7 Greatest Little Guys in NBA History

When people think of basketball today, I'm sure the first thing that comes to mind is tall men, some freakishly so, jumping up for the ball and shooting it at the basket.

That assumption isn't far off, seeing as how most NBA stars today are 6'6" or taller. In NBA history, some of the game's best players have been over seven-feet tall.

Yet, that isn't to say that there haven't been some effective shorter players in basketball history. Let's not forget that for much of the 1990s, 5'3" Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues was an effective passer and could play some defense as well.

That being said, let's give the men 6'0" and shorter their due and count down the seven greatest little guys in NBA history.

No. 7: Earl Boykins

He has only started 34 of his 644 career NBA games, but 5'5" Earl Boykins has managed to hang around the NBA for 12 seasons. For the most part, the 35-year-old has earned his paycheck as a shooter off the bench.

In terms of numbers, Boykins' best season came in 2006-2007, when he averaged 14.6 points while making an incredible 40 percent of his three-pointers. That year was split between the Denver Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks.

He is a career journeyman, having played for nine different NBA teams, but the fact that Boykins has been able to overcome his size and stay in the league this long is inspiring enough that he is the man who kicks off the countdown.

No. 6: Terrell Brandon

At 5'11", Brandon is one of the taller little guys on this list. Yet, the man was such a great passer and defensive player in his 10-year career that it would feel wrong to not mention him.

For his career, the former Oregon Duck averaged 13.8 points, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game and was a two-time All-Star. He represented the Cleveland Cavaliers both times, when he averaged 19.3 and 19.5 points per game, respectively.

Brandon also spent time with the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves, and while injuries forced him to retire at the young age of 31, there is no denying that he was one of the better point men of his generation.

No. 5: Nate Robinson

At first glance, Nate Robinson does not look like a tremendous basketball player. He is just 5'9" and weighs a fairly muscly 180 pounds. Believe it or not, Robinson is actually a great three-point shooter.

Yet, Robinson is better known for his amazing dunking ability. To date, he is the only man to ever win the Slam Dunk Contest three times. His 43.5 inch vertical leap is one of the highest in the NBA.

On top of that, apart from the dunk over Dwight Howard you can watch at the left, Robinson once blocked a shot attempt by the 7'6" Yao Ming. With his shooting ability and phenomenal athleticism, it's only fair that Li'l Nate get recognized on this list.

No. 4: Muggsy Bogues

To date, 5'3" Muggsy Bogues is the shortest player to ever play in the NBA. What astounds me even more is that he was a first-round draft pick. The Washington Bullets took him out of Wake Forest with the 12th pick in the 1987 draft.

Bogues played just one season in Washington before being selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1988 Expansion Draft. It was with that team that he made a name for himself as one of the league's best passers and defenders.

For his career, Bogues only averaged 7.7 points per game and was never named to an All-Star team, nor did he ever win any major NBA awards. Yet, his career averages of 7.6 assists and 1.5 steals are so impressive, not to mention the fact that he lasted 14 seasons in the NBA, that he is a surefire pick here.

No. 3: Calvin Murphy

Many of you have probably never heard of Calvin Murphy. The 5'9" guard was a college star at Niagara University and then moved on to the NBA. There, he spent 13 years with the San Diego/Houston Rockets and was one of the game's better shooters.

He only appeared in one All-Star Game, but Murphy finished his career with impressive averages of 17.9 points, 4.4 assists and 1.5 steals. In 1993, he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

He never won a title, but the fact that he was able to be a top shooter in a game that was starting to be dominated by big guys like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Elvin Hayes is a testament to Murphy's talents.  Plus, he's the only Hall-of-Famer on this list (for now).

No. 2: Allen Iverson

Easily the best shooter of his time, 6'0" Allen Iverson was taken out of Georgetown by the Philadelphia 76ers with the first-overall pick in the 1996 draft. He made an immediate impact as a rookie, averaging 23.5 points, 7.5 assists and 2.1 steals on his way to being named Rookie of the Year.

Though he became just as well known for his enormous ego off the court as he was for his talents on the hardwood, Iverson was still one of the greatest guards to ever play the game.  He played in 11 consecutive All-Star Games, was named league MVP in 2001 and led the NBA in scoring four different times.

The latter years of his NBA career were less than memorable, as injuries took their toll and forced him to a bench role, but there's no denying that despite his smaller stature, Iverson played like someone with the size of Lebron James.

No. 1: Spud Webb

Much like the aforementioned Nate Robinson, 5'6" Spud Webb was a better athlete than his size indicated. He never made an All-Star Game, nor did he win any major awards, but Webb was one of those players who was just fun to watch.

Despite his size, Webb actually won the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest his rookie year. It wasn't until his fifth season that he started to accumulate minutes and become a valuable contributor on the Atlanta Hawks and, some seasons later, the Sacramento Kings.

Many would expect Iverson to occupy the top spot on this countdown, but he was a superstar from the get go. Webb worked himself to the bone and showed tremendous determination from his first day in the league. Whether he played 15 minutes or 30 minutes per game, he came to work every day and played his hardest.

He was never a superstar, but his team-first attitude and toughness on the court is enough to give Spud Webb the top spot among the NBA's greatest little guys.