Offensive Game
One of the great guards of his era despite standing 5'9" — his elite speed, explosive first step, and mechanically pure jump shot made him a consistent 20-point scorer who forced much larger defenders to adapt or fail.
Career Journey
San Diego Rockets
1970-1971
Calvin Jerome Murphy is an American former professional basketball player who after a prolific collegiate career at Niagara University, where he averaged 33.1 points per game over his three years, played in the National Basketball Association as a guard for the San Diego/Houston Rockets from 1970 to 1983. He is currently a member of the Houston Rockets' Space City Home Network broadcast team. Standing at a height of 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m), Murphy has the distinction of being the shortest NBA player inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and to play in an NBA All-Star Game.
Offensive Game
One of the great guards of his era despite standing 5'9" — his elite speed, explosive first step, and mechanically pure jump shot made him a consistent 20-point scorer who forced much larger defenders to adapt or fail.
Defensive Game
Competed defensively with a tenacity that overcame his size disadvantage — his quickness allowed him to pressure guards and create steals, though opposing guards often sought to exploit his size in isolation.
Intangibles
All articles
Calvin Murphy stood 5'9" and was the smallest player in the NBA for much of his career — and one of the toughest, fastest, and most skilled guards the league has ever seen. He spent his entire 13-year career with Houston and remains one of the most beloved Rockets of all time.
Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
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Houston Rockets
1971-1983
A smart, competitive floor general who used quickness and anticipation to compensate for obvious physical limitations. His free throw shooting — 95.8% in the 1980-81 season — reflected the extraordinary mental precision he brought to every aspect of his game.
Personal Life & Family
Parents & Siblings
Off the Court
Houston-area youth basketball programs
Did You Know?
At 5'9", Murphy is one of the shortest players ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — his career stands as one of the great arguments for skill and competitiveness overcoming physical limitations.
Murphy competed as a national-level baton twirler throughout his basketball career — a practice that may have contributed to the extraordinary coordination and quick-release mechanics that defined his shooting.
His 95.8% free throw percentage in the 1980-81 season was an NBA record that stood for over a decade — and his streak of 78 consecutive made free throws remains one of the most remarkable shooting achievements in league history.
Murphy is the Rockets' all-time leader in games played — his 13 seasons in Houston represent a franchise loyalty that is extraordinarily rare in the modern era of player movement.
Career Honors
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1993)
NBA 50th Anniversary Team (1996)
Official Jerseys
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