Bol, Manute
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Wikipedia-Article "Manute Bol"
Manute Bol is a Sudanese/American basketball player and activist. Bol is 7'7" (2.31 m) tall. Until the debut of Gheorghe Muresan (who was supposedly a few millimeters taller), Manute was undisputedly the tallest player ever to appear in the National Basketball Association. He blocked 397 shots during the 1985-1986 season, a rookie record. At 15, the Dinka herdsman killed a marauding lion with his spear while it lay sleeping --a feat his agent noted during his contract negotiations.
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Height
Manute Bol is believed to have been born October 16, 1962 in either Turalie or Gogrial, Sudan. He is the son of a Dinka tribal chief, who gave him the name "Manute," which means "special blessing." His paternal grandfather was said to have been 7'10" (2.39 m) tall, and he claims to have a younger sister who is 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m). Also, his father is said to be 5'10 and his mother is said to be 5'7.
Basketball Career
Bol moved to the United States at age 18 after being recruited by representatives of Fairleigh Dickinson University. He chipped a tooth by getting it caught on the net when he tried to slam dunk for the first time. He later attended Cleveland State University despite not having a strong command of written English. Bol played one year of college basketball at the University of Bridgeport.
He was drafted by the San Diego Clippers in the 5th round of the 1983 NBA Draft, then in the 2nd round of 1985 draft by the Washington Bullets. In 1987, the Bullets also drafted the five-foot-three Muggsy Bogues, and the sight of the two players together became a sought-after shot for sports photographers. Due to his height and extremely long limbs, Bol was one of the league's most imposing defensive presences, blocking shots at a nearly unprecedented rate. However, his other basketball skills were very limited, and his rail-thin physique made it difficult for him to establish position against the league's physical centers and power forwards. The sight of the tall, gangly Bol spotting up for a three-pointer during blow-outs became a fan favorite. Off the court, Manute established a reputation as a practical joker; Charles Barkley, a frequent victim of his pranks, testified to Bol's sense of humor. He also developed a close friendship with teammate Chris Mullin.
Over the course of his career, Bol averaged 2.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 3.3 blocks per game while only playing an average of 18.7 minutes per game. He played in the NBA for nine years, from 1986 to 1995, spending 3 seasons with the Bullets, 2 with the Golden State Warriors, 3 with the Philadelphia 76ers and 1 with the Miami Heat. After the end of his NBA career, he played professionally in Italy and Qatar before rheumatism forced him to retire permanently.
Career after basketball
Bol was very active in charitable causes throughout his career. He frequently visited Sudanese refugee camps, where he was treated like royalty. In 2001, however, he was held against his will by the ruling Islamic government because of his support of the Dinka-led Christian rebels, the Sudan People's Liberation Army. The Sudanese government refused to grant him an exit visa. Through intervention by friends in the United States, including Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Manute was finally able to return to the United States.
He established the Ring True Foundation in order to continue fundraising for Sudanese refugees. He has given most of his fortune (an estimated $3.5 million) to their cause. In 2002, Fox TV agreed to broadcast the telephone number of his Ring True Foundation in exchange for Bol's agreement to appear on their Celebrity Boxing show. He scored a third-round victory over former football player William "The Refrigerator" Perry. Later that year, Bol signed a one-day contract with the Indianapolis Ice of the Central Hockey League to raise money for the Sudanese, and also had a brief stint as a horse jockey for similar reasons.
Bol was arrested on February 13, 2004 and charged with hitting his daughter. On June 30 of the same year, he was seriously injured when the taxi he was riding in flipped and crashed in Connecticut. The driver was killed; it was later determined that he had been driving under the influence. Bol was thrown from the taxi and suffered major injuries, the most severe of which were three broken vertebrae in his neck. However, after a grueling rehab and with support from several friends and former teammates, he is now able to walk with a cane. He appeared for a ceremonial tip-off at a Chicago Bulls game in April 2005.
During his time in Egypt, Bol ran a basketball school in Cairo. One of his pupils was fellow Sudanese refugee Luol Deng, the son of a former Sudanese cabinet minister. Deng's family eventually received political asylum in the United Kingdom; Luol later moved to the United States to further his basketball career, continuing a close relationship with Manute. After an All-American freshman season at Duke University, Deng became the seventh overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft and was selected to the 2004-05 All-Rookie First Team.
Manute Bol currently lives in West Hartford, Connecticut. The Ring True Foundation can be reached at 866-547-8326 (in the United States).