Great short athletes

Earl Boykins Boykins is a rarity in the NBA -- a short man who can score. In 2004, the 5-foot-5-inch Boykins lit up the court for 32 points in a 117-109 Nuggets home win over the Detroit Pistons, making him the shortest player in NBA history to score 30 or more points in a game. At left, Boykins squared up against 7-foot Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks in 2007.

Earl Boykins

Boykins is a rarity in the NBA -- a short man who can score. In 2004, the 5-foot-5-inch Boykins lit up the court for 32 points in a 117-109 Nuggets home win over the Detroit Pistons, making him the shortest player in NBA history to score 30 or more points in a game.

At left, Boykins squared up against 7-foot Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks in 2007.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)