If one were to share Muggsy Bogues’ story, it would be easy to dismiss it as fictitious.

Bogues’ high school basketball team – Baltimore’s Dunbar High Poets named after 19th century Black poet Paul Laurence Dunbar – had four future NBA players on the roster.

At 5-foot-3, Bogues starred at Dunbar and Wake Forest and then spent 14 seasons in the NBA, averaging a double-double in points and assists for the Charlotte Hornets in 1993-94 alongside Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Dell Curry, Hersey Hawkins and David Wingate, who happened to be one of his high school teammates.

Bogues delivered 19 assists in a game three times. Had 10 rebounds in another. Scored a career-high 24 points three times. Won a gold medal for the U.S. at the 1986 FIBA World Championship, leading the team in assists, steals and a victory over the Arvydas Sabonis-led USSR squad in the final.

All true.

The Hornets on Tuesday announced they will retire Bogues’ No. 1 jersey in a ceremony at halftime of Charlotte’s game against Milwaukee on Feb. 11. Bogues will join Bobby Phills (No. 13) and Curry (No. 30) as the only players in franchise history to have their numbers retired.

on february 11th, we will honor the one & only muggsy bogues. 🐝

press release: https://t.co/gq6cYbwKM9 | @MuggsyBogues pic.twitter.com/jJ8zkefsWq

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 27, 2026

“Me and the Hornets put each other on the map,” the 61-year-old Bogues said. “When I first came, it was like it was a match made in heaven, being one of the original players. I played nine-plus years here and it’s special to have some success and be embraced by the fans from day one, having that type of support and having unbelievable teammates to play with, to fight, to go to war with.

“We had some success, not the success that we wanted to have and win the championship, but we had a lot of success in the city of Charlotte and being recognized as one that they want to hang my jersey in the rafters, it means the world to me and my family.”

Bogues is one of the NBA’s great, inspirational stories: unrelenting persistence, resolute belief and odds-defying results.

“Honoring the players who helped build this franchise is an important part of our commitment to Hornets history,” Hornets co-chairmen Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin said in a statement. “Muggsy was here from the beginning and played with a heart, toughness and competitive spirit that made him a fan favorite. At 5-foot-3, he overcame obstacles throughout his career and proved he belonged among the best players in the world.

“He became a role model for generations, showing young people that their size doesn’t have to limit what they can achieve. His accomplishments on the court and commitment to Charlotte have made him a beloved part of this organization. We look forward to celebrating Muggsy with our fans and raising No. 1 to the rafters of Spectrum Center.”

Bogues spent his first NBA season with the then-Washington Bullets, who picked him 12th in the 1987 draft. The Wizards left Bogues unprotected in the 1988 expansion draft and Charlotte selected him. In his second season with the Hornets, he flourished, playing 33.9 minutes per game and averaging 9.4 points, 10.7 assists and 2.0 steals. He became a stabilizing force for a team that made the playoffs four times during his Charlotte tenure. His best season came in 1993-94: 10.8 points, 10.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. Only Utah’s John Stockton averaged more assists.

Bogues never let height predetermine what he could do even as he watched the evolution of the point guard position. He saw teams move to bigger guards as Magic Johnson won MVPs and titles with the Los Angeles Lakers. That didn’t deter Bogues.

“I probably walked around thinking I was 6-foot-5,” he said. “That’s how I looked at myself and carried myself. I felt I belonged. I felt I was skilled enough. I had the IQ to run a team. Each level that I had to keep playing and facing, I had to be successful, and I had to separate myself.

“I realized you play against the best and you have success against the best, then you must be included with the best.”

Bogues still lives in the Charlotte area where he runs the Muggsy Bogues Family Foundation which provides scholarships for trade schools and assists those with food insecurity. He is also an ambassador for the NBA and the Hornets.

“We’re providing this service for the underserved community who always feel left out and give them a better opportunity to live a better quality of life,” he said.

He’s entrenched in the region where he flourished as a player and continues to make an impact.

“Being recognized by the organization and the city that embraced me since I was 19 years old when I came here,” Bogues said, “it’s just going to be a surreal moment.”

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