The College Sage had a wonderful opportunity yesterday to reacquaint with fellow Wake Forest classmate and alumni Tyrone Curtis “Muggsy” Bogues. For those of you non-basketball fans who don’t know the name, Muggsy was the shortest player to ever play in the NBA – standing at 5 foot 3 inches, just ½ inch taller than me! Muggsy played 14 seasons in the NBA for four different teams, most notably the Charlotte Hornets. He wrote a book In the Land of Giants, made cameo appearances in movies and TV shows and now runs a non-profit Always Believe Inc. for at-risk children.
But it wasn’t always that way. Muggsy grew up in the housing projects of inner-city Baltimore. He was shot at the age of 5 when he went outside his home to see what the neighborhood commotion was about. He started perfecting his basketball handling while taking out the trash each night – his family chore. With the help of an encouraging mother (his father went to prison) who insisted that Ty could do anything he put his mind to, he earned his way onto the neighborhood basketball courts. A neighborhood mentor suggested that with other boys growing feet versus his inches, he would have to look at the game differently. He went on to perfect his game, his shot and his steals in high school.
Muggsy made the decision to attend Wake Forest University. Last night he stated, “Wake Forest was the best decision of my life.” He pursued a major in communications and graduated with new life skills, life-long friends, a degree, and further polished basketball skills. He would go on to be the 12th NBA recruit pick out of college in the 1987 draft, cementing a career and life story that he never could have imagined as a young boy.
Confidence, strong mentors, a loving mother, a college opportunity, friendships and hard work all helped Muggsy to “break the cycle”. Muggsy encourages young children to identify their strengths, work hard, think creatively, stay humble and go to college.
If you know a high school student with demonstrated need, encourage them to contact the College Sage. We offer pro bono college counseling to students with big dreams – “because it’s cool to go to your dream school”.
