Earl Boykins

"There are no days off for me. I have to work longer and harder than everyone else to be successful" (Earl Boykins). This is exactly what Earl Boykins did from a small age when he first stepped onto the court. Knowing he was the smallest one on the court he had to learn many different moves to get around his defenders. He also had to learn to play defense on bigger opponents and learn to get his shot off bigger defenders. Earl Boykins was very small but still loved to play the game of basketball at an early age.  He was so small as a kid that his dad would bring him to the rec. center inside of his duffel bag. He got recruited to go play college basketball and was very strong and fast. He was an NBA player, but also a coach which helped turn a bad high school team around. He gets fan letters from his fans that want to get in the NBA, but they're short like him. He gets noticed by many players in the NBA and they think he's good by making it this far. He got to play for several teams and played more than 500 games. A hero must be willing to go outside their comfort zone and set an example for others. A hero should not be afraid to keep moving on even when others don't think they will achieve their goals. Earl Boykins is a deserving hero because he overcame limitations, fought against barriers, and was comfortable in his own skin. 

Earl Boykins small size made many people think he couldn't go onto the next level, but with hard work he made sure he overcame those limitations. He loved playing the game of basketball at an early age, although he was the smallest one on the court as stated in the following quote, "Boykins not only inherited his small stature from his mother, who was four-foot-one, and father, who is five-eight, but also his love of basketball" (Gale). He reached his goal of going into the NBA by getting over the fact that he is the smallest one on the court. Earl Boykins knew that both his parents were small so he was destined to be short, but he didn't let that from stopping him play the game. He never let his height make him feel bad. Knowing the chances of him making the NBA were small he worked even harder on and off the court. Earl has a lot of love for the game because he never quit although the odds were against him. He is now the second shortest player in the NBA's history. "People aren't used to seeing a normal-sized guy playing in the NBA," says the second-shortest player in NBA history"(Mannix). He even states that people aren't used to seeing someone that small show up and play for a team in the NBA. He doesn't care what life gives to him he just keeps working hard. His height limited his chances of making the NBA, but he worked hard enough to face and conquer that limitation. He shows people how you can overcome any limitation given to you with hard work.

Not only was Earl Boykins small, but his entire family had short genes. This made the chances of making the NBA even slimmer for him. With only 20 other players in the NBA with that size he had to make sure that he worked harder than everyone else to make it to the NBA. "Only 20 players have been listed under five feet, ten inches tall in NBA history" (Gale). He didn't let him being short not allow himself to reach his goals. He could have complained that the reason why he isn't in the NBA is because of his height, but he chose not to. At an early age he started to play basketball. He was very small, but could still play the game very well against taller and older defenders. He would score a lot of points which made him stand out a lot. People noticed how his small size didn't affect him which allowed him to stand out against other players. "What made Boykins stand out, however, was his work ethic and perseverance to make it to the NBA despite standing just 5-foot-5" (Nguyen). He worked very hard to play in the NBA standing 5 feet 5 inches. Never gave up and kept working hard. Motivated himself to become the best that he can be. Didn't care about what others thought about him.

Allowed people to see how being small didn't affect him being an outstanding basketball player at the NBA level. Earl Boykins knew that he was short and didn't let that from stopping him achieve his goals. He didn't start pointing fingers at people saying that he's not on the court because of them. Instead he stayed in the gym and worked harder than all the other players. He appreciates the way that God made him and believes that it is Unique. "'I don't look at my height as a disadvantage," says Boykins. "I'm unique. So's Shaq, and he's won three championships"" (Mannix). He's comfortable the way he is and doesn't care how others see him. He knows what he can do and when someone gives him time he can also show them his talents on the court. Earl Boykins thinks that it is unique to be small, but play basketball the same way he thinks that Shaq is unique for being very big, still capable of playing basketball. He helps inspire little kids to try their hardest to make it to the NBA and not make size the matter. Since Boykins shows confidence in himself other people begin to see that and respect him for it. "Boykins believes in himself and many others are beginning to believe in him as well. As Kroichick pointed out in the San Francisco Chronicle,"This is no novelty act"" (Gale). He was comfortable knowing that he was the second shortest player in the NBA and the shortest playing in his time. He didn't allow that from stopping him trying his hardest every time that he went out on the court. Never gave up on himself and that is how other people started to believe in him as well. Shows how he was comfortable in his own skin knowing he wasn't the biggest player on the court. He found different ways to show his talent. 

All in all, Earl Boykins overcame limitations, fought against barriers, and was comfortable in his own skin which led to his success in becoming a player in the NBA. Earl Boykins never allowed his small size to affect his game. He kept fighting and working hard to make his dream come true of playing in the NBA. He found it unique for him to be that small in the NBA. "He also gets 50plus fan letters a week from parents thanking him for inspiring their undersized kids" (Gale). Earl Boykins inspires kids to achieve their dream no matter how small they are. If they work hard at it and they deserve to make it to the next level then they should. It is very hard to be in the NBA when you are that short, but he proved that you could still do it even in today's game. I am around 5 feet 8 and he inspired me that if I work hard I could make it into any sport I want not caring about my height or any other physical feature. As long as I work hard and train myself to get to the next level I could achieve it. Earl Boykins overcame limitations, fought against barriers, and is comfortable in his own skin which is why I believe he is a true hero.

Works Cited

Boykins, Earl. "Earl Boykins Quotes." Thinkexist.com. ThinkExist, 2014. Web. 14 May 2014.

"Earl Boykins." Gale Biography in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Biography in Context. Web. 2 May 2014.

Mannix, Chris. "My Life As A Little Man." Earl Boykins, Nuggets Point Guard. Time Ink., 2014. Web. 08 May 2014.

Nguyen, Joe. "Earl Boykins Named Douglas County Boys Basketball Coach." - The Denver Post. The Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 06 May 2014