was a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. Until the debut of Gheorghe Muresan, Bol was undisputedly the tallest player ever to appear in the National Basketball Association.

He was the son of a Dinka tribal chief, who gave him the name "Manute," which means "special blessing." Manute Bol was 7 ft 6.75 in (2.30.51 m) and 225 lb (102 kg).

He started playing basketball in 1978 and played in the Sudan for several years with teams in Wau and Khartoum.

In 1985 he was drafted in the second round by the Washington Bullets. He played in the NBA for ten years,

Due to his height and extremely long limbs, Manute Bol was one of the league's most imposing defensive presences, blocking shots at an unprecedented rate. He blocked 397 shots during the 1985-1986 season

Over the course of his career, Bol averaged 2.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 3.3 blocks per game while only playing an average of 18.7 minutes per game.

Manute Bol died Saturday 19 June 2010 at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. He was 47 and lived in Olathe, Kan.