Manute Bol Probably in his 40s While Playing in the NBA

[Flyn]

Interesting story that Manute Bol's birthday was made up and he was probably much older.

The 7-foot-6-inch shot-blocking phenomenon was brought from the Sudan to the United States by former Cleveland State coach Kevin Mackey in the 1980s. Mackey told the sports site Zagsblog that he made up Bol's birthday out of thin air when he got him here.

“I gave him his birthday because they didn’t know how old he was,” Mackey said. “Every athletic door is open at 19, every athletic door is closed when you’re 35. He was probably 40, 50 years old when he was playing in the NBA.”

Mackey, who is now a scout for the Indiana Pacers, brought Bol over in 1985 and came up with a birthday -- Oct. 16, 1962 -- that would make sense for a player looking to play college and then pro ball.

“It was in October, I wanted to make it after September 1,” Mackey said. “I wanted to make sure he was young enough because he didn’t have an age. I think he was [in his 40s], I really do. But there’s no way of ever really knowing.”

Manute Bol may have been 50 when he played in the NBA | Fox News

Click to read more...

 

[Marko]

Don’t care but I remember MJ dunking on him

 

[Shawn1112]

Don’t care but I remember MJ dunking on him

I was at that game at the old Chicago Stadium. It was a 6th or 7th grade field trip for the basketball team.

 

[RareGMFan]

Interesting. He died in 2010 due to kidney disease at the reported age of 47. Wonder how old he really was.

Don’t care

That's unfortunate. This guy deserved a lot more recognition for his balls of steel than he received. Here's a guy who become an NBA player through blind luck (a scout happened to see a 7'7" giant in a Sudanese village and brought him to America), ended up making a few million dollars in the league, and could have easily lived out the rest of his years in luxurious fashion in America. Instead, he gave away just about every penny and every remaining year of his life to help his people back in his war torn home, even putting his life at risk in the process (not exactly a safe region for Christians). He was immediately thrown in prison when he first returned to Sudan after retiring from the NBA and spent 2 years there before escaping.

Again, good opportunity to say "fuck this shit!" and go back to America to live out an easy, peaceful life. Nope. He kept working with relief organizations, charities and political causes to bring attention to the genocide happening to the Christians/non-Arabs in Darfur by the predominantly Arab Muslim government. He even worked through his kidney issues and a skin disease he developed, which unfortunately eventually ended up killing him (I believe because they couldn't provide the adequate medical treatment for him in Sudan). He was actually broke by the time he died.

All he cared about was doing as much as he could for his people. I don't know too many people in general willing to do what he did, let alone millionaires. Like I said, balls....or...Bols of steel.

 

[NOMIEZVR4]

^^Wow, what a way to live!

 

[guspech750]

Carbon date him.

 

[SleeperLS]

That is a cool story

 

[Shawn1112]

Iirc, his son is a highly touted recruit. Not sure if he is in college yet or not.

Edit: just googled him
https://www.cbssports.com/college-b...d-manute-bol-commits-to-oregon-over-kentucky/

 

[RareGMFan]

I saw that, too. 6'11" at 15! He's 18 now at 7'3". Guess he got his dad's genes on the height.

 

[EmersonHart13]

Interesting. He died in 2010 due to kidney disease at the reported age of 47. Wonder how old he really was.



That's unfortunate. This guy deserved a lot more recognition for his balls of steel than he received. Here's a guy who become an NBA player through blind luck (a scout happened to see a 7'7" giant in a Sudanese village and brought him to America), ended up making a few million dollars in the league, and could have easily lived out the rest of his years in luxurious fashion in America. Instead, he gave away just about every penny and every remaining year of his life to help his people back in his war torn home, even putting his life at risk in the process (not exactly a safe region for Christians). He was immediately thrown in prison when he first returned to Sudan after retiring from the NBA and spent 2 years there before escaping.

Again, good opportunity to say "fuck this shit!" and go back to America to live out an easy, peaceful life. Nope. He kept working with relief organizations, charities and political causes to bring attention to the genocide happening to the Christians/non-Arabs in Darfur by the predominantly Arab Muslim government. He even worked through his kidney issues and a skin disease he developed, which unfortunately eventually ended up killing him (I believe because they couldn't provide the adequate medical treatment for him in Sudan). He was actually broke by the time he died.

All he cared about was doing as much as he could for his people. I don't know too many people in general willing to do what he did, let alone millionaires. Like I said, balls....or...Bols of steel.