Top Ten pocket-sized NBA players - - Part 2
Anthony “Spud” Webb - - 170 cm
When Anthony “Spud” Webb was growing up, no one expected him to be an NBA star. Webb was easily recognizable on the court because he stood at 170 cm, more than two feet shorter than other players.
Despite his incredible high school and college accomplishments, Spud was not selected in NBA draft just because of his height (5 foot 7 inches). However, he never lose heart as he kept on struggling and in 1985 he was chosen by the Detroit Pistons
in the fourth round. From here, he got the license to prove himself and went on to average over 10 points and 5 assists per game throughout his career.
The 47-year-old Webb was the shortest player to compete in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, winning the event in 1986. His participation amazed the basketball world, the media; including his teammate Michael Jordan and the defending dunk champion Dominique
Wilkins.
The multi-talented Webb played 814 career games, averaging 9.9 points per game, scoring 8072 points and 4342 assists in twelve seasons.
Wataru “Kilo Wat” Misaka - - 171 cm
Wataru "Wat" Misaka is the third shortest player to have graced the world of basketball. Misaka is just 5 foot 7 inches tall, one of the little-known NBA players from Asia. He was the first player of Asian descent and the first non-Caucasian
person to play in the National Basketball Association.
Utah Sports Hall of Fame, Kilo Wat, Japanese-American National Museum, Nate Robinson,
Wataru was the first round pick for the New York Knicks but enjoyed a very short career (1947-1948), playing just three games of the career. He scored just seven points before he was dropped from the team.
Despite his stint with the Knicks, Wat is a diehard Utah Jazz fan. Misaka was inducted into the 2009 Utah Sports Hall of Fame. He was featured in a sports pioneer’s exhibit at the Japanese-American National Museum in 2000.
Nate Robinson - - 176 cm
Nate Robinson is just 5 feet, 9 inches tall and plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Robinson made up for his physical weakness through his talented passing and stealing skills, and through his swiftness of movement. He played for the New York
Knicks and Boston Celtics also, achieving career stats of 12 points, 1 steal, and 3 assists in an average of 24 minutes played per game.
During the 2006 All-Star weekend, Robinson won the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest, edging Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers. Nate's most memorable dunk of the night was crowd favourite, when he leaped over Spud Webb and received
a perfect 50-point score for the dunk.
On 14 February, the 26-year-old Nate won the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition for the second time. Nate enjoyed his best season in 2008–2009, averaging 17.2 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, and almost 30 minutes per game.
On 13 February, the athletic Robinson won the 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the first three-time Slam Dunk champion.
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