Ever dreamed of becoming a basketball player but felt held back by your height?
Many Filipinos might feel discouraged, as height isn’t always our strongest feature. But NBA legend Tyrone Curtis “Muggsy” Bogues shows us that height doesn’t have to hold you back.
At just 5ft 3in (1.60m), Muggsy is the NBA’s shortest player ever. Early in his career, he faced doubters who questioned why he even tried, with comments like, “You’re too small” and “This game is for bigger and taller players.”
However, Muggsy pushed on and proved that it’s never about the height. And for Filipinos, he has a special message.
“That’s what I love… Coming to the Philippines. And I’ve been there three times, speaking to a lot of the folks that are there because I want to let them know that it’s not about the height,” Muggsy said.
Many Filipinos have big dreams—whether it’s becoming a basketball player, a flight attendant, or a police officer—but height often feels like a barrier.
“It’s never! I mean, even though you may have have height requirements, and they looked at it thinking that, you know you had to be a certain height requirement in order to do some, some sort of dream that you have in here. But it’s not that,” Muggsy said. “It starts with you.”
Muggsy also encouraged Filipinos to see themselves clearly, embrace their unique qualities with pride, and have that self-confidence.
“I always say that it starts with you by having that confidence. And God created you for a reason. And I tell the folks that don’t look in the mirror, I like it. Look in that mirror. I love that reflection that you see back because that’s what He created,” Muggsy said.
Muggsy also emphasized that you control what you let into your mind. With many people around you doubting your potential, you must “block out the noise” to avoid discouragement and stay focused on your goals.
“When I realized that I was the one in control, and I stopped letting those words that people were saying about me… When I blocked all that noise out, and I kind of just stayed focused on what I wanted to do, I was able to, you know, just stay in that,” he said.
“It was like tunnel vision. I would just stay within that zone to where I didn’t care what anybody said. I wanted to do something, and I put all my actions behind it to try to, you know, make it become true,” he added.
His final piece of advice? Be in control.
“You’re the one that’s in control,” Muggsy said. “Don’t give them people that power. Do not give them that power, because normally, they try to portray what they feel about themselves onto you, so when you start to eliminate that type of energy, the sky’s the limit.”
Muggsy enjoyed a remarkable career as a point guard, playing for four NBA teams over fourteen seasons. While he is best known for his time with the Charlotte Hornets, he also made significant contributions to the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, and Toronto Raptors.
He will make his appearance at the NBA Abu Dhabi Games on October 4 and 6, 2024, between the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets.
Don’t have tickets yet? Get them here: https://www.etihadarena.ae/event-booking/nba-abu-dhabi-games-2024
Tickets for “NBA Fan Appreciation Day in Abu Dhabi” and “NBA District” are also on sale at ticketmaster.ae.
