NBA’s Shortest Player Ever Reveals CRAZY Journey: Shot, Bullied & More

Playmaker

The Definition of Heart of Over Height! 5’3 Muggsy Bogues overcame every obstacle and inspired the world during a Legendary 14 year NBA Career.  The City of Baltimore presented Muggsy’s toughest obstacles from surviving a gunshot at 5 years old to being bullied for his size. However he learned strength and to never give up. He emerged from his childhood a fearless athlete and ready to show the world that there’s no limits to what a person can achieve if they always believe and lead with kindness.   Today the Muggsy Bogues Family Foundation led by his daughter Brittney is committed to supporting the underserved youth and providing opportunities in Charlotte, Baltimore and across the country.   Muggsy’s Dunbar Poets High School remains the only team to ever go 60-0 over two seasons. Muggsy is honored in the Wake Forest Basketball Hall of fame. Muggsy played with against the greats in the NBA is eager for the day a smaller player than him can reach the NBA ranks to inspire others as he did.   #muggsybogues #NBA #basketball   Subscribe & Hit the Bell to Turn on Post-Notification: https://www.youtube.com/@Playmakr - Follow Playmaker on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playmaker/?hl=en - Follow Playmaker on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playmaker?lang=en - Follow Playmaker on Twitter: https://twitter.com/playmaker - Follow Playmaker on Threads: *link* - Shop Playmaker Merch: https://playmakerbrand.com/ - Playmaker is all about stories, highlights, and in-depth behind the scenes moments of your favorite athletes and celebrities.  MB01ZAVWYTKARTV MB01ZEQK4LDOMFN MB01G8QSWL0NDLB MB01WPGO6NFYO0F MB01EZHX8AFURJR MB01TXO593IV2WP MB01Z7BW6OXFKCL MB01GDX35J2ZFW0

Transcript

00:00 [Gun cocks]

00:02 [Siren wails]

00:06 Got shot at the age of five years old,

00:08 you know, being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

00:11 For one, I didn't think I was gonna be part of the world anymore,

00:15 you know, when that happened, even though it was the buckshots,

00:17 the bullets missed my head, but the buckshots hit all over my arms

00:20 and in my chest, so...

00:23 That was a normalcy for us.

00:28 Didn't even see life expectancy past 20

00:31 because of all the things that go on in your neighborhood,

00:35 losing friends at an early age.

00:37 That was just the neighborhood we lived in.

00:45 You know, every time you go outside your door,

00:47 you need to have your head on a swivel.

00:49 Before that trauma happened to me,

00:53 you know, trying to pursue the game of basketball,

00:56 going out on the court, being laughed upon because of your size,

00:59 you know, they used to affect me.

01:01 I'd go home crying to my mom,

01:03 letting her know how cruel the kids were to me out there on the court.

01:06 But after that dramatic experience happened to me, being shot,

01:11 when I went back out there,

01:13 those words didn't have the same impact.

01:15 And I do believe that it had to do with me thinking

01:19 that I almost lost my life.

01:21 You felt like you'd been through the worst of it.

01:23 You know, words, as they say, stick to stone.

01:25 They hurt you, but words never hurt you.

01:27 And that's true.

01:29 You know, the words can't hurt you unless you allow it to.

01:32 And I got to that point where those words didn't mean anything.

01:36 And it just is a sad, it came in one ear, went out the other.

01:39 Pops got put in prison when I was 12.

01:43 So my mom had to take on that role

01:46 to be the mother and the father of the household,

01:48 only having 11th grade education.

01:50 So she had to go back and get her diploma

01:53 in order for her to provide to get a job for her family.

01:56 It gave me an understanding that I need to do more, I need to focus.

02:00 From that moment on, I didn't even think about my height.

02:08 I knew I wasn't getting out of that 5-foot range,

02:10 and I embraced that early on.

02:12 People always tell you who you should be, who you could be,

02:16 but you're the only person to know who you want to be.

02:20 Basketball was always that barrier that I had to break down

02:25 because of all the coaches, all the people felt like

02:28 the game should be played by your height.

02:31 You need to be big and tall in order to pursue this game.

02:34 I had to change their mindsets in terms of letting them know

02:38 that this game was meant for whoever had the ability

02:40 to play the game of basketball.

02:42 He is now the shortest player in the NBA.

02:48 Tyrone Bogues from Wake Forest, 5'3", 140 pounds, 22 years old.

02:54 He was projected to be the shortest player in the NBA.

02:57 That was the day the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.

03:00 There was a surreal moment hearing your name called,

03:04 your dreams finally come true after all this, you know,

03:08 all this hardship, the journey that you've been on.

03:11 You're about to change the whole narrative of your entire family.

03:14 (announcer)

03:17 To be small in this industry, to be the smallest,

03:25 I mean, of course I am honored and grateful,

03:28 but at the same time, I'm wishing and dreaming

03:31 that it could be someone even smaller

03:33 in terms of that next generation.

03:37 (music)

03:40 Having a kid around the world just dreaming,

03:56 believing that they can be this individual,

03:59 regardless of his stature, just giving them hope and faith

04:03 that they have that outlook in life

04:05 that they could be part of something

04:07 that no one thinks they are capable of.

04:10 So having that, an atmosphere that where a kid can dream and believe

04:15 and say, "Oh, someone my size had done that,

04:18 and it's possible for me to do it," it gives me chills.

04:22 You never really hear anything bad about him,

04:29 his whole career in the NBA,

04:32 because he's just, like, such a good guy.

04:34 Like, he does so much for his community,

04:37 and he's just, like, so family-oriented.

04:40 Like, he wants to make sure that his kids do what's right,

04:45 and he's been such a great role model for all of our kids.

04:49 I love working with my dad. It's made us closer.

04:53 He's my best friend, so, yeah,

04:55 some of his requests are off the wall,

04:58 but, I mean, I love him as my dad.

05:01 I am so proud of Brittany,

05:04 and for them to be able to oversee all my projects

05:07 and the things that I'm doing,

05:09 I am so grateful to be in their hands.

05:12 I followed all around, ever since when I was a kid.

05:23 I mean, seeing her play the game--

05:26 football, baseball, basketball--

05:28 as a girl, a small girl,

05:30 that just gave me so much inspiration

05:32 that I wanted to go out there and play.

05:35 When I lost her, I mean, it took a toll,

05:39 but, again, I continue to keep her legacy alive

05:42 because of the things that she committed to our city in Baltimore.

05:48 She ran all the youth programs for the Park and Rec centers back home--

05:52 football, basketball.

05:54 I mean, she missed so many family functions

05:57 because of her commitment to those kids,

06:00 and that let me know that her heart was in the right place.

06:03 So for me to be here in this position,

06:06 to continue her legacy,

06:09 to make sure that those individuals that she touched

06:15 know how important that it is to continue

06:18 to put that effort into the youth

06:22 because they are our future,

06:25 and she had a big heart in that regards.

06:28 Never let any negative moment keep you in that place.

06:40 You go through that process, and you move on from it.

06:44 I want to always try to make sure that folks believe in them

06:50 and not to give that credit to anyone

06:54 or give that power to anyone who don't believe in you

06:57 because people could be cruel.

06:59 People could be very devastating towards your dreams,

07:02 and if you allow them to come into your space,

07:05 they could take that away from you.

07:07 So always tell folks to surround yourself with those who are going to uplift you.

07:11 And for me to continue to be out here spreading that message,

07:15 being able to go out and talk to the youth,

07:17 talk to anyone that has an open ear and that wants to grow,

07:21 I'm all for it.

07:24 My charity work that I do now with the Mugs of Boa Family Foundation

07:27 is also close to my heart

07:30 where we're trying to empower the underserved

07:34 and make sure they have a quality, better life just like anyone else.

07:38 That's what God has placed me here for

07:41 at this juncture in my life, I believe.

07:44 I am honored to be able to play in three decades,

07:48 the '80s, the '90s, and the 2000s

07:51 with some of the unbelievable players that I played with.

07:55 It's not about the media.

07:57 It's about the people that you compete against,

07:59 all the competition, and that's where all the failure as well as success

08:03 is instantly right then and there.

08:06 In the NBA, you're playing against the best in the world,

08:09 so having guys that give you that type of respect,

08:12 that's what you play the game for.

08:15 [music]

08:19 [music]

08:23 [music]

08:27 [music]

08:30 [music]

08:37 [music]

08:40 (upbeat music)

08:42 (upbeat music)

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