Aside from the great Muggsy Bogues, Earl Boykins is the shortest player in NBA history. He wasn’t the muscular defensive hound that Bogues was, and he wasn’t the jumper that the 5’7” Spud Webb was, but the 5’5” 135 Pound Boykins was a scorer through and through. He was shifty and crafty with his footwork, and an expert at getting his defender off the balance or in the air; and possessed a respectable shot which forced defender to play up on him; only for him to blow by for a floater in the lane. Earl Boykins was barely recruited because of his height, but would still be a 4 year NCAA Division 1 starter with the Eastern Michigan Eagles; leading them to two NCAA Tournament berths, and a 1996 upset of Duke; while individually, he was the NCAA’s second highest scorer in 1998. He went undrafted and bounced around a few teams, before getting a real shot with the Golden State Warriors; but his next stop was his best, as he spent 3 and a half years with the Denver Nuggets as an offensive sparkplug and top sixth man behind guys like Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. But once the Nuggets acquired Iverson, Boykins became expendable, and would never have the same type of role for the rest of his career. But even though his minutes decreased, he still was a player in demand for another half decade, and even made a stop in Italy to play for Virtus Bologna, before his career ended in 2012 after 13 pro seasons. Earl Boykins wasn’t the most incredible player, but what he was able to do at his size was incredible, and he is still the shortest player in NBA history to score at least 30 points; and at the very least, he’s one of the best pound for pound players in NBA history.
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12 апр 2024
