Once Adrian Wojnarowski stepped away from reporting, it left the door open for one man to fill his shoes: Shams Charania, who signed a multi-year deal with ESPN in 2024 following Wojnarowski’s departure.
Now, Charania seems to break just about every major basketball story first, but on Friday, fans will get their first inside look at whether he can hold his own on the court, as he competes in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.
Charania has made it clear he can handle the ball and is a solid shooter, but at just 5-foot-9, he would be one of the smallest players in today’s NBA landscape.
ESPN should just give us Shams vs Stephen A. Smith pic.twitter.com/JNa2bUr7h5
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 12, 2026
So, who is the shortest player in the NBA?
Currently, that distinction belongs to Chicago Bulls two-way fan favorite Yuki Kawamura, who stands at just 5-foot-8 — making him even smaller than Charania. He’s the only player in the league listed below 5-foot-11, according to NBA.com.
Here’s a look at the 10 shortest players currently in the NBA:
Rank Player Height Team Nationality
1. Yuki Kawamura 5-8 Bulls Japan
2. Jordan McLaughlin 5-11 Spurs USA
T-3. Davion Mitchell 6-0 Heat USA
Chris Paul 6-0 Raptors USA
Aaron Holiday 6-0 Rockets USA
Fred Vanvleet 6-0 Rockets USA
Joe Alvarado 6-0 Knicks USA
Mike Conley 6-0 Grizzles USA
Kyle Lowry 6-0 76ers USA
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Most players today are six feet or taller, but that hasn’t always been the case. The smallest player in NBA history remains Muggsy Bogues, who stood just 5-foot-3.
Here are the five smallest players in NBA history:
Rank Player Height Nationality
1. Muggsy Bogues 5-3 USA
2. Earl Boykins 5-5 USA
T-3. Spud Webb 5-6 USA
Mel Hirsch 5-6 USA
So, when Charania takes the floor on Friday night alongside countless celebrities and even some former NBA players like Jason Williams, Jeremy Lin, and Tacko Fall — who towers at 7-foot-6 — he can at least take comfort in knowing that, even though he cut his NBA dreams short to pursue journalism, he would never have been the smallest player in the league.
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