Earl Boykins
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| Position | Point guard |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Earl the Squirrel[1] |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Weight | 133 lb (60 kg) |
| Team | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | June 2, 1976 (age 30) Cleveland, Ohio |
| College | Eastern Michigan |
| Draft | Not drafted |
| Pro career | 1999–present |
| Former teams | New Jersey Nets (1999) Cleveland Cavaliers (1999, 2000) Orlando Magic (1999) Los Angeles Clippers (2001–2002) Golden State Warriors (2002–2003) Denver Nuggets (2003–2007) |
| Awards | 1998 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award[2] |
Earl Antoine Boykins (born June 2, 1976 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association.
He played collegiately at Eastern Michigan University from 1995 to 1998. He earned All-Mid-American Conference first team honors in his junior and senior year. During his senior year, Earl was second in the NCAA with 26.8 ppg. He holds the career record for assists at his alma mater.
Boykins has played in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, and Milwaukee Bucks. He also spent two years in the CBA, where he played for the Rockford Lightning. At 5'5" (1.65 m), Boykins is the shortest active NBA player and the second shortest player in NBA history behind Muggsy Bogues, who was 5'3" (1.60 m). Earl Boykins weighs only 133 pounds (60 kg) but according to various sources he can bench press up to 315 pounds (143 kg).[3]
After bouncing around with various teams around the league in a limited reserve role for his first five years in the NBA, Boykins finally earned a guaranteed contract with the Denver Nuggets in 2004. Boykins's role is typically to come off the bench to inject energy into his team's offense. He is one of the quickest guards in the league, and pairs this with a very fast shooting motion, which allows him to get shots off against much taller defenders.
Boykins' NBA career has solidified in recent years in part due to the recent change in rules allowing some forms of zone defense. Boykins's teams had feared playing Boykins, because opponents could exploit his size by trying to post him up. But with the gradual increase in the use of modified zone defenses in the last few years, fewer situations arise where Boykins is isolated alone defending a taller player in the painted area. Moreover, since few point guards in the league have polished post-up moves as part of their offensive repertoire, opposing teams are generally reluctant to abandon their usual offense in an effort to exploit Boykins' size.
On January 11, 2007 Boykins was traded (along with Julius Hodge) to the Milwaukee Bucks for Steve Blake.[4]
[edit] Trivia
- Boykins is married and has one son named Earl, Jr.
- When he played for Golden State, the Arena would (to his dismay) play the song "It's a Small World" from the speakers upon his entering the game.[5]
- Boykins was second in the NCAA in scoring average his senior year at Eastern Michigan (25.7 points per game)
- His ability to score off the bench along with his low-to-the-floor stature gained him the moniker "the Double-Digit Midget".
- Boykins appeared in the Midway games title NBA Ballers Phenom.
- Boykins competed twice in NBA All-Star Weekend; he finished third in 2003-04 and second in 2004-05 Skills Challenge.
- On January 18, 2005, Boykins set a then-NBA record for scoring in overtime when he tallied 15 points. (Boykins's record was surpassed by Gilbert Arenas's 16 points in overtime on December 17, [[2006
- Boykins is the shortest player in the history of the NBA to score over 30 points. A number he has reached several times, with his career high being 36.
[edit] Notes
After working with Akim Mudha, Earl Boykins tried various routines to try and increase his height. After the workouts it is to believed he grew 1.5 inches, enough to be considered by NBA scouts. Akim Mudha also taught Earl Boykins to "make it rain" on the basketball court
- ^ http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2003/11/28/2003077647
- ^ http://www.hoophall.com/default/bhof-default.html
- ^ http://www.nba.com/playerfile/earl_boykins/printable_player_files.html
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2727760
- ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/players/12/21/perspectives/
[edit] External links
Categories: 1976 births | African American basketball players | American basketball players | Cleveland Cavaliers players | People from Cleveland | Denver Nuggets players | Eastern Michigan Eagles men's basketball players | Golden State Warriors players | Living people | Los Angeles Clippers players | National Basketball Association players under six feet | New Jersey Nets players | Milwaukee Bucks players | Orlando Magic players | Eastern Michigan University alumni
