Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
April 21, 2000, Washington Post

Muggsy Bogues, Short and Sweet

One of the most amazing athletes in the history of the National Basketball Association may be retiring soon. I'm not talking about Patrick Ewing, or Akeem "The Dream" Olajuwon or even Karl "The Mailman" Malone.

I'm talking about Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues--the 5-foot-3-inch, 35-year-old reserve point guard for the Toronto Raptors (and former point guard for the Washington Bullets, now called the Wizards).

If you get the chance to catch a Raptors game, take it. It may be the last chance you get to see this guy.

Bogues is the smallest player in the history of the NBA and a hero to kids who are so short they have to sit in the front row of the class picture. He grew up in Baltimore, went to Wake Forest and has now lasted 13 seasons in a sport where the average player is 16 inches taller and about 80 pounds heavier. This in a game where Nate Archibald--an NBA all-star in the 1970s and 1980s--was called "Tiny." And he was 10 inches taller than Muggsy Bogues.

Bogues has never been a star, but he has been a starter. He has gone nose-to-nose--make that nose-to-kneecap--with the greats: Jordan, Magic, Shaq, Iverson.

He doesn't score much--his jump shot is an ugly thing, where he pushes the ball to the basket. But Bogues is quick, smart and tough. He is great at stealing the ball, and once he gets it, he doesn't give it back. You don't see many turnovers when Muggsy is in the game. His passes go to his teammates, not to the other team.

He's a hustler. He battles every second he's on the court. Bogues is never on cruise control--like some hot-shot stars.

A couple of years back, when Michael Jordan retired, people said we would never see another player like him. Nonsense. The NBA will always have 6-foot-6-inch players like Jordan. The Raptors' Vince Carter and the Pistons' Grant Hill are doing pretty good Jordan imitations right now.

Believe me, there will never be another 5-foot-3 player who lasts in the NBA for 13 seasons (and counting).

There will never be another Muggsy Bogues.