Muggsy Bogues wasn’t named to the recently released NBA 75th Anniversary Team. But the 5-foot-3 guard is one of the most intriguing figures in the league’s history.
Despite his obvious physical disadvantage on the court, Bogues played 14 seasons in the NBA, averaging 7.7 points, 7.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game during his career.
As part of the league’s 75th anniversary, NBA TV is releasing a documentary about Bogues as part of its Basketball Stories series of documentaries. Muggsy: Always Believe will premiere Saturday, Nov. 20 on NBA TV at 10 p.m. ET.
Check out the teaser that was released online Monday:
Muggsy Bogues defied the odds on his journey to becoming the shortest player to ever play in the NBA.
Muggsy: Always Believe premieres Nov. 20th at 10pm ET on NBA TV! ? pic.twitter.com/X5uklkRpny
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 8, 2021
At Baltimore’s Dunbar High School, Bogues played on one of the best prep teams in history that also included future NBA players Reggie Williams, David Wingate, and Reggie Lewis. The Poets went a combined 59-0 during Bogues’s junior and senior years.
Prior to Chris Paul becoming one of the best point guards in NBA history, Bogues might have been the best at his position to join the league out of Wake Forest. Averaging 14.8 points, 9.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 steals in his senior year for the Demon Deacons, he named First-Team All-ACC. And in the 1987 NBA Draft, Bogues was the No. 12 overall selection iby the then-Washington Bullets. (He was drafted five picks ahead of fellow point guard and current ESPN/ABC broadcaster Mark Jackson.)
Yet Bogues is probably best remembered for his 10 seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, leading a team that included Alonso Mourning, Larry Johnson, and Dell Curry to four playoff berths. He averaged 8.8 points and 8.8 assists per game during his Charlotte career.
Johnson and Mourning are among the players interviewed for the documentary, along with Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, David Robinson, Tim Hardaway, and former high school teammate Reggie Williams.
Muggsy: Always Believe premieres Saturday, Nov. 20 on NBA TV at 10 p.m. ET. The documentary, as are the others in the Basketball Stories series, will then be available to watch on NBA.com and the NBA app.
