Despite being the shortest player in NBA history, Muggsy Bogues finished his career with 39 blocked shots, an impressive feat at his height of 5-feet-3. The diminutive guard blocking a shot was a rare sight, which is perhaps why Patrick Ewing wasn’t prepared when he had his shot swatted away by Bogues, giving the Hornets icon bragging rights forever.
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During Bogues’ appearance on the Come Talk 2 Me podcast, host Mark Jackson asked him about that block. The retired guard confessed that he immediately talked smack to the Knicks star about it. He said,
“As soon as I did it and I came back I told him he was going to be part of my highlight fandom… You know Pat, he always wanted to do that little fadeaway and I just happened to be right there when he tried to do it and it didn’t take much to get up to get it. But when I got it, he was so surprised.”
Jackson asked Bogues if he had any message for Ewing, who is a massive fan of the podcast and watches every episode. He replied,
“Big fella, you know [it] ain’t nothing but love… You know I had a 44-inch vertical back then. I could get up. You can’t be testing me like that in front of me. Come on, big daddy!”
Ewing doesn’t like talking about Bogues’ block against him and he made it clear in no uncertain terms during an appearance on the NBA Inside Stuff show. When host Ahmad Rashad brought it up on a special ’90s Reunion episode, the Knicks icon said,
“Why you gotta bring that up? Why you gotta go there?”
As impressive as a 5-foot-3 Bogues blocking the 7-foot-tall Ewing is, the Knicks legend isn’t the tallest player who had their shot blocked by the guard.
Bogues reveals that he blocked 7-foot-7 Manute Bol’s shot
In an interview with Uninterrupted in 2017, the retired guard was asked about his experience playing alongside Manute Bol, the tallest player in NBA history. Bogues said that he enjoyed his company and often played one-on-one against him, and even managed to block his shot once.
Jackson asked Bogues about the block and the Hornets icon revealed the center was less than thrilled about it. Recalling what transpired, he said,
“‘Nute (Manute Bol) chased me around the gym for 15 minutes [after the block]. He had a sling shot [motion]. He used to put the shot on his shoulder and, like I said, I had a 44-inch [vertical]. And as he put [the ball] on his shoulder, boom! Boy, he was mad.”
While there’s no video evidence of the block, Bogues’ detailed description suggests he likely pulled off the unfathomable feat.
