In 1987, the Washington Bullets front office decided to conduct a physics experiment masquerading as a basketball roster. They paired a 7-foot-7 Dinka tribesman from Sudan with a 5-foot-3 point guard from the projects of Baltimore.
It remains the most absurd visual in the history of professional sports.
Manute Bol and Muggsy Bogues weren't just teammates; they were a glitch in the Matrix. When they stood next to each other, the 28-inch height difference made every team photo look like a forced perspective trick from a Hollywood movie set. But beyond the carnival-act marketing, this duo represented something much deeper about the evolution of the NBA.
The Night Everything Changed in D.C.
The Bullets were in a slump. They needed a spark, something to get fans into the Capital Centre seats. By drafting Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues with the 12th pick in the '87 draft, they created a "David and Goliath" backcourt that shouldn't have worked.
Manute was already a cult hero. He arrived in the States barely speaking English, having once allegedly killed a lion with a spear to protect his family's cattle. Whether the lion story was 100% literal or a bit of myth-making, the man's presence was undeniable. He had an 8-foot-6 wingspan. Think about that. He could basically touch the rim without jumping.
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Then you had Muggsy.
He was a blur.
While Manute was swatting shots into the third row, Muggsy was "mugging" people (hence the nickname) at waist level. He was so low to the ground he could dribble through a defender's legs—literally.
Stat Sheets That Don’t Make Sense
If you look at the 1987-88 season, the numbers are almost as weird as the photos. Manute Bol is still the only player in NBA history to finish his career with more blocked shots than points scored. He ended with 2,086 blocks and ,1599 points. He was a specialist in the truest sense.
Muggsy, meanwhile, was proving everyone wrong. People thought he was a gimmick. "He’s too small," they said. "He’ll get bullied."
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Instead, he became one of the most efficient floor generals the league had ever seen. He eventually left D.C. for Charlotte, but that one year in Washington proved he belonged. He finished his career 16th on the all-time assists list. Not bad for a guy who was shorter than the average American woman.
The Impact on the Modern Game
Believe it or not, these two changed how scouts looked at players.
They proved that "outliers" could win.
- The Shot-Blocking Blueprint: Manute wasn't a "traditional" beefy center. He was a stick. He weighed 200 pounds soaking wet. He paved the way for the "unicorn" archetype we see today—long, lean rim protectors who don't necessarily need to post up.
- The Low-Center-of-Gravity Edge: Muggsy taught the league that being 5-foot-3 was actually an advantage on defense. You couldn't get the ball past him because his hands were already where your dribble was.
- Global Expansion: Manute was the first real African star in the NBA. Without him, do we get Hakeem Olajuwon or Joel Embiid as quickly? Probably not.
What Happened After the Bullets?
The experiment didn't last long. After that '88 season, Manute headed to Golden State, where Don Nelson—ever the mad scientist—convinced him to start shooting three-pointers. Watching a 7-foot-7 man launch from the arc was the only thing more surreal than seeing him stand next to Muggsy.
Muggsy went to the Charlotte Hornets in the expansion draft and became the face of that franchise. He played 14 seasons. Fourteen! In a league of giants.
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Honestly, the most moving part of the Manute Bol and Muggsy Bogues story isn't the basketball. It’s what they did after. Manute spent almost every penny of his career earnings—millions of dollars—trying to fix his war-torn home in Sudan. He died in 2010, mostly penniless but remembered as a literal saint by his people. Muggsy stayed involved in the game, coaching in the WNBA and running a foundation in Charlotte.
Why This Matters Today
We live in an era of "positionless" basketball. We see 7-footers playing point guard and "small ball" lineups winning titles. Manute and Muggsy were the pioneers of that weirdness.
They showed us that the "perfect" basketball body is a myth.
If you want to apply their lessons to your own life or your kid's sports journey, here are the real takeaways:
- Embrace your outlier status. If you're the shortest or the skinniest, don't try to play like the "standard" version of a player. Lean into what makes you different.
- Specialization is a superpower. Manute couldn't shoot a layup to save his life early on, but he was the best in the world at one specific thing: rim protection.
- Heart over height. It sounds like a cliché on a Gatorade bottle, but for Muggsy Bogues, it was a survival strategy.
The next time you see a highlight of a 7-footer blocking a shot or a tiny guard weaving through traffic, remember the 1987 Bullets. They were the original odd couple, and the NBA hasn't been the same since.