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Today, the world lost a giant, both in stature and in heart. Born October 16, 1962 in the war torn Sudan in either Turalie or Gogrial (it has not been determined which is the accurate birth place). Manute was the son of a Dinka tribal chief, who gave him his name that means “special blessing”. Bol was undisputedly the tallest player to grace the NBA at a staggering 7’7”, 225lbs. Bol’s career began as an amateur, in 1978, playing for teams in Wau and Khartoum. In 1983, he was drafted in the 5th round to the San Diego Clippers but the league deemed that he was ineligible and therefore invalidated the pick. From there Bol was invited to attend Cleveland State University. He was unable to ever play for the team due to its probation for providing improper financial assistance to Bol and other students of African origin. In order to enhance his English, Bol enrolled at the University of Bridgeport, a Division II basketball school, and played college basketball there during the 1984-1985 season.
Bol finally received his chance to showcase his talents in the NBA via his 1985, 2nd round draft pick to the Washington Bullets. For a solid decade (1985-1995) Manute Bol played in the NBA with the following teams: Bullets (80 games, averaging 5 blocks per game, 397 blocks – rookie record); Golden State Warriors (shot 91 3-pointers, made 20); Philadelphia 76ers; Miami Heat. 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. A true specialist, Bol finished his career with totals of 1,599 points, 2,647 rebounds, and 2,086 blocks, having appeared in 624 games over 10 seasons.
Not only was Manute Bol a great basketball player, but was also a great activist and humanitarian. Much of his earnings were donated to causes helping with the improvement of his homeland of Sudan and he often visited the country’s refugee camps. In 2001, Bol was offered the position of Prime Minister of Sport but refused due to the position requiring him to convert from Christianity to Islam. Later Bol was hindered from leaving the country by the Sudanese government, who accused him of supporting the Dinka-led Christian rebels, the Sudan People's Liberation Army. The Sudanese government refused to grant him an exit visa unless he came back with more money. Assistance by supporters in the United States, including Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman, raised money to provide Bol with plane tickets to Cairo, Egypt. After 6 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.
Bol created the Ring True Foundation to continue fundraising for Sudanese refugees. 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. After the referee goaded, "If you guys don't box, you won't get paid," he scored a third-round victory over former NFL player William "The Refrigerator" Perry.
In the fall of 2002, Bol signed a one-day contract with the Indianapolis Ice. Even though he couldn't skate, the publicity generated by his single game appearance helped to raise money to assist children in Sudan. More recently, Bol has been involved in the April 2006 Sudan Freedom Walk, a three-week march from the United Nations building in New York to the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.. The event was organized by Simon Deng, a former Sudanese swimming champion (currently a lifeguard at Coney Island) who is a longtime friend of Bol. Deng, who was a slave for three years from the age of nine, is from another tribe in Southern Sudan. His Sudan Freedom Walk is especially aimed at finding a solution to the genocide in Darfur (western Sudan), but it also seeks to raise awareness of the modern day slavery and human rights abuses throughout Sudan. Bol spoke in New York at the start of the Walk, and in Philadelphia at a rally organized by former hunger striker Nathan Kleinman.
During his time in Egypt, Bol ran a basketball school in Cairo. One of his pupils was fellow Sudanese refugee and current Chicago Bulls player Luol Deng, the son of a former Sudanese cabinet minister. Deng later moved to the United States to further his basketball career, continuing a close relationship with Bol.
In 2004, Manute Bol was seriously injured in a car accident in which he breaking his neck when he was ejected from the taxi he was riding in hit a guardrail and overturned.
On June 19, 2010, Bol died of complications from Stevens–Johnson syndrome at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia
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