That’s A Rap #176: Speaking with Muggsy Bogues

There are legends, and then there are LEGENDS!

Muggsy Bogues was so much more than the shortest to ever play in the NBA. He was more than a legend in Charlotte. More than a legend in Toronto. Muggsy was a legend — and still is — to every single athlete who was told they were too small to succeed. Muggsy not only survived, but he also thrived as a professional.

With his autobiography about to hit the shelves, we sat down with Muggsy as he shared the experiences that shaped his life as the Godfather of Smallball.

In This Episode:

3:00 — Muggsy: My life as a kid in the Projects to the Godfather of Smallball

Muggsy already released an autobiography (In the Land of Giants) in 1994. So, why would he release another one 28 years later? Of all the players that Bogues played with, why did he choose someone who he had never played with — Stephen Curry — to write his foreword?

9:50 — Jurassic Park

Muggsy has the rare distinction of leading two NBA franchises to their first-ever playoff series. With the Charlotte Hornets, he had big men he could feed in Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning. With the Toronto Raptors, he helped usher in the first iteration of Jurassic Park alongside a pair of dynamic wings in Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Not a bad pair of situations to lead!

15:50 — Basketball Jones

When in the presence of greatness, sometimes a torn ACL can’t keep you away from playing basketball. That’s not exactly true, but Muggsy did need to get creative in order to shoot Space Jam with Michael Jordan. Did you know that Muggsy was a multi-sport star that excelled at wrestling and ping pong? That’s just the tip of the iceberg with Bogues. He’s had a lifetime of experiences and his autobiography documents all of it, from the perspective of the man, the myth, and oh yes, the legend!