Manute Bol - 7'7".
The Dinka Dunker
To set the vibe, let's take it back to the mid 80s when Manute played center for the Washington Bullets. Local D.C. recording artist Tabron recorded a classic song & video in honor of Manute Bol. Enjoy "Block The Ball."
Manute averaged 3.3 blocks & 2.6 points for his career. He's the only NBA player in history to average more blocks than points and is 2nd all time in blocks per game with 3.34, behind Mark Eaton's 3.50.
In his rookie year 1985-86, he led the league with 4.96 per game. In the 24 years since, the closest anyone came to that total is David Robinson with 4.49 in 1991-92. To put it in perspective, in Dwight Howard's best year, he averaged 2.92 blocks.
Bol, the tallest NBA player of all time, often played on teams with the smallest guys in the league. He spent one year in the USBL playing for the Rhode Island Gulls with 5'7" Spud Webb. And he spent time with the Bullets playing alonsgide the shortest NBA player ever, 5'3" Muggsy Bogues.
In 1 year of college ball at the University of Bridgeport (Division 2), Bol averaged 7.1 blocks per game.
The career leader for blocks in the history of Division 1 ball is Keith Closs with 5.87.
Once in the pros, Bol expanded his game to include long range 3s. At the encouragement of offensively obsessed coach Don Nelson in 2 years with the Warriors, 27% of Bol's shots were from downtown. Over his career, Bol shot 21% in threes, making 43 of them. By comparison, his shot blocking specialist rival Mark Eaton only took 2 attempts in his 11 year career and missed both.
Life in America was very different than Bol's life in Sudan. One of his biggest adjustments was to American milk. In Sudan, one of the staples of his diet was milk. In 1984, Bol told Sports Illustrated, "American milk, plecchh. Pasteurization! Homogenization! Skim! White! Tree milk!"
In 1990, Charles Barkley added, "You know what he was talking about the other day? Milk. He was saying that he grew up on milk straight from the cow. Squeezed it himself. Milk. He says, 'Charlie, what's this lo-fat milk, this two percent milk, and all this other milk? Cows don't give lo-fat milk, two percent milk. We shouldn't drink it."
Even deeper than his impact on the art of shot-blocking and the taste of milk, Manute Bol was devoted to helping the oppressed in Darfur as well as Christian Refugees in Sudan. A Christian himself, Bol refused a government position when they required him to convert to Islam in order to take the post. Later he was barred from leaving the country without paying an extra fee for an exit visa. He eventually took refuge in Egypt before re-settling in the U.S.
Manute Bol. A powerful African cattleman who said, "I protected the cows by talking. Lions would not attack if they heard my voice."
Manute Bol. A star because of his height, skills & personality.
Thank you Manute Bol. Gone to soon at age 47.
No comments:
Post a Comment