Manute Bol

Background

Manute Bol was born in Turalei, Sudan, to Madute and Okwok Bol, and he grew up in Gogrial. His father was a Dinka tribal elder and well respected in society. The family name Bol comes from a lineage of extremely tall men and women. His mother was 81 inches, while his father was 79, the same height as his sister. The Dinka ethnic group comes from the Nilotic people, who are among the tallest people in the world. His passion for sports began with soccer, which he actively played until 1972 when he decided to quit because of his height. Later, as a teenager, Bol started playing basketball for teams in Wau and Khartoum.

In 1982, Don Feeley, who had been coaching at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, visited Sudan to provide training for the Sudanese national team. He encouraged Bol to come back with him to the U.S. to play and helped him get a spot in Cleveland. Bol couldn’t speak nor write English at the time and had to enroll in E.S.L. classes at Case Western Reserve University. He did not, however, qualify for Cleveland State University. He then declared his intent to play in the N.B.A. professionally, and the Los Angeles Clippers drafted him in 1983. Bol became their 97th overall pick, but the N.B.A. ruled him ineligible for the draft because of a late declaration.

Bol was playing for the Bridgeport Purple Knights in college when he was chosen by the Washington Bullets during the N.B.A. draft in 1985. Throughout his N.B.A. career, from 1985 to 1995, he played not only for the Washington Bullets but for three other teams. Manute Bol has always been a legend when it comes to basketball and life.