Question

muggsy bogues played planes in the national basketball association (nba) for fifteen seasons, most notably for the charlotte hornets. a popular player, he was known for his incredible agility and speed on the court. but when he was young, many people thought he would never be able to play professional basketball. the reason? at five feet three inches tall, bogues was considered too short to master the game. even after he won a basketball scholarship and began playing for wake forest university, commentators announcing the games mocked him. the turning point came when wake forest went up against north carolina state university on national television. during that game, bogues scored twenty points and had ten assists (passes to another player who then scores a basket), silencing his critics. when he was drafted by the washington bullets in 1987, he became the shortest nba player in history—a personal and professional triumph.
what is the main, or central, idea of the passage?
as a professional basketball player, muggsy bogues capitalized on his speed and agility on the court.
muggsy bogues’s potential as a professional basketball player was first widely recognized when he was playing for wake forest.
despite others’ negative ideas about his small size, muggsy bogues had a successful career as a professional basketball player.

Explanation:

The passage focuses on how Muggsy Bogues faced criticism about his short height being a barrier to professional basketball, but overcame this to have a successful career, including becoming the shortest NBA player in history. The first option only mentions his on-court skills, missing the core theme of overcoming doubt. The second option only highlights a single recognition moment, not the full narrative of overcoming negative perceptions and achieving success. The third option encapsulates the central thread: others' negative views of his size, and his successful career despite that.

Answer:

Despite others' negative ideas about his small size, Muggsy Bogues had a successful career as a professional basketball player.