Hornets to retire jersey of Muggsy Bogues, the shortest player in NBA history, in 2027
The Charlotte Hornets will retire Muggsy Bogues’s No. 1 jersey on 11 February 2027, honouring his decade with the team and lasting contribution to the franchise and community. Bogues, who stands 5ft 3in and is the shortest player in NBA history, will be the third Hornets player to receive the honour.
Selected by Charlotte in the 1988 expansion draft, Bogues played 632 games for the team, averaging 8.8 points, 8.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game. He remains the franchise’s all-time leader in assists (5,557), assists per game (8.8), steals (1,067) and minutes played (19,768), and joins Bobby Phills and Dell Curry among those whose jerseys have been retired.
In short
- The Hornets will retire Bogues’s No. 1 jersey in 2027.
- He is the shortest player in NBA history at 5ft 3in.
- He holds four all-time franchise records for Charlotte.
Explained simply
The Charlotte Hornets are a professional basketball team in the NBA, the top men’s league in the United States. The club began playing in 1988, when it entered the league as an expansion team.
Muggsy Bogues joined Charlotte in that first season. At 5ft 3in, he is the shortest player in NBA history, and he became known for setting up teammates to score; assists are passes that lead directly to a basket.
Bogues played 632 games for the Hornets and still holds several of the club’s records, including total assists and steals. Retiring a player’s number means the team stops issuing it to future players, marking that person’s place in the club’s history.