Tiny Giants

Spud Webb. Muggsy Bogues & Earl Boykins. Three certified former NBA players who stomped their small basketball feet in the world's league of giants.

Webb, the third shortest NBA player in history at 5'6", was the NBA's slamdunk champion in 1986, out dueling his then Atlanta Hawks teammate and defending champion Dominique Wilkins that year.

On the other hand, Bogues holds the distinction of being the shortest NBA player to ever play pro ball, seeing action during his first two seasons with the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) in 1987 to 1988.

His best years though happened with the Charlotte Hornets (now New Orleans), where he played 10 seasons, teaming up with Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson in bringing respectability to the team.

Finally, Boykins, listed at 5'5", was the Denver Nuggets' starting point guard, playing for the franchise in 2003-2007.

Boykins was best remembered for scoring 32 points on November 11, 2004, in the Nuggets' a 117-109 home win over the Detroit Pistons, making him the shortest player in NBA history to score 30 or more points during a game.

Webb, Bogues and Boykins, in the natural, weren't supposed to be playing in a league where players standing above 6'7" and up are a natural sight to see and seven-footers are regular fixtures of the game.

All three bravely faced the of the game, but more importantly, overcame the giant of doubt, giant of fear, giant of failure, giant of despair, etc.

If you read their respective stories on how they made it to the NBA, they didn't get their million buck deals on a silver platter.

Each day, they had to make a decision to face their giants and overcome.

In life, we do have our own giants, giants that stare down at us. Giants that will always try to intimidate us. Giants that will try to pound us into submission as they roar through our thoughts and imaginations.

Israel's David, then a shepherd boy, literally faced his own giant named Goliath. No one in Israel's army had the guts to trade swords with the Philistine champion for the last 40 days.

As the Israelite soldiers and even King Saul looked at all the giant's advantages, David looked at the advantage of having God on his side.

And win, David did. With a sling containing one smooth stone, Goliath's piece of exposed flesh (his forehead) became David's bull's eye.

The giant went down with a loud thud. Israel went on to win that battle against the Philistines, but more importantly, David's decision to face the giant created an impact that to this day continues.

What's your giant today? Is it pestering your day, your week, your month or maybe for your whole life? Maybe it's time to face your giant, not with your strength, but with God's.