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Basketball is a game for people of all sizes, but when it comes to the NBA, it is a big men’s game. A six-ft tall player is considered to be short in the league, where even the guards stand well above the height of a regular person.
Entering into the 2023-24 season, players such as Markquis Nowell and Jacob Gilyard to Chris Paul and Fred VanVleet are making a name for themselves, despite their short height. Here is the list of the top 5 shortest NBA players in the 2023-24 season.
Top 5 shortest players in NBA
#1 Markquis Nowell - 5-ft-8-in
On the list of shortest NBA players, Markquis Morris Nowell is a 5-ft-8-in player from New York. Born in 1999, the 23-year-old went undrafted in 2023. However, on July 3, 2023, he signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors. He played on July 15, 2023 and recorded 17 points, 12 assists and three rebounds against the Golden State Warriors in a 108-101 win in the summer league. He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats and Little Rock Trojans.
Markquis Nowell holds the record for the highest number of assists (19) in a single game in the Division I NCAA Tournament against Michigan State in 2023. He plays from the point guard position for the Raptors in the 2023-24 season.
#2 Jacob Gilyard - 5-ft-9-in
Jacob Gilyard is a 25-year-old player from Kansas City who went undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft. Later on, he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies during training camp. As per the team policy, the details of the contract were not disclosed. Later on, on April 8, 2023, he signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. He made his NBA debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 115-100 loss. He registered three points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals in his debut match.
Gilyard has 466 total career steals, which is a record in NCAA Division I. He was named the 2020 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and made it to the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team four times in a row from 2019 to 2022.
#3 Jordan McLaughlin - Minnesota Timberwolves - 5-ft-11-in
Jordan McLaughlin is considered short at 5-ft-11-in, but his impact on the Minnesota Timberwolves is evident when his stats are on display. He is not a great shooter and not very great when it comes to scoring with the ball. However, his impact comes from his assists, defense and steals.
He even became a fan favorite in Minnesota last season as fans asked the team to give him more minutes on the floor at the expense of D’Angelo Russell. He signed a two-way contract with the Timberwolves on July 20, 2019. He recorded a career-high 24 points and 11 assists against the Clippers on Feb 8, 2020. Eventually, he signed a standard contract with the team on Sep 15, 2021.
#4 Chris Paul - 6-ft
Chris Paul is one of the players in NBA history who has not let his height affect his greatness. Largely considered one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, Paul is a 19-year veteran who is still balling in the league. He was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets in 2005 and is also one of the members of the NBA's 75th Annivesary team.
He has won NBA Rookie of the Year, two gold Olympic medals and an NBA All-Star MVP. His impact overall is not a stat secret, as he has been an assist leader five times in his career and a steals leader six times. Paul is an All NBA Team player and has served as the president of NBPA from 2013 to 2021. He is also one of the richest players in the league.
#5 Fred VanVleet - 6-ft
For any NBA fan, it would be hard to believe that Fred VanVleet went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft. Standing at 6-ft tall, VanVleet has almost seen everything in the league. He signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors in 2016 and signed to play in the 2016 NBA Summer League.
After fighting for his spot among other players, he signed a multi-year deal with the team. On July 7, 2023, VanVleet joined the Houston Rockets and scored 14 points and five assists in the game. From being a spot filler to being a reserve to being a starter, the 29-year-old has come a long way.
Guess the Lakers players!
