Manute Bol and 76ers

With a mother who stood 6'10 inches tall, it becomes easy to understand how ex-Nba basketball player, Manute Bol, grew to a final height of 7'7 inches. How sad to learn of his passing away on June 19, 2010.

The cause of death was a combination of acute kidney disease and a rare skin condition, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome a very painful condition that causes its victims to lose patches of skin. He died at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottsville, Virginia.

He was 47 years old and is survived by ten children. Four of those children live with his wife, Ajok, in Olathe, Kansas.

Bol, from Southern Sudan and of the Dinka tribe, finished his NBA career in '95 after playing professionally for 10 years.

This giant of a man, reported taller than all others except Gheorghe Muresan, a Romanian who at 7'7" was drafted to play for the Bullets

Quoting him,“My mother was 6 feet 10, my father 6 feet 8 and my sister is 6 feet 8,” he said. “And my great-grandfather was even taller — 7 feet 10.”

Bol the 76er

Bol is fondly remembered by 76er fans as the incredibly tall, razor-thin, tooth-pick who we were sure would be massacred by his much heavier opponents.Yet he actually surprised fans by becoming a intimidating defensive presence achieving impressive goals in the number of blocked shots he obtained over his 10 year long career.

Bol first came to the in 1990 and played for three seasons in Philadelphia.

Manute Bol the Humanitarian

Shortly before his death, Bol was again in his home country of Sudan,after spending several months in Sudan to help build a school with his Sudan Sunrise group. He stayed in the Sudan longer than he originally intended because he was asked to stay through the Sudanese elections.

His health deteriorated,three dialysis treatments and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a condition believed contracted as a reaction to kidney medication he took in Africa finally took its final toll on his health.

According to this NBA Giants article, the list of basketball players who measured at least 7'5 1/2 in their bare feet were as follows:

1. Manute Bol

Born in: Sudan

Years Played: 1985-1995

NBA Position: Center

Height: 7'7" barefoot or 2.31 m

Weight: 230 lbs. or 104.5 kg

Bol's barefoot height was 7'6 3/4" (2.31m) as measured by the NBA, prior to when he entered the league, making him the tallest player in NBA history. He also has the largest wingspan in NBA history, at an amazing 8'6" (2.59m). Bol ended up growing another 1/4" from before he entered the NBA, to early in his NBA career, to a height of 7'7" (2.31m) barefoot.

2. Gheorghe Muresan

Born in: Romania

Years Played: 1993 - 2000

NBA Position: Center

Height: 7'7" barefoot or 2.31 m

Weight: 303 lbs. or 137.73 kg

Listed at 7'6 1/2" (2.30m) barefoot in Europe and the NBA, at the time he was drafted into the NBA. Muresan eventually grew another 1/2" to 7'7" (2.31m) in height barefoot. He has a gigantic 7'10" (2.39m) wingspan, the 2nd largest in NBA history.

3. Shawn Bradley

Born in: Germany

Years Played: 1993 - 2005

NBA Position: Center

Height: 7'6" barefoot or 2.29 m

Weight: 280 lbs. or 127.27 kg

Bradley is 7'6" tall barefoot (2.29m) as measured by the NBA. He was measured at exactly 7'5 3/4" (2.28m) barefoot prior to being drafted into the NBA. He then grew another 1/4" after this and ended up at exactly 7'6" (2.29m) in height barefoot, as measured officially

4. Yao Ming

Born in: China

Years Played: 2002 - present

NBA position: Center

Height: 7'6" barefoot or 2.29 m

Weight: 310 lbs. or 140.9 kg

In October of 2002, Yao was measured at 7'6" barefoot by NBA league officials. *Note that it has been reported in both Asia and Europe that Yao has since grown to 7'6 1/2" or 2.30m barefoot, which would actually make him the 3rd player tallest in NBA history, and just 1/2" in height shorter than Bol and Muresan. However, the last official NBA measurement from October of 2002, has not been updated, making verification impossible. Yao was measured at 7'5 1/2" (2.27m) prior to being drafted into the NBA. His 7'5" (2.26m) draft listing was a typographical error by the NBA, and later corrected to 7'5 1/2".

5. Chuck Nevitt

Born in: US

Years Played: 1982 - 1994

NBA position: Center

Height: 7'5" barefoot or 2.26 m

Weight: 250 lbs. or 113.64 kg

Nevitt was measured by the NBA at 7'5" (2.26m) barefoot.

It should be pointed out that over 90 percent of all NBA players in the modern league era are listed by their heights with shoes on. However, all NBA players have the option of being listed by either their height with shoes, or without shoes. In the cases of all 5 NBA giants above, they were listed by height without shoes.

It is Manute Bol who many suggest came up with the expression, 'my bad' that is now used by everyone secure enough to accept responsibility for a mistake.

According to basketball folklore and sources such as the St. Louis Post and USA Today, the following is the story that accompanies Bol's use of the expression:

"St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jan. 10, 1989: When he [Manute Bol] throws a bad pass, he'll say, "My bad" instead of "My fault," and now all the other players say the same thing.

USA Today, Jan. 27, 1989: After making a bad pass, instead of saying "my fault," Manute Bol says, "my bad." Now all the other Warriors say it too."

I guess time will reveal whether this actually occurred or not. If so, it is most interesting.

Other Interesting Tid-bits

Once killed a lion with his bare hands

Learned to speak English by watching TV, listening to his teammates and his friends.

Bol set some outstanding records. Including blocking 397 shots during his rookie season and holds the all time NBA record for the most blocked shots per minute.

One of Bol’s proudest moments was with the Philadelphia 76ers.

“The time I blocked four shots in less than thirty seconds against Orlando,”

A Life Defined By More Than A Sport

Manute was known for sending home practically all of the money he earned during his professional career supporting various causes related to his war-ravaged nation of birth, Sudan.

Happy to be Alive

Following an accident on June 30, 2004 in Connecticut.(A taxi he was riding in flipped, throwing Bol from the car and leaving him seriously injured. The driver of the taxi was killed. It was later determined the driver had been under the influence) Manute had to spend thousands of dollars for rehabilitation from his car accident. He was just glad to be alive and so willing lived a more modest life after 2004.

 Manute Bol's funeral will take place beginning 10:00 AM, Tuesday, June 29, 2010. The Washington National Cathedral has information on its website about the program, and more information will be released as it becomes available.

Here is the link to the live funeral service:

http://www.nationalcathedral.org/webcasts/BolFuneral_wmp.shtml