The Americans set the limit at 6 feet (1.80 m). Everything below is small. So what can we say about Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues? The micro-leader who passed through Washington (12th draft pick in 1987), Charlotte, Golden State and Toronto is a Lilliputian in the kingdom of Gullivers. How much is that, doctor, 5.3 feet? 1.60 m.
Alain Giresse, member of the magic square of the French team of the 80s, exceeds him by 3 centimeters. Ditto Matthieu Valbuena and Marco Verratti. 1.60 m is also 8 centimeters less than Spud Webb, described as a “brilliant dwarf” when he won the dunk competition in 1986. That is above all 71 centimeters less than the late Sudanese Manute Bol, taller NBA player (by size…) in the first half of the 90s. Except that we don't measure talent by the yardstick but by that of the heart. And that of Tyrone Bogues is immense.
“Tyrone is my toughest opponent”confided very seriously Kevin McHale, the former strong winger (2.08 m) of the Celtics and former coach of the Rockets.
Does Bogues have a secret? Yes: an explosive cocktail of will, speed and muscles. Fast and as streamlined as a bullet, Muggsy is unstoppable. His arm speed and incredibly low center of gravity are a nightmare for any point guard he defends against. Obviously, Muggsy has always been small. He learned very early to compensate for his handicap.
“I very quickly understood that I would not exceed the height of one meter and sixty. My mother is 1.48 m tall and my father is 1.66 m tall. I also have a brother who is 1.68m tall. He's the giant of the family! I have always been happy with my height, I never wished I was taller. I don't blame anyone. Neither to my parents, nor to God. »
It's true that with his track record, Bogues has no reason to blame nature. The business card is well filled out, thank you for it. He was voted best player at Dunbar High School in Baltimore in 1983 ahead of future pros like David Wingate, Reggie Williams and especially Reggie Lewis. That year, his high school was unofficially declared national champion after completing a 31-0 season (29-0 the previous year).
The legend continued at Wake Forest, his university, where he was nicknamed “The human assist”. For his final year, he averaged 14.8 points, 9.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 3.9 steals. He was even elected to the Atlantic Coast Conference ideal team. His records for assists and steals in college are higher than those of Michael Jordan or Mark Price. Wake Forest will honor him by retiring his No. 14 jersey.
World Champion against Drazen Petrovic
The legend of Muggsy crossed the Atlantic in 1986. In Spain, he won the world title with the USA. In Europe, it is nicknamed “the electric battery”. With the sparks that his game produces on the Croatian Drazen Petrovic or the Russian Valdemaras Khomitchus, it is fireworks in itself. Enough to be respected forever. If you doubt Bogues' greatness, listen to his Wake Forest teammate Ralph Kitley (2.10m): “He’s so strong that sometimes I feel like he’s looking down on me.”.
The Washington Bullets therefore chose him in 12th position in the 1987 draft. He worked alongside Manute Bol during his rookie year. Together, they will pose for three magazine covers. The Bullets' mistake was not to protect him. Result: the following year, the Charlotte Hornets, who appeared on the NBA map at the same time as the Miami Heat, recovered “Little big man” during the expansion draft. In 1990, Frelons fans voted him the team's best player (9.4 pts and 10.7 pds). Its popularity continues to grow. She lives up to her talent. Tyrone receives more than 200 letters a week asking for photos, autographs, and even inspirational advice on how to succeed.
In 1993-94, he again exceeded the 10 assists average (10.1 plus 10.8 pts). Bogues is anything but a gimmick. We don't ask him to attack the basket. At 3 points, that's not it either. His thing is passing and interception, playing with energy. In 1992, he achieved two exceptional performances by grabbing 13 rebounds against Milwaukee and then… Milwaukee. Tyrone is an example that rubs off on the whole team. For their fourth season in the League, in 1991-92, the Hornets were in the race for the playoffs until mid-March. Rookie Larry Johnson seems to be carrying the five at arm's length. But it was when Bogues injured his ankle that Charlotte limped. His teammate Kendall Gill paid tribute to him: “We were orphans. When Tyrone is there and we see him putting pressure everywhere on the pitch, we only want one thing: to imitate him. He single-handedly pulls the team to the top. »
The little ball of nerves and muscles is a leader in spirit but also in form. “When I arrived, we wanted to apply ourselves but things were going a bit in all directions. I was bringing the ball up and after the first pass, it was nonsense. Now there is a real collective. I can organize the game as best as possible. No more selfishness. We don't care who will score, only victory counts. »
North Carolina was the original home of Michael Jordan. In the early 90s, it became the Muggsy State. A “little big man” who achieved the feat of inflicting 39 blocks during his professional career, including one on Patrick Ewing on April 14, 1993.
“It is impossible for me to go unnoticed wherever I go. It's sometimes restrictive but I'm not going to complain, so many people would like to be in my place. »
The Baltimore native became the idol of children who wore his jersey all across the United States. A real comic book character. He has never averaged more than 11.2 points over a season but his size puts him closer to the kids. His exploits in the realm of greats make them dream.
“When I was a kid, there were no local heroes in my neighborhood. Here, I'm the little local star. All the kids from the neighborhood come to greet me, play with my children. They feel close to me, it gives them confidence, they have the hope of accomplishing something great later. Differences – size, skin color, religion, social level – no longer matter to them. This is one of my greatest victories. »
At the Hornets with the Mourning-Johnson duo
With Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson on the front line and Muggsy Bogues at the helm, this Charlotte team, which enjoys enormous popularity in the United States but also overseas, aims to become the franchise of the 90s. knows what happened. The 1997-98 season had barely started when the elf was transferred to the Warriors with Tony Delk in exchange for BJ Armstrong. Among the Hornets, Bogues will remain No. 1 for the number of minutes played, the number of passes, interceptions and turnovers. On the other hand, his two records for assists in a match (19 in the regular season and 15 in the playoffs) were erased by Chris Paul, another former Wake Forest player, in November 2007 and April 2008 against the Mavs.
His NBA career ended a bit shaky. After two seasons in Oakland where he fell to 5 points, he spent two seasons in Toronto then passed through New York and Dallas without putting on his uniform. For a long time, his size will follow him. Bogues is the smallest player to ever play in the League since Earl Boykins was 1.65 m tall.
When he was named head coach of the Charlotte Sting, a defunct WNBA team, in April 2005, he still had to raise his head: the smallest player in the group, Helen Darlings, measured 1.70 m…
Seen in “Space Jam” (1996) where aliens stole the talent of five NBA basketball players (Larry Johnson, Barkley, Ewing, Shawn Bradley and therefore him), Tyrone was first the coach at United Faith Christian Academy high school. In Charlotte of course where Michael Jordan made him an ambassador for his franchise in 2014 when the Hornets erased the Bobcats from memory. Since then, we have seen him from time to time at the edge of the pitch, like in January 2020, in Paris for the meeting between the Bucks and the Hornets. At his side, two legends: Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
