Manute Bol

About

Manute Bol ( mə-NOOT BOHL; d. June 19, 2010) was a South Sudanese-American professional basketball player and political activist. Listed at 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) or 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) tall, Bol was one of the two 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 March 2026, he ranked second in NBA history in blocked shots per game and 17th in total blocked shots.
Bol was notable for his efforts to promote human rights in his native Sudan and aid for Sudanese refugees.

Manute Bol was born to Madut and Okwok Bol in Turalei, a small village in what was at the time Sudan, now part of South Sudan. His father was a tribal elder for the Dinka people. Before his birth, Okwok had twice given birth to stillborn twins, and upon a…