When Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues was growing up, no one expected him to be an NBA star. At only 5' 3", Muggsy was short, putting him at a serious disadvantage in a league where the average height is 6' 7". But he ignored the naysayers, and went on to have a successful basketball career despite the odds stacked against him.
During his 16-year career in the NBA, Muggsy became a fan favorite - a symbol of hard work, drive, and determination. "I always believed in myself," he told Hank Hersch of Sports Illustrated. "That's the type of attitude I always took out on the floor, knowing that I belonged; that with my talents, my abilities, there's a place for me out there."
In his engaging autobiography "In the Land of Giants: My Life in Basketball", he reveals that his mother was only 4-foot-11, his father 5-foot-6: "I knew I had no chance of ever getting out of the five-foot range, no matter how hard I wished and dreamed about getting taller."
Muggsy never did get taller, but he certainly got better. As a member of the Charlotte Hornets, he's one of the more accomplished point guards in the NBA and, one of the five most enjoyable players to watch. How can you not love a player who will challenge anybody, will steal the ball from players a foot and a half taller, or drive on a 7-footer? He's a player who works hard, knows the game, and plays with enthusiasm.
When asked about the contemporaries like Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal, the hoopster said they had a specific role to play for their teams while I had my own duties to accomplish. "If you think too much about your height then... I never feared the taller opponents, if they were good at shooting, I was good at stealing and dribbling around. If I would have feared at any point of time I would not have been here in front of you talking about the game," insists Muggsy.
Muggsy is forthcoming about such matters as the birth of his daughter to a girlfriend when he was a senior at Dunbar. "I had no money, and I was just seventeen," he writes. "I knew I didn't want to marry her mother. I had to grow up quickly."
Then there was the matter of his father, Richard, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for armed robbery when Muggsy was 12.
"I understand now that when he wasn't at home, he was out hustling for whatever money he could make, doing whatever it took to make sure his family had enough to eat," Muggsy writes. "He got into some things he shouldn't have. He was selling drugs. He was committing stickups and robberies."
But this is where character comes in. The young Muggsy stayed in touch with his father, concluding, "I refused to let his being in prison affect my relationship with him in a negative way. . . . We still had our conflicts, like most fathers and sons, but he was my dad first, last, and always."
Muggsy's storied career demonstrates that with hard work and determination, you can beat the odds and accomplish your goals. As he once said, "You can't dwell on what people think you can't do."
During his 16-year career in the NBA, Muggsy became a fan favorite - a symbol of hard work, drive, and determination. "I always believed in myself," he told Hank Hersch of Sports Illustrated. "That's the type of attitude I always took out on the floor, knowing that I belonged; that with my talents, my abilities, there's a place for me out there."
In his engaging autobiography "In the Land of Giants: My Life in Basketball", he reveals that his mother was only 4-foot-11, his father 5-foot-6: "I knew I had no chance of ever getting out of the five-foot range, no matter how hard I wished and dreamed about getting taller."
Muggsy never did get taller, but he certainly got better. As a member of the Charlotte Hornets, he's one of the more accomplished point guards in the NBA and, one of the five most enjoyable players to watch. How can you not love a player who will challenge anybody, will steal the ball from players a foot and a half taller, or drive on a 7-footer? He's a player who works hard, knows the game, and plays with enthusiasm.
When asked about the contemporaries like Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal, the hoopster said they had a specific role to play for their teams while I had my own duties to accomplish. "If you think too much about your height then... I never feared the taller opponents, if they were good at shooting, I was good at stealing and dribbling around. If I would have feared at any point of time I would not have been here in front of you talking about the game," insists Muggsy.
Muggsy is forthcoming about such matters as the birth of his daughter to a girlfriend when he was a senior at Dunbar. "I had no money, and I was just seventeen," he writes. "I knew I didn't want to marry her mother. I had to grow up quickly."
Then there was the matter of his father, Richard, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for armed robbery when Muggsy was 12.
"I understand now that when he wasn't at home, he was out hustling for whatever money he could make, doing whatever it took to make sure his family had enough to eat," Muggsy writes. "He got into some things he shouldn't have. He was selling drugs. He was committing stickups and robberies."
But this is where character comes in. The young Muggsy stayed in touch with his father, concluding, "I refused to let his being in prison affect my relationship with him in a negative way. . . . We still had our conflicts, like most fathers and sons, but he was my dad first, last, and always."
Muggsy's storied career demonstrates that with hard work and determination, you can beat the odds and accomplish your goals. As he once said, "You can't dwell on what people think you can't do."
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