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Manute Bol
Bol in 2006
Personal information
BornTuralei, Sudan (South Sudan)
DiedJune 19, 2010
Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.
NationalitySudanese / American
Listed height7 ft 7 in (2.31 m)[note 1]
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
CollegeBridgeport (1984–1985)
NBA draft1985: 2nd round, 31st overall pick
Selected by the Washington Bullets
Playing career1985–1997
PositionCenter
Number10, 11, 4, 1
Career history
1985Rhode Island Gulls
1985–1988Washington Bullets
1988–1990Golden State Warriors
1990–1993Philadelphia 76ers
1993–1994Miami Heat
1994Washington Bullets
1994Philadelphia 76ers
1994–1995Golden State Warriors
1995–1996Florida Beach Dogs
1996–1997Fulgor Libertas Forlì
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points1,599 (2.6 ppg)
Rebounds2,647 (4.2 rpg)
Blocks2,086 (3.3 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Manute Bol (/məˈnuːt ˈboʊl/ mə-NOOT BOWL; d. June 19, 2010) was a Sudanese-American professional basketball player and political activist. Listed at 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)[1] or 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m)[2] tall, Bol was one of the tallest players in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

After he played college basketball for the Bridgeport Purple Knights, Bol was selected by the Washington Bullets in the 1985 NBA draft. Bol played for the Bullets and three other teams over the course of his NBA career, which lasted from 1985 to 1995. A center, Bol is considered among the best shot-blockers in the history of the sport and is the only NBA player to retire with more career blocked shots than points scored. As of December 2022, he ranked second in NBA history in blocked shots per game and 16th in total blocked shots.

Bol was notable for his efforts to promote human rights in his native Sudan and aid for Sudanese refugees.

Early life

Manute Bol was born to Madute and Okwok Bol in Turalei, Sudan (now South Sudan), and raised near Gogrial. Bol's father, a Dinka tribal elder, gave him the name Manute, which means "special blessing".[3] Bol had no formal record of his birthdate.[4][5][6]

Bol came from a family of extraordinarily tall men and women. He said: "My mother was 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), my father 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), and my sister is 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m). And my great-grandfather was even taller—7 ft 10 in (2.39 m)." His ethnic group, the Dinka, and the Nilotic people[7] of which they are a part, are among the tallest populations in the world. Bol's hometown, Turalei, is the origin of other exceptionally tall people, including 7 foot 3½ inches tall (2.22 meters) basketball player Ring Ayuel.[8] "I was born in a village where you cannot measure yourself," Bol reflected. "I learned I was 7 foot 7 in 1979, when I was grown. I was about 18 or 19."[3]

Bol started playing soccer in 1972 but abandoned the game because he was too tall.[9] During his later teens, Bol started playing basketball in Sudan, for several years with teams in Wau and Khartoum, where he experienced prejudice from the northern Sudanese majority.[10]

Move to the United States

Coach Don Feeley, formerly the basketball coach at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, traveled to Sudan to coach and held clinics for the Sudanese national team in 1982. Feeley convinced Bol to go to the United States and play basketball.[11][12][better source needed]

With Feeley's input, Bol first landed in Cleveland. According to Cleveland State University basketball coach Kevin Mackey, Bol could not provide a record of his birth date. Mackey listed it as October 16, 1962, on Cleveland State documents, but believed Bol was actually much older.[4][5][6] Bol did not speak or write English at the time of his arrival in Cleveland. He improved his English skills after months of classes at ESL Language Centers at Case Western Reserve University, but not enough to qualify for enrollment at Cleveland State. Bol never played a game for Cleveland State. Five years later, Cleveland State was placed on two years' probation for providing improper financial assistance to Bol and two other African players.[13][14]

Again with Feeley's influence, Bol declared his intention to play professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The San Diego Clippers drafted him in the 1983 NBA draft as the 97th overall pick. Clippers head coach Jim Lynam received a call about Bol from Feeley, whom he knew from coaching circles. "So, I said, 'Have you told anyone else about this?'" Lynam recalled. "Feeley said the only one in the NBA he had called was Frank Layden at Utah. He said Frank said he couldn't take another big guy like this. He already had Mark Eaton. I was the second guy Feeley had called. I told him he didn't have to call anyone else."[15]

After the June 1983 draft, Lynam traveled to Cleveland and watched Bol play pickup games. In speaking with Bol, through a fellow Sudanese player, Lynam learned that he had become hesitant about playing professionally because he did not know the language well enough to understand coaches. Lynam said, "One of the things everyone was looking at was his passport. His passport said he was 19 years old. His passport also said he was five feet two." When Lynam asked Bol about the discrepancy between his real height and his passport height, Bol said he had been sitting down when measured by Sudan officials.[15]

Language and passport concerns were set aside when the NBA ruled that Bol had not been eligible for the draft as he had not declared 45 days before the draft as required and declared the pick invalid.[16][better source needed]

College basketball career

With the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) questioning his eligibility for NCAA Division I basketball, Bol enrolled at the University of Bridgeport, an NCAA Division II school with an English program for foreign students. He played for the Purple Knights in the 1984–85 season. His coach was Bruce Webster, a friend of Feeley. Bol averaged 22.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 7.1 blocks per game for the Purple Knights. The team, which previously drew 500–600 spectators, routinely sold out the 1,800-seat gym.[16] With Bol, Bridgeport qualified for the 1985 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament.[14]

Professional basketball career

Bol turned professional in May 1985, signing with the Rhode Island Gulls of the spring United States Basketball League.[17][18][19] Going into the 1985 NBA draft, scouts believed that Bol needed another year or two of college; however, Bol opted for the draft because he felt it was the only way to earn enough money to get his sister out of Sudan, which was in a state of political unrest at the time.[16]

Washington Bullets (1985–1988)

The Washington Bullets drafted Bol in the second round with the 31st overall selection.[20]

When he arrived in the United States, Bol weighed 180 pounds (82 kg)[21] and had gained just under 20 pounds (9.1 kg) by the time he entered the NBA. The Bullets sent Bol to strength training with University of Maryland coach Frank Costello, where he could initially lift only 44 pounds (20 kg) on 10-repetition bench press and 55 pounds (25 kg) on 10-repetition squat[22] (his body mass index was 15.3 and he initially had a 31" (80 cm) waist).[23]

Bol's first tenure with the Bullets lasted three seasons, from 1985 to 1988. In his rookie season (1985–1986), he appeared in 80 games and recorded a career-high 5.0 blocks per game. That year, during his first career start on December 12, Bol set a Washington franchise record with 12 blocks and scored a career high 18 points in a 110–108 overtime victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.[24] His total of 397 blocks set the NBA rookie record and remains the second-highest single-season total in league history, behind Mark Eaton's 456 in 1984–85.[20][25][26] Bol led the league with 5.0 blocks per game during the 1985-86 season.[20]

Bol was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1986.[27]

In 1987, the Bullets drafted the 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) point guard Muggsy Bogues, pairing the tallest and shortest players in the league on the court for one season.[28][20][29]

Bol competed in the NBA playoffs with the Bullets in 1986, 1987, and 1988.[20]

Golden State Warriors (1988–1990)

On June 8, 1988, Bol was traded by the Bullets to the Golden State Warriors for Dave Feitl and a 1989 second round draft pick (Doug Roth was later selected).[20]

Bol's first tenure with the Warriors lasted two seasons, from 1988 to 1990. In his first season with Golden State, he attempted three-point shots with regularity. In that season he attempted a career-high 91 three-pointers and made 20 of them. During this time, he may have helped to popularize the expression "my bad", although a 2005 suggestion that he coined the phrase has been discounted.[30][31]

Bol led the league with 4.3 blocks per game for the 1988-89 season.[20]

Philadelphia 76ers (1990–1993)

On August 1, 1990, Golden State traded Bol to the Philadelphia 76ers for a 1991 first round draft pick (Chris Gatling was later selected).[20]

Bol's first tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers lasted three seasons, from 1990 to 1993. After playing in all 82 games in 1990–91, he played in 71 games the next season and in 58 games the following season.[20] During his last season in Philadelphia, he had a memorable night playing against former teammate Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, making 6 of 12 three-pointers in the second half in a losing effort.[32] Fans were known to yell "shoot" as soon as Bol received the ball far from the basket.[33]

Later career (1993-1997)

After being released by Philadelphia in July 1993, Bol played in eight games in the 1993–94 season with the Miami Heat. He scored only one two-point field goal with the team and blocked six shots in 61 total minutes.[20]

After being released by Miami on January 25, 1994, Bol played two games for the Washington Bullets in 1994 and then returned to Philadelphia, where he played four games.[20]

In October 1994, Bol returned to the Warriors. He played his last five NBA games there. On November 15, 1994, Bol came off of the bench to play 29 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He attempted three three-pointers in the fourth quarter and made them all.[34] Seven nights later in Charlotte, in a game nationally televised by TNT, he was in the starting lineup again. By this time, two weeks into the season, his career seemed rejuvenated under Warrior head coach Don Nelson; he was again a defensive force, making threes and contributing as a starter to create matchup problems. After playing only ten minutes against the Hornets on November 22, 1994, he suffered a season-ending knee injury. Before he left the game, he recorded one block and two points and attempted a three-pointer in ten minutes of play.[34][better source needed] Bol was waived by Golden State on February 15, 1995.[20]

Bol played 22 games for the Florida Beach Dogs of the Continental Basketball Association during the 1995–96 season under Coach Eric Musselman. The Beach Dogs' games against the Sioux Falls Skyforce that season were broadcast by ESPN, as the Skyforce also featured a former NBA player, Darryl Dawkins.[35]

In 1996, the Portland Mountain Cats of the United States Basketball League announced that Bol would be playing with the team, but he never appeared in uniform.[35][36]

Bol played professionally in Italy in 1997 and in Qatar in 1998 before rheumatism forced him to retire permanently.[35]

Player profile and accomplishments

Bol and Gheorghe Mureșan are the two tallest players in the history of the NBA.[37] Official NBA publications have listed Bol at either 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)[1] or 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m)[2] tall. He was measured by the Guinness Book of World Records at 7 ft 6 3⁄4 in tall.[38] Complementing his great height, Bol had exceptionally long limbs (inseam 49 inches (120 cm)) and large hands and feet (size 16 1/2). His arm span, at 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m), is (as of 2023) the longest in NBA history, and his upward reach was 10 feet 5 inches (3.18 m).[39][40]

With his great height and very long limbs, Bol was one of the NBA's most imposing defensive presences. Along with setting the rookie shot-blocking record in 1985–86, Bol later tied the NBA record for most blocked shots in one half (11) and in one quarter (eight, twice).[41] On January 31, 1992, in a game against the Orlando Magic, he blocked four consecutive shots in a single possession.[42] On average, he blocked one shot per every 5.6 minutes of playing time.[35] Bol's other basketball skills, however, were very limited. His rail-thin physique made it difficult for him to establish position against the league's bulkier centers and power forwards, and he also suffered from a claw hand on his right hand (his natural hand), which severely affected his shooting and ball-handling abilities. To compensate for this inherited deformity on his right hand, Bol learned to dribble, block shots and rebound with his (non-dominant) left hand.[43]

Off the court, Bol established a reputation as a practical joker; Charles Barkley, a frequent victim of his pranks, has attested to Bol's sense of humor.[44]

In his NBA career, Bol averaged 2.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 3.3 blocks per game, playing an average of 18.7 minutes. He finished his career with 1,599 points, 2,647 rebounds, and 2,086 blocks. He appeared in 624 games over 10 seasons.[20] As of 2019, Bol had the second-highest career blocks-per-game average (3.3) in the history of the NBA and was the only player in NBA history to have more blocked shots than points scored.[45]

Humanitarian efforts and activism

Bol was active in charitable causes during and after his basketball career. He said he spent much of the money he made during his NBA career supporting various causes related to the war-ravaged nation of his birth, Sudan.[46]

Bol frequently visited Sudanese refugee camps, where he was treated like royalty. In 2001 the Sudanese government offered him the post of minister of sport. Bol, a Christian,[47] refused because one of the conditions was converting to Islam.[48]

Later, the Sudanese government hindered Bol from leaving the country, accusing him of supporting the Dinka-led Christian rebels, the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It refused to grant him an exit visa unless he came back with more money. Assistance from supporters in the United States, including Senator Joseph Lieberman, raised money to provide Bol with plane tickets to Cairo, Egypt. After six months of negotiations with U.S. consulate officials regarding refugee status, Bol and his family were finally able to leave Egypt and return to the United States.[48] He was admitted to the United States as a religious refugee in 2002 and settled in West Hartford, Connecticut.[39]

Bol established the Ring True Foundation to continue fund-raising for Sudanese refugees. He gave most of his earnings (an estimated $3.5 million) to their cause. In 2002 Fox TV agreed to broadcast the foundation's phone number in exchange for Bol's agreement to appear on their Celebrity Boxing show. After the referee goaded, "If you guys don't box, you won't get paid", he scored a third-round victory over former football player William "The Refrigerator" Perry.[citation needed]

In late 2002, Bol signed a one-day contract with the Indianapolis Ice of the Central Hockey League. Though he could not skate, the publicity generated by his single-game appearance helped raise money to assist children in Sudan.[49]

Bol was involved in the April 2006 Sudan Freedom Walk, a three-week march from the United Nations building in New York City to the United States Capitol in Washington, DC. The event was organized by Simon Deng, a former Sudanese swimming champion who was a longtime friend of Bol's. Deng, who was enslaved from age 9 to 12, is from another tribe in Southern Sudan. His Sudan Freedom Walk focused on finding a solution to the genocide in Darfur (western Sudan) but also sought to raise awareness of the modern-day slavery and human-rights abuses throughout Sudan. Bol spoke in New York City at the start of the walk, and in Philadelphia at a rally organized by former hunger striker Nathan Kleinman.[citation needed]

Bol was also an advocate for reconciliation efforts, and worked to improve education in South Sudan. A Nicholas Kristof article[50] in The New York Times highlighted Bol's work for reconciliation and education with an organization called Sudan Sunrise. Bol first began working with Sudan Sunrise to raise awareness on issues of reconciliation in 2005. This included speaking at the United States Capitol and subsequently partnering with Sudan Sunrise to build schools across South Sudan that, in the spirit of reconciliation, would enroll students regardless of tribe or religion.[51]

Personal life

Bol had six children with his first wife, Atong, and four with his second wife, Ajok.[52] Bol's son Madut (born December 19, 1989) played college basketball at Southern University and graduated in 2013.[53] Another son, Bol Bol (born November 16, 1999), is an NBA basketball player.[54] Bol was a Catholic.[55]

Bol spoke Dinka and Arabic before learning English.[56]

In July 1988, Bol was arrested for driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest. On August 28, 1988, Bol was arrested in Maryland for driving while intoxicated.[57]

Despite initially knowing little English or Western culture upon arriving in the United States, Bol adjusted and was widely regarded as well-rounded, inquisitive, and well-read. He developed a strong friendship with Charles Barkley, who remarked, "If everyone in the world was a Manute Bol, it's a world I'd want to live in. He's smart. He reads The New York Times. He knows what's going on in a lot of subjects. He's not one of these just-basketball guys".[58]

During his time in Egypt, Bol ran a basketball school in Cairo. One of his pupils was a fellow Sudanese refugee, former NBA player Luol Deng, the son of a former Sudanese cabinet minister. Deng later moved to the United States to further his basketball career, maintaining a close relationship with Bol.[59]

On February 11, 2004, Bol was arrested in West Hartford, Connecticut for assault, disorderly conduct, and interfering with a police officer.[60][61] Police alleged that Bol had struck his daughter and injured her lip. According to the Hartford Courant, Bol was intoxicated and also attempted to harm himself. He received medical treatment for his injuries following the incident.[61]

In July 2004, Bol was seriously injured in a car accident in Colchester, Connecticut; he was ejected from a taxi that hit a guardrail and overturned, resulting in a broken neck.[62] The driver, who died following the accident, was driving with a suspended license[63] and was intoxicated.[64] Because his fortunes were mostly donated to Sudan and he had no health insurance, Bol was financially ruined by the accident.[42] Bol was hospitalized for three months following the accident.[64] When he recovered from his injuries, he moved to Olathe, Kansas.[39]

On February 26, 2006, Bol and his wife Ajok were both arrested in West Harford, Connecticut following a physical altercation at their home.[64]

Death

On June 19, 2010, Bol died from acute kidney failure and complications from Stevens–Johnson syndrome at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia.[39][65] He is buried in South Sudan.[66]

Funeral service and tributes

Bol's memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral

Bol's memorial service was held on June 29, 2010, at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC. His body lay in an eight-foot-long, specially-built casket.[67] At the funeral, U.S. Senator Sam Brownback said, "'I can't think of a person that I know of in the world [who] used [his] celebrity status for a greater good than what Manute Bol did. He did it for his people. He gave his life for his people'". NBA Development Vice President Rory Sparrow added, "'He had a heart that was very large and full of compassion for his fellow man'".[68]

After his death, tributes to Bol's career and charitable works came from around the United States and the world.[69][70] His former teams, and the NBA, issued statements in recognition of his impact on the sport of basketball and on Sudan.[71][72][73] Brownback paid tribute to Bol on the floor of the United States Senate.[74]

Honors

  • Bol was inducted into the University of Bridgeport Athletics Hall of Fame, Class of 2010.[75]
  • On January 27, 2015, the Golden State Warriors honored Bol with a Manute Bol bobblehead giveaway. The team sponsored a giveaway of 10,000 of the tallest bobbleheads in franchise history, at 10 inches (25 cm).[76][77]
  • The "Manute Bol Court" was built and constructed in South Sudan by the Luol Deng Foundation in 2015.[78][79]
  • The Manute Bol Peace Builders Basketball Tournament is held annually throughout Sudan.[80]
  • In 2016, Bol was inducted into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame.[81][82]

Influence

At the peak of his career, Bol was so widely recognizable in pop culture as to become the object of teasing in a 1993 episode of MTV's Beavis and Butthead entitled "True Crime'". While watching a music video of the song "Demolition Man" by Grace Jones, Butthead mistakes the tall, androgynous Jones for Bol and asks, "Is this Manute Bol?" Beavis responds, "Yeah. That dude can slam dunk without even jumping", to which Butthead deadpans, "Yeah. It's too bad he can't sing," as the pair chuckle together. Later, Beavis says, "Maybe this isn't Manute Bol", and Butthead opines, "Yeah. Manute Bol can sing better than this. That man has lipstick on."[83]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

Regular season

Manute Bol regular season statistics
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1985–86 Washington 80 60 26.1 .460 .000 .488 6.0 0.3 0.4 5.0* 3.7
1986–87 Washington 82 12 18.9 .446 .000 .672 4.4 0.1 0.2 3.7 3.1
1987–88 Washington 77 4 14.8 .455 .000 .531 3.6 0.2 0.1 2.7 2.3
1988–89 Golden State 80 4 22.1 .369 .220 .606 5.8 0.3 0.1 4.3* 3.9
1989–90 Golden State 75 20 17.5 .331 .188 .510 3.7 0.5 0.2 3.2 1.9
1990–91 Philadelphia 82 6 18.6 .396 .071 .585 4.3 0.2 0.2 3.0 1.9
1991–92 Philadelphia 71 2 17.8 .383 .000 .462 3.1 0.3 0.2 2.9 1.5
1992–93 Philadelphia 58 23 14.7 .409 .313 .632 3.3 0.3 0.2 2.1 2.2
1993–94 Miami 8 0 7.6 .083 .000 .000 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.3
1993–94 Philadelphia 4 0 12.3 .429 .000 .000 1.5 0.0 0.5 2.3 1.5
1993–94 Washington 2 0 3.0 .000 .000 .000 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.0
1994–95 Golden State 5 2 16.2 .600 .600 .000 2.4 0.0 0.0 1.8 3.0
Career 624 133 18.7 .407 .210 .561 4.2 0.3 0.2 3.3 2.6

Playoffs

Manute Bol playoffs statistics
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1986 Washington 5 5 30.4 .588 .000 .375 7.6 0.2 0.6 5.8 4.6
1987 Washington 3 0 14.3 .400 .000 .000 3.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 2.6
1988 Washington 5 0 8.8 .571 .000 1.000 2.4 0.0 0.0 0.4 1.8
1989 Golden State 8 0 18.5 .194 .091 .286 3.8 0.1 0.2 3.6 2.2
1991 Philadelphia 8 0 13.6 .500 .000 .667 2.3 0.1 0.1 1.5 3.0
Career 29 5 17.1 .386 .087 .444 3.8 0.1 0.2 2.7 2.8

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Official NBA sources variously list Bol at 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)[1] or 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m).[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Manute Bol". National Basketball Association. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c The Official NBA Encyclopedia. New York: Doubleday. 2000. p. 405. ISBN 9780385501309.
  3. ^ a b Tuohy, Lynne (March 31, 2002). "FOR MANUTE BOL, A HARROWING COMEBACK". courant.com. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Anderson, Stefan (November 21, 2017). "Manute Bol lied about his age, may have been 50 years old when he played in the NBA: report". NY Daily News. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Manute Bol's birthday was allegedly made up, and he might've played at age 50". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Ex-coach says he made up Manute Bol's birthday: He could've been '40 or 50' in NBA". CBSSports.com. November 22, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  7. ^ Roberts, D. F.; D. R. Bainbridge (September 1963). "Nilotic physique". Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 21 (3): 341–70. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330210309. PMID 14159970.
  8. ^ Steward, Carl (January 12, 2011). "His spirit, giant: Sudanese player embraced at Ohlone College". Inside Bay Area (via Ohlone College). Archived from the original on October 18, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  9. ^ "Sudan's NBA giant". BBC News. October 29, 2001.
  10. ^ "Manute Bol". Contemporary Black Biography. Detroit: Thomson Gale. 1999. ISBN 9780787624187.
  11. ^ "Answers – The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions". Answers.com. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  12. ^ Rogers, Steve (April 7, 2016). "What Happened to Manute Bol". Plus 2 Clothing.
  13. ^ Associated Press (April 22, 1988). "Penalties Upheld for Cleveland State". The New York Times.
  14. ^ a b Albom, Mitch (February 20, 1985). "THE KING DINKA DUNKER: 7–6 HERDSMAN TO NBA?". Sun-Sentinel.com.
  15. ^ a b Montville, Leigh (December 17, 1990). "A TALL STORY". Sports Illustrated.
  16. ^ a b c Blumenstock, Kathy (April 12, 1985). "Scouts: Bol has slim chance at success". USA Today.
  17. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE; Bol May Turn Pro". The New York Times. May 17, 1985.
  18. ^ "Unusual Gulls Are Favorite in This Town". Associated Press. July 7, 1985 – via LA Times.
  19. ^ Newman, Bruce (June 24, 1985). "A Taste Of High Society". Sports Illustrated.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Manute Bol Stats". Basketball-Reference.com.
  21. ^ Epting, Chris (June 24, 2010). "The Manute We Knew: Curious, Shy, One of the Family . . . and a Lion Slayer". AOL News. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013.
  22. ^ McCallum, Jack (October 21, 1985). "Welcome To 'Air Bol': Stronger and heavier, the Bullets' 7'7" Manute Bol could be a force". Sports Illustrated.
  23. ^ McManis, Sam (February 11, 1985). "At 7 Foot 6, Manute Bol of Sudan Is Surely Rangy Enough for America's City Game and He Has Talent, but at 190 Pounds He May Not Be Strong Enough for Big Time: Basketball's Tallest Story". Los Angeles Times.
  24. ^ "Bullets, Bol Stop Bucks In Overtime". Washington Post. December 13, 1985.
  25. ^ "1985–86 NBA Leaders". Basketball-Reference.com.
  26. ^ "NBA & ABA Single Season Leaders and Records for Blocks". Basketball-Reference.com.
  27. ^ "1986 NBA All-Defensive Team voting (Maximum points: 44)". April 25, 1986. p. 37 – via newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "NBA Bullets Welcome Manute Bol, 7–6". UPI. July 13, 1985.
  29. ^ "The NBA's Tallest and Shortest Together". SI.com. October 8, 2014.
  30. ^ Pullum, Geoffrey K. (December 7, 2005). "Language Log: Pick-up basketballism reaches Ivy League faculty vocabulary". Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  31. ^ Zimmer, Ben (June 22, 2010). "The Manute Bol Theory of "My Bad"". Word Routes. Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  32. ^ "Philadelphia 76ers at Phoenix Suns Box Score, March 3, 1993". Basketball Reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on December 16, 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  33. ^ Kerry Eggers, "Around the League", The Sunday Oregonian, March 7, 1993
  34. ^ a b "Manute Bol 1994–95 Game Log | Basketball-Reference.com". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  35. ^ a b c d Anderson, Kelli (July 2, 2001). "Manute Bol: Once the NBA's premier shot blocker, the Sudanese Sultan of Swat has tried to bring peace to his homeland". Sports Illustrated.
  36. ^ "History of the Portland Mountain Cats". February 24, 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  37. ^ Brown, Donald H. (2007). A Basketball Handbook. Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-4259-6190-9.
  38. ^ "Bol Bol, 14 years old and 6 feet 10, reaches for his father's heights". kansascity. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  39. ^ a b c d Schudel, Matt (June 19, 2010). "Manute Bol, former Washington Bullet and one of NBA's tallest players, dies at 47". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  40. ^ "Former NBA player Manute Bol to speak at Union". Union College. November 3, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  41. ^ "Regular Season Records: Blocked Shots". NBA Encyclopedia. National Basketball Association. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  42. ^ a b "Manute Bol". Beyond the Glory. April 17, 2005. FOX Sports Net.
  43. ^ "THE LONG LONELY JOURNEY OF MANUTE BOL YOU CAN TAKE THE BASKETBALL PLAYER OUT OF AFRICA, BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE THE AFRICA OUT OF THE BASKETBALL PLAYER". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023.
  44. ^ Narducci, Marc (July 8, 2005). "Tough Time for a Tall Guy His sense of humor could be a help to Manute Bol as he seeks to recover his health after a serious car crash". Philly.com.
  45. ^ Sherman, Rodger (June 19, 2019). "Bol Bol Could Be a Whole New Kind of Basketball Player". The Ringer.
  46. ^ Zumoff, Marc. "Catching up with Manute Bol". Drive. NBA Media Ventures. Archived from the original on December 15, 2007.
  47. ^ Shields, Jon A. (June 25, 2010). "Manute Bol's radical Christianity". The Wall Street Journal.
  48. ^ a b Luo, Michael. "NBA Star Now Refugee". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 23, 2007.
  49. ^ Scott, Jon C. (2006). Hockey Night in Dixie: Minor Pro Hockey in the American South. Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd. p. 184. ISBN 1-894974-21-2.
  50. ^ Kristof, Nicholas D. (June 23, 2010). "Most Valuable Helper". The New York Times.
  51. ^ "Manute Bol School". Current Projects in South Sudan. Sudan Sunrise. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  52. ^ McGeehan, Patrick (June 19, 2010). "Manute Bol, N.B.A. Player and Activist, Dies at 47". The New York Times.
  53. ^ "Manute Bol remembered as 'also a giant off the court' at funeral". USA Today. June 29, 2010. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  54. ^ Williams, Everett (July 17, 2023). "What Bol Bol Brings to Stacked Suns Roster". Sports Illustrated.
  55. ^ "Manute Bol Honored as a Moral, Spiritual Giant". The Catholic University of America. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  56. ^ Lidz, Franz (December 10, 1984). "Come See The Dinka Dunker Do: Manute Bol, an import from Sudan, is giving a 7'6" lift to Bridgeport". Sports Illustrated.
  57. ^ Priest, Dana (August 28, 1988). "FORMER BULLETS PLAYER MANUTE BOL ARRESTED AGAIN". Washington Post.
  58. ^ Montville, Leigh (December 17, 1990). "A Tall Story: Manute Bol, the Sixers' 7'7" center, views life from a unique perspective". Sports Illustrated.
  59. ^ "Wallace: Luol Deng's path of righteousness". ESPN.com. February 26, 2015.
  60. ^ "Manute Bol arrested for hitting daughter". ESPN.com. February 13, 2004.
  61. ^ a b "TOWN NEWS BRIEFING". courant.com. February 13, 2004.
  62. ^ Fox, Tracy Gordon; Farrell, Jim (July 2, 2014). "Bol critically injured in car accident". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  63. ^ "Report: Bol's driver had suspended license". ESPN.com. July 24, 2004.
  64. ^ a b c "Bol, wife arrested, charged with disorderly conduct". ESPN.com. February 27, 2006.
  65. ^ Kendall, Justin (June 19, 2010). "Manute Bol, retired basketball player, has died". The Pitch. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  66. ^ "Memorial To Honor Manute Bol". Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  67. ^ Archived 8 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine[dead link‍]
  68. ^ "Manute Bol: A "Life of Faith, Courage and Moral Dignity"". NBC Washington. June 30, 2010.
  69. ^ "Manute Bol, former Washington Bullet: 1962–2010". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011.
  70. ^ Ryan, Bob (June 22, 2010). "Height, and depth". The Boston Globe.
  71. ^ Leonsis, Ted (June 19, 2010). "Ted Leonsis' Statement on Passing of Manute Bol". Washington Wizards news. NBA Media Ventures. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  72. ^ "Former Warrior Manute Bol Passes Away". Golden State Warriors news. NBA Media Ventures. June 19, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  73. ^ Stefanski, Ed (June 19, 2010). "Philadelphia 76ers statement on the passing of Manute Bol". Philadelphia 76ers news. NBA Media Ventures. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  74. ^ "Video: A Senate salute to Manute". The Washington Post. June 22, 2010.
  75. ^ "University of Bridgeport set to induct four new members into the UB Athletic Hall of Fame on November 6, 2010 – University of Bridgeport". bridgeport.edu. November 13, 2023.
  76. ^ "Warriors honor Manute Bol with bobblehead". ABC7 San Francisco. January 28, 2015.
  77. ^ "Warriors to Host Manute Bol Bobblehead Night on Tuesday, January 27 Against the Chicago Bulls". Golden State Warriors.
  78. ^ "Beyond Sport". beyondsport.org.
  79. ^ "Luol Deng: South Sudan court among 'most memorable' accomplishments". Sporting News. August 10, 2015.
  80. ^ "Basketball Tournament Honors Manute Bol". VOA. June 19, 2015.
  81. ^ "Fairfield County Hall of Fame Honors Manute Bol". October 19, 2016.
  82. ^ Fierro, David (October 18, 2016). "Sports Night dinner honors Hall of Fame inductees". GreenwichTime.
  83. ^ A little purple, a lot of blue - Tampa Bay Times https://www.tampabay.com › archive › 1993/12/12 › a-...
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