MEMPHIS, Tenn — When you think of an NBA player, you probably think of a person who towers over everyone else. However, one player on the Memphis Grizzlies is proving height doesn't define your ability to make it in the NBA.
Based on statistics from the NCAA, only 1% of high school athletes will play Division 1 college basketball. Only 21% of college players will play professionally anywhere, much less the NBA. Grizzlies guard Jacob Gilyard beat all those odds and did so at less than six feet tall.
Being the shortest on the floor is nothing new for Gilyard.
"I mean, it's just kind of been my whole life," Gilyard said. "I mean, trying to prove people wrong. I've been undersized since I was a kid playing basketball."
"Number zero" is in his second year of professional basketball, facing opponents that can dwarf the average sized man.
Gilyard is one of the shortest players in the NBA this season, just 5’8” tall. The average height of NBA players is 6'6," but Gilyard sometimes finds himself guarding players even taller like Victor Wembanyama, the tallest man in the NBA at 7’4” tall.
According to his father, Rodney, Gilyard’s short stature was always everyone else’s problem.
"It never really bothered him, and we wanted to make sure that it was never a crutch to say, 'you're smaller,'" Rodney said.
Gilyard grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. After a stellar high school career, he signed with the University of Richmond under head coach Chris Mooney.
"His height never, never was a negative; it was it was always a positive," Mooney said. "He always could anticipate something that was going to be trouble, a trap or an area of the floor where it would be difficult for him, and he never ever put himself in that position. Never."
After five years at Richmond, Gilyard left with an Atlantic 10 conference championship, over 2000 points, and Richmond’s all-time leader in assists, steals and three pointers. He’s the NCAA’s leader in career steals with 466. That's 81 more than second place.
The NBA proved more difficult. Gilyard went undrafted and bounced around G-League teams for the Warriors and Timberwolves before finally landing in Memphis.
"So, the basketball part, I don't think was the challenge," Rodney said. "Just the mental part of it. I think he just wanted to just feel like he was ready for the opportunity and make the most of it, but just not knowing what that opportunity was going to look like."
Gilyard spent a year with the Memphis Hustle, led the league in assists and played the final game of the regular season for the Grizzlies. He earned a two-way contract for the 2023 season.
"And so, every day, I'm just telling him to stay ready. If it’s a few minutes, no minutes, 10 minutes, whatever. And I guess it's easy to say, hard to do," Rodney said.
In 2023, thanks to injuries and suspensions to the roster, a bigger opportunity presented itself. Gilyard got his first start Nov. 10 against the Utah Jazz with his father in the stands.
"How it happened for him was just...it was a very emotional time. I mean, definitely a proud moment as a parent and for our family," Rodney said.
Gilyard said the experience is hard to put into words.
"A couple weeks ago, I wasn't really playing in games, and now I'm starting. But I mean, it's kind of what you want as a competitor, as a basketball player," he said.
Gilyard scored 14 points and dished out 8 assists in the game. He’s since started several more games for the Grizzlies, and even when he doesn’t play, he’s always ready.
"Like everything in this world is, it's all about timing and opportunity," Gilyard said. "I'm just trying to capitalize on it as far as my playing. But I'm trying to help us win games. I mean, at the end of the day, all 18 of us are here to help win the Grizzlies games."