Where does Raptors' Markquis Nowell rank among the shortest players in NBA history?
While he’s only played less than four minutes on an NBA court so far, Toronto Raptors rookie Markquis Nowell has already found himself among the annals of NBA history.
Wednesday night, Nowell checked in during the fourth quarter of a big loss suffered by the Raptors at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, a 128-112 defeat.
Nowell made the most of his limited time on the floor, hitting a pair of free throws while picking up a highlight-reel assist to Jalen McDaniels after registering a steal.
Markquis Nowell with a bit of showtime in his NBA debut! šš« pic.twitter.com/FWpO152KuI
— THE SHIFT (@theshift_sports) November 16, 2023
But even getting to play in an NBA game isn’t typically done by players of Nowell’s size. He’s listed at 5’8″, and, by the records, he’s one of the 14 shortest players in NBA history.
Nowell is an inch shorter than both Isaiah Thomas and Nate Robinson, who both came in at 5’9″, and he’s one of the two shortest players in the last decade, along with Jacob Gilyard, who made his debut with the Memphis Grizzlies last season.
An undrafted rookie out of Kansas State, Nowell impressed Toronto enough with his flashy college highlights in order to earn a two-way contract this past June.
Here’s where Nowell ranks among the NBA’s shortest-ever players, as per Basketball Reference:
5’3″
- Muggsy Bogues
5’5″
- Earl Boykins
5’6”
- Mel Hersch
- Spud Webb
5’7″
- Greg Grant
- Keith Jennings
- Red Klotz
- Wataru Misaka
- Monte Towe
5’8″
- Charlie Criss
- Jacob Gilyard
- Dino Martin
- Willie Somerset
- Markquis Nowell
Bogues, at 5’3″, is both the shortest Raptor and the shortest player in league history, closing out his 14-year career with Toronto from 1999-2001.
The Raptors plan to bounce Nowell between the G League and the NBA this season, so it’s not too clear how many opportunities he’ll get with the big club, having dressed in just two games thus far. At least for the time being, he seems to be fitting right in at the pro level, even in his limited action thus far.
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