Muggsy Bogues
Encyclopedia
Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues (born January 9, 1965) is a retired American
professional basketball
player and former head coach of the now-defunct Charlotte Sting
of the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA). The shortest player ever to play in the NBA, the Bogues played point guard
for four teams during his 14-season career in the National Basketball Association
. Best known for his involvement with the Charlotte Hornets
, he also played for the Washington Bullets
, Golden State Warriors
and the Toronto Raptors
.
, Maryland
and played at Dunbar High School in his native Baltimore, where he was a teammate of future NBA players David Wingate (graduating class ahead of him), Reggie Williams
and Reggie Lewis
(both in his graduating class). The 1981–82 Dunbar Poets finished the season at 29–0 during Bogues' junior season and finished 31–0 during his senior season, and were ranked first in the nation by USA Today
. He went on to play four years at Wake Forest University
, averaging 11.3 points, 8.4 assists and 3.1 steals per game in his junior year. He followed with a senior campaign in which he averaged 14.8 points, 9.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 3.9 steals per game.
He played for the US national team in the 1986 FIBA World Championship
, and won the gold medal.
by the Washington Bullets
, and was part of a talent-laden draft class that also included David Robinson
, Reggie Miller
, Scottie Pippen
and Kevin Johnson
. In his rookie year, Bogues was a teammate of Manute Bol
who stood 7 feet 7 inches (231 cm) tall. Bol and Bogues appeared on three magazine covers together.
Despite his height, Bogues managed to block 39 shots throughout his NBA span including one on Patrick Ewing
. This happened on April 14, 1993 in the first quarter when Ewing was pulling the ball back to go up for the shot and Bogues stripped him of the ball. He was credited with the block though; footage of his block was shown in 1996 on NBA Action.
and Charlotte Hornets
were set to enter the NBA for the 1988–89 NBA season. Despite their weakness at the point guard, Bogues was left unprotected by the Bullets. On June 22, 1988 the Hornets selected him in the expansion draft
. As Bogues settled in Charlotte
, he established himself as an exceptional passer, a great ball-stealer, and one of the fastest on court.
Bogues spent ten years in Charlotte as the Hornets, led by Alonzo Mourning
and Larry Johnson, became one of the most popular teams in the NBA and a perennial playoff contender. Bogues was one of the most popular players in Hornets history, despite the fact that he never averaged more than 11.2 points per game in a season.
He is the Hornets' career leader in minutes played (19,768), assists (5,557), steals (1,067), turnovers (1,118), and assists per 48 minutes (13.5). Bogues held the Hornets' single-game record of 19 assists, broken by Chris Paul
(another player from Wake Forest) on Nov. 7, 2007. He also held the Hornets' postseason-game record of 15 assists, but that record was also broken on April 22, 2008 by Chris Paul, when he dished out 17 assists in the Hornets' win over the Dallas Mavericks
.
, to the Golden State Warriors
in exchange for B.J. Armstrong. Bogues played two seasons with the Warriors, and then signed as a free agent
with the Toronto Raptors
, where he would eventually finish his career. Although he was later traded to both the New York Knicks
and Dallas Mavericks
, he did not play a single game for either franchise.
in the Women's National Basketball Association
despite a lack of coaching experience. Notably, he was shorter than all of his players, the shortest member of the Sting being Helen Darlings who stands 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m). He lost his job as coach when the team folded in January 2007.
He currently works for the Charlotte Bobcats
in their front office. His autobiography, In the Land of Giants, recounts the struggles of growing up in inner-city Baltimore and achieving success in the NBA.
playing himself, sharing a restroom with Larry David
and Richard Lewis
and nearly having an altercation with David after catching them looking at his penis while urinating. In 1996, Bogues had a cameo at the end of Eddie
in which Whoopi Goldberg
's character flirts with him. He then walks out onto the court to support her character preventing Wild Bill from moving the Knicks. Also that year Bogues appeared in the movie Space Jam
as one of five NBA players whose playing ability is stolen by the evil Monstars. Charles Barkley
, Shawn Bradley
, Larry Johnson and Patrick Ewing
are the other four. He made a cameo appearance on an episode of Saturday Night Live while Charles Barkley was hosting. He also appeared in an episode of Hang Time
where he spoke against steroids. Most recently he appeared in an episode of the television show Pros vs. Joes (Season 1, Episode 2) along with Bo Jackson
, Dan O'Brien
, Jennie Finch
and Bill Romanowski
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and former head coach of the now-defunct Charlotte Sting
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
of the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA). The shortest player ever to play in the NBA, the Bogues played point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
for four teams during his 14-season career in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Best known for his involvement with the Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (NBA)
The Charlotte Hornets was a professional American basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They played in the Atlantic, Midwest, and Central divisions of the National Basketball Association. The Hornets began play during the 1988–89 NBA season as an expansion franchise, along with the...
, he also played for the Washington Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
.
High school and college
Bogues was born in BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and played at Dunbar High School in his native Baltimore, where he was a teammate of future NBA players David Wingate (graduating class ahead of him), Reggie Williams
Reggie Williams (basketball)
Reggie Williams is a retired American professional basketball player. His nickname during his playing days was "Silk."-High school and college career:...
and Reggie Lewis
Reggie Lewis
Reggie Lewis was an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Boston Celtics from 1987 to 1993.-Early life:...
(both in his graduating class). The 1981–82 Dunbar Poets finished the season at 29–0 during Bogues' junior season and finished 31–0 during his senior season, and were ranked first in the nation by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. He went on to play four years at Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
, averaging 11.3 points, 8.4 assists and 3.1 steals per game in his junior year. He followed with a senior campaign in which he averaged 14.8 points, 9.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 3.9 steals per game.
He played for the US national team in the 1986 FIBA World Championship
1986 FIBA World Championship
The 1986 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Spain from July 5 to 19 1986.The Final phase of the tournament was held at the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad, Madrid...
, and won the gold medal.
NBA
Bogues was drafted twelfth overall in the 1987 NBA Draft1987 NBA Draft
The 1987 Draft of the National Basketball Association was held on June 22, 1987 in New York City, New York.This draft is notable for the selection of two future members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen. Other notable selections include Reggie Miller, Kevin...
by the Washington Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, and was part of a talent-laden draft class that also included David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
, Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
, Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins...
and Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
. In his rookie year, Bogues was a teammate of Manute Bol
Manute Bol
Manute Bol was a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. At 7 feet, 7 inches , Bol was one of the tallest players ever to appear in the National Basketball Association, along with Gheorghe Mureşan. Unlike Mureşan, however, Bol was naturally tall and did not have a Pituitary disease...
who stood 7 feet 7 inches (231 cm) tall. Bol and Bogues appeared on three magazine covers together.
Despite his height, Bogues managed to block 39 shots throughout his NBA span including one on Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
. This happened on April 14, 1993 in the first quarter when Ewing was pulling the ball back to go up for the shot and Bogues stripped him of the ball. He was credited with the block though; footage of his block was shown in 1996 on NBA Action.
Charlotte Hornets
The Miami HeatMiami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
and Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (NBA)
The Charlotte Hornets was a professional American basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They played in the Atlantic, Midwest, and Central divisions of the National Basketball Association. The Hornets began play during the 1988–89 NBA season as an expansion franchise, along with the...
were set to enter the NBA for the 1988–89 NBA season. Despite their weakness at the point guard, Bogues was left unprotected by the Bullets. On June 22, 1988 the Hornets selected him in the expansion draft
Expansion draft
An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or franchises. This occurs mainly in North American sports. One of the ways of stocking the new team or teams is an expansion draft...
. As Bogues settled in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, he established himself as an exceptional passer, a great ball-stealer, and one of the fastest on court.
Bogues spent ten years in Charlotte as the Hornets, led by Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....
and Larry Johnson, became one of the most popular teams in the NBA and a perennial playoff contender. Bogues was one of the most popular players in Hornets history, despite the fact that he never averaged more than 11.2 points per game in a season.
He is the Hornets' career leader in minutes played (19,768), assists (5,557), steals (1,067), turnovers (1,118), and assists per 48 minutes (13.5). Bogues held the Hornets' single-game record of 19 assists, broken by Chris Paul
Chris Paul
Christopher Emmanuel Paul is an American professional basketball point guard for the New Orleans Hornets.Paul was born and raised in North Carolina. Despite only playing two varsity basketball seasons in high school, he was a McDonald's All-American and accepted a scholarship with nearby Wake...
(another player from Wake Forest) on Nov. 7, 2007. He also held the Hornets' postseason-game record of 15 assists, but that record was also broken on April 22, 2008 by Chris Paul, when he dished out 17 assists in the Hornets' win over the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
.
Last years
Two games into the 1997–98 NBA season, Bogues' career in Charlotte ended when he was traded, along with Tony DelkTony Delk
Tony Lorenzo Delk is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team. He was team leader of the 1996 University of Kentucky Wildcats team that won the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
, to the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in exchange for B.J. Armstrong. Bogues played two seasons with the Warriors, and then signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
, where he would eventually finish his career. Although he was later traded to both the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
, he did not play a single game for either franchise.
Life after the NBA
Since leaving the NBA, Bogues worked in the real estate business until August 3, 2005, when he was named head coach of the Charlotte StingCharlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
despite a lack of coaching experience. Notably, he was shorter than all of his players, the shortest member of the Sting being Helen Darlings who stands 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m). He lost his job as coach when the team folded in January 2007.
He currently works for the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
in their front office. His autobiography, In the Land of Giants, recounts the struggles of growing up in inner-city Baltimore and achieving success in the NBA.
Television and movie appearances
Bogues made a cameo appearance in TV series Curb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
playing himself, sharing a restroom with Larry David
Larry David
Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
and Richard Lewis
Richard Lewis (comedian)
-Early life:Lewis was born in Brooklyn, New York City and was raised in Englewood, New Jersey. His father worked as a caterer and his mother was an actress. Lewis is Jewish. He later attended Ohio State University and was a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity....
and nearly having an altercation with David after catching them looking at his penis while urinating. In 1996, Bogues had a cameo at the end of Eddie
Eddie (film)
Eddie is a 1996 comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg and Frank Langella. It was a moderate success, grossing $31,387,164 in the US.The film was directed by Steve Rash.- Plot summary :...
in which Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
's character flirts with him. He then walks out onto the court to support her character preventing Wild Bill from moving the Knicks. Also that year Bogues appeared in the movie Space Jam
Space Jam
Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
as one of five NBA players whose playing ability is stolen by the evil Monstars. Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
, Shawn Bradley
Shawn Bradley
Shawn Paul Bradley is a retired American and German basketball player who played center for the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Nets and the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association. At tall, Bradley was one of the tallest players in NBA history...
, Larry Johnson and Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
are the other four. He made a cameo appearance on an episode of Saturday Night Live while Charles Barkley was hosting. He also appeared in an episode of Hang Time
Hang Time (TV series)
Hang Time is an American teen sitcom that aired from 1995–2000. The teen-oriented program aired on Saturday mornings on NBC as part of the network's TNBC morning block. It was created by Troy Searer, Robert Tarlow, and Mark Fink. Producer Peter Engel took over Fink's duties at the start of Season 2...
where he spoke against steroids. Most recently he appeared in an episode of the television show Pros vs. Joes (Season 1, Episode 2) along with Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985....
, Dan O'Brien
Dan O'Brien
Daniel Dion O'Brien is a former American decathlete. He was deemed one of the best decathlon athletes of the 1990s, winning an Olympic gold medal after winning three consecutive world titles....
, Jennie Finch
Jennie Finch
Jennie Lynn Finch , who occasionally uses her husband's surname Daigle, is a former American softball player who pitched for the USA national softball team and the Chicago Bandits. Finch helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
and Bill Romanowski
Bill Romanowski
William Thomas "Bill" Romanowski is a former American football player. He was born in Vernon, Connecticut. A linebacker, he graduated from Rockville High School in 1984, Boston College in 1988 , and then went on to a 16-year career in the NFL, playing for the San Francisco 49ers , Philadelphia...
.
See also
- List of shortest players in National Basketball Association history
- List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders