shortest player ever to win an NBA title.
Monte Towe, who played one season each in the ABA and the NBA, is the shortest ever player to have played in the ABA.
Wataru Misaka, a member of the New York Knicks in 1947-48, was the first Asian player in the league.