Former NBA player Manute Bol has reportedly passed away due to acute kidney failure and skin disease. He was just 47 years old, but Bol will forever be immortalized in NBA lore.
Manute wasn’t exactly one of the league’s biggest stars, but he was one of its biggest stars. His long, lanky frame drew plenty of attention, and inspired one of the NBA’s most excellent photos. Still, he’ll forever be known in NBA circles as far more than a player; it’s Bol’s humanitarian efforts in Sudan that made him a giant, not his 7'6'’ listing or his impressive blocked shot averages.
Bol was a class act, and while it’s sad to lose a member of the extended NBA family, it’s far worse for the world to be without Manutel’s selflessness and commitment to improving the lives of the Sudanese people.