Basketball legend and former NBA superstar Spud Webb had a remarkable career for 12 seasons. He made the headline multiple times with his noteworthy performance in court.
Spud set history by winning the Slam Dunk Contest despite being one of the shortest players in NBA history, being listed at 5’6″/1.68m tall.
The NBA legend attended Midland College, where he led the Chaparrals to the junior college national title in 1982. He was named NJCAA All-American by the Nationals Junior College Atheltic Association in 1983.
Spud was drafted in the 4th round of the 1985 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. He played for 12 years in NBA for eight different teams. After a highly dedicated career, Webb retired from basketball in 1997.
His legendary career made him untouchable within the NBA family and the greatest of all time. As of 2024, Spud has a net worth of $10 million.
In this article, we’ll discuss Spud Webb, from his personal to professional life. Please stick with us until the end of the article to get more on this legendary player Spudd Webb.
Before moving on, let’s have a look at the quick facts about Spud Webb
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Michael Anthony Jerome “Spud” Webb |
| Birth Date | July 13, 1963 |
| Birth Place | Dallas, Texas |
| Known As | Spud Webb |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | N/A |
| Education | Wilmer-Hutchins High School Midland College North Carolina State University |
| Horoscope | Cancer |
| Father’s Name | David Webb |
| Mother’s Name | Katie Webb |
| Siblings | Five; Janice Smith, Stephanie Webb, David Webb, Renee Webb, and Reginald Webb |
| Age | 60 Years Old |
| Height | 5’6″/1.67 m/167 cm |
| Weight | 60 kg/133 lb |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | Basketball Player |
| Position | Point Guard |
| Active Years | 1985-1998 |
| Relationship Status | Married |
| Kids | Lauren Webb (Daughter) |
| Merch | Signed Jersey, Autographed Basketball Card |
| Net Worth | $10 Million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Last Update | April 2024 |
Early Life, Family, & Education
Spud was born on July 13, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, to supporting parents David Webb and Katie Webb.
The NBA legend grew up with five siblings Janice Smith, Stephanie, David, Renee, and Reginald.
His childhood was not so lavish as compared to others. Spud grew up in a low-income family where they struggled hard to make ends meet and lived in a small two-bedroom house.
Spud used to look for inspiration in anything and later found that basketball was something he loved to escape from poverty. As a result, he started playing basketball at an early age.
However, Webb was not so tall, but his jumping ability was much higher than the tall kids of his age. His family members were not supportive and used to say that Spud was too short to play basketball.
Webb was rejected from the school basketball team in seventh grade.
Furthermore
Talking about academic qualifications, Spud joined Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas. Later, he attended Midland College in Midland, Texas, from 1981-1983.
For the higher study, Spud attended North Carolina State University. His father, David, reached out to his friend Tom Abatemarco who took him to the head coach Jim Valvano.
The head coach offered him a scholarship after seeing his dribbling skills. He averaged 10.4 points and 5.7 assists while playing for NC State.
Age, Height, & Physical Appearances
As of 2024, Spud is 60 years old, born with sun-sign Cancer. People with the Cancer sun sign are very emotional and sensitive and care deeply about family and career.
The NBA legend stands at 5’6″/1.67 m and weighs 60 kg/133 lb.
This height is considered as shortest height for basketball players. But Spud proved that height had nothing to do if you have passion and skills for any field.
Spud follows a strict diet regimen to remain healthy and stay fit.
His black hair and black eyes complement his smooth skin. Sadly, his other measurements are unknown, but we will update you soon.
Furthermore, Spudd belongs to the American nationality, but his ethnicity and religion are currently unknown.
Basketball Career
Early Career
As mentioned earlier, Spud showed a keen interest in basketball early on.
Although he faced many difficulties with his short height, he did not stop playing basketball. His jumping score was also relatively high than the other players.
The retired NBA player wanted to join the school basketball team but got rejected because of his short height. But with continuous practice, Spud improved his skills and joined the junior school basketball team.
In the first game with the school basketball team, Webb surprised everyone by scoring 22 points.
After joining Wilmer-Hutchins High School, he still faced the height issue. The team put Spud on the Junior varsity team, where he surprised audiences with an average of 26 points per game.
Despite performing well in high school basketball, Spud faced a lot of difficulties in finding a college. The majority of them rejected him because of his small stature.
Luckily, he received an opportunity to show off his basketball skills when he joined the Midland College basketball team ‘Chaparrals.’ Webb led the team to win the junior college national title in 1982.
In the final game against Miami-Dade of Florida, Spud scored 36 points, which was a national headline. Sports Illustrated even wrote an article on him.
Furthermore
Webb was named NJCAA-All-American, by the National Junior College Athletic Association in 1983.
An assistant coach of the North Carolina State University, Tom Abatemarco, became impressed with Spud and arranged a meeting with Jim Valvano, the head coach’s university basketball team.
After some conversation and skills display, Jim wanted Webb to join the university basketball team and even offered a scholarship.
Webb played for three years (1983-1985), with the university basketball team averaging 10.4 points and 5.7 assists.
Professional Career
Detroit Pistons drafted Spud in the 1985 NBA Draft. But he made his debut with the Atlanta Hawks and played for the first six seasons from 1985–1991.
In the first season with the Hawks, Webb scored 7.8 points per game. His score dropped from 6.8 to 6.0 in the 1986-1987 season.
He made a strong comeback in the last two seasons with the Hawks, scoring an average of 9.2 and 13.4 points, respectively.
After many ups and downs with Atlanta, Spud left Atlanta and joined Sacramento Kings in 1991, averaging 16.0 points per game in the first season.
He played for three more seasons, with Kings scoring an average of 14.5, 12.7, and 11.6 points per game.
After spending four years with the Kings, he left the team and reunited with Atlanta Hawks for the 1995 season.
Webb joined Minnesota Timberwolves for the 1995-1996 season. Before retiring from basketball in 1998, Spud played with two more teams, Mash J. Verona (1997-98) and Orlando Magic (1998).
In the 12 years of his basketball career, Webb played 814 games with an average of 9.9 points per game, registering 8,072 points and 4,342 assists.
Post Retirement
After retirement from basketball, Webb participated in the NBA Slam Dunk and became the shortest player in history to enter the contest.
To everyone’s surprise, Spud won the contest. Moreover, he was a judge for the 2010 Dunk contest in Dallas.
He is currently the president of basketball operations for the Texas Legends, the G League team for the Dallas Mavericks in Frisco, Texas.
Career Stats
| Year | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TRP | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
| Career | 814 | 429 | 24.9 | .452 | .314 | .848 | 2.1 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 9.9 |
Wife & Kids
Spud is secretive when it comes to his personal life. He tries to keep most of the information hidden from the media. However, Webb fans are always eager to learn everything about his life.
Regarding Webb’s love life, he hasn’t linked with any women as of 2024. Different sources claimed that he’s not married. But the basketball player has confirmed that he has a daughter named Lauren.
We can see Spud posting pictures of his daughter on social media platforms. However, the mother of Lauren is not mentioned anywhere. If found, we will update you.
Net Worth & Salary
The retired basketball player has made a successful career out of basketball.
He has been active as a professional basketball player ever since his draft in NBA. Webb has earned recognition worldwide for his breathtaking performances.
Well, it’s not only the name and fame Spud has earned throughout these years. But, he has pocketed millions of dollars in earnings. As of 2024, the net worth of Spud is estimated to be around $10 million.
At the beginning of his NBA career, his salary at Atlanta Hawks was $510k. Moreover, after joining Sacramento Kings, he earned $560k in his first year, $1.3 million in the second year, $1.56 million in the third year, and $2.07 million in the fourth year.
He was paid handsomely, a whopping amount worth $1.8 million when he joined Atlanta Hawks before retiring from basketball.
Spud is living a lavish life, enjoying his time with his family, and traveling to different places for vacations.
Sadly, Spud has not revealed anything related to his assets, like his bungalow, car, and other property; he has kept it all a secret.
Dunk Contest
Spud Webb played 814 games during his 12-year career in the NBA, but his most crucial highlight didn’t happen in any contests.
It occurred at the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest during Webb’s rookie period.
Webb is listed at just 5’6″/1.68m tall, short for an average person, much less an NBA player, and it looks like there’s no way he can dunk a basketball.
His highlights in the 1986 dunk contest seem like something out of an NBA-themed Breaking Madden, except in real life.
Social Media Presence
The former basketball player is very active on social media. Spud has garnered numerous fan followers worldwide with his hard work and dedication to basketball.
Spud’s popularity has grown steadily, especially on Twitter and Instagram.
Growing Influence On Social Media Sites
Spud communicates with his fans through social media platforms.
On Instagram, he’s available at @spudwebb86 with 32.7k followers as of 2024 His posts are mostly related to his workplace and colleagues. Moreover, he also shares pictures of his daughter Lauren Webb.
View this post on Instagram
The retired basketball player joined Twitter in November 2013 under the name @swebb_anthony and has tweeted only three times until now.
Additionally, he is seen in many interviews describing his professional career and life.
Popularity
The retired NBA player is well-known for winning a Slam Dunk Contest despite being the shortest player in NBA history.
The graph shows his search trend for 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which Position did Spud play for?
Spud played in the point guard position throughout his basketball career.
What are other hobbies of Spud besides basketball?
Spud has a keen interest in golf. He even practices it daily and is often spotted on the golf course.
Who are Spud's Siblings?
Spud has five siblings: Renee Webb, Stephanie Webb, Reginald Webb, David Webb Jr., and Janice Smith.
What's the jersey number of Spud Webb? What are his basketball and trading cards worth?
Spud's jersey number is 4. His trading and basketball cards' value may range anywhere between $0.25 to $50.
When did Spud retire from basketball? What is his vertical leap?
Spud retired from basketball in the year 1998 at the age of 35. Also, Spud Webb has a vertical leap at 32 inches.
