Manute Bol appreciation thread

[K.C.]

Somebody had to do it...

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[Marc with a c]

he was also involved in the greatest photograph in world history


http://www.wizznutzz.com/images/manutebol_mugsy.jpg

[Ritalin]

Alright, I met Manute Bol. When I was in high school in Weston CT, Manute Bol was a player at the University of Bridgeport and his coach did a weekend basketball camp with our team and Manute Bol showed up. We had never heard of him before - nobody had yet - and we were freaking out.

Even though you know how tall he is, you can't believe it when you see it in person, kind of like the Grand Canyon.

[bossdjbware]

I always think back to when Opie, I believe, said "he looked like a chocolate covered preying mantis" after fighting "The Refrigerator" Perry on that Celebrity Boxing.

[BoondockSaint]

Bol was very active in charitable causes throughout his career. In fact, he says he lost much of the money he made during a 10-year NBA career supporting various causes related to his war-ravaged nation of birth, Sudan.[9] He frequently visited Sudanese refugee camps, where he was treated like royalty. In 2001, however, after refusing to convert to Islam[citation needed] he was held against his will by the ruling Islamic government, who accused him of supporting the Dinka-led Christian rebels, the Sudan People's Liberation Army. The Sudanese government refused to grant him an exit visa. Through intervention by friends in the United States, including Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman, Bol was finally able to return to the United States.

He established the Ring True Foundation in order to continue fundraising for Sudanese refugees. He has given most of his fortune (an estimated $3.5 million) to their cause. In 2002, Fox TV agreed to broadcast the telephone number of his Ring True Foundation in exchange for Bol's agreement to appear on their Celebrity Boxing show. After the referee goaded, "If you guys don't box, you won't get paid," he scored a third-round victory over former football player William "The Refrigerator" Perry. Later that year, Bol signed a one-day contract with the Indianapolis Ice of the Central Hockey League to raise money for the Sudanese, and also had a brief stint as a horse jockey for similar reasons.

I can appreciate that.

[TeeBone]

he was also involved in the greatest photograph in world history

I know its not a live interview like the question you asked on the other thread, but THIS made me laugh harder than i have all year.

Thanks, Marc.

[Snoogans]

FUCK STEPHEN A SMITH for badmouthing Bol

still the best NBA player to ever set skate on the ice

[jonyrotn]

I always get him confused with Mugsey Bouges.
Did Sam Boey post yet?

[Gvac]

I'm horny.

[TheMojoPin]

he was also involved in the greatest photograph in world history


http://www.wizznutzz.com/images/manutebol_mugsy.jpg

I went and saw a Bullets game live when I was a kid when he and Mugsy were on the team, and at the time it was the freakiest, most awesome thing I had ever seen in my entire life. It was like some bizzaro comic book duo come to life, killing time playing basketball in between fighting crime and saving the world.

[King Hippos Bandaid]

loved Manute Bol in the SNL Skit


Club Med with Manute Bol

him spiking the volley ball on the old couple is priceless


He also takes a funny 3 pt shot

[FUNKMAN]

i loved when he would take Shaq to the hole

[Doctor Z]

If you don't love Manute Bol, you're worse than a rapist and a terrorist combined.

Has anyone heard about him lately? I remember reading a few years back that he was in bad shape after a pretty serious car accident in Africa. Hope he's doing alright.


PS - Anybody else notice YES's own Bob Lorenz in that second video clip?

[MagillaGorillaz]

My favorite is still Dikembe Mutombo. You can't help but think of cookie monster when he talks.

http://www.freemobilefun.net/wallp/176_220/fun/cookiemonster.jpg

[K.C.]

If you don't love Manute Bol, you're worse than a rapist and a terrorist combined.

Has anyone heard about him lately? I remember reading a few years back that he was in bad shape after a pretty serious car accident in Africa. Hope he's doing alright.


He's supposedly doing pretty well. He broke his neck in the accident a few years ago, but he walks and everything, so I'm assuming he's fine.

I think he's been pretty active on the Darfur issue. Manute was pushing Sudanese aid way before this whole issue exploded as there's a lot more issues in that country than just Darfur.

I remember seeing in a couple Bio pieces on him that he pretty much spent every cent he made in the NBA in his foundation to help refugees in Sudan, which was why he was doing stupid shit like boxing the Fridge in 'Celebrity Boxing' on FOX a couple years ago...he needed the money.

[K.C.]

This was his response to the prank Charles played on him in that third clip I posted:


“Well, Charles was in on the joke, so I got him back. One day there was a golf tournament in Philly. I was driving a golf cart and I hit him with the golf cart while he was doing an interview. I don’t remember what Charles thought, but I thought it was real funny.”

I remember this!

[TheMojoPin]

My favorite is still Dikembe Mutombo. You can't help but think of cookie monster when he talks.

Mutombo had, straight up, THE ugliest official shoe ever tied to an NBA player. I can only find a pair of his Adidas shoes from '92 on eBay, and they're ugly, but not the hideous things I'm thinking of. The ones I saw were at an outlet mall down in Williamsburg, VA in '91 or '92, so I'm wondering if they were ever actualy pushed or just dumped by the company on Godforsaken places like, well, outlet malls and then forgotten. The things looked like a Cross Colors ensemble threw up and them someone mashed it into shoe form.

[Freakshow]

miss the Bullets.

[dotsncoms]

Alright, I met Manute Bol. When I was in high school in Weston CT, Manute Bol was a player at the University of Bridgeport and his coach did a weekend basketball camp with our team and Manute Bol showed up. We had never heard of him before - nobody had yet - and we were freaking out.

Even though you know how tall he is, you can't believe it when you see it in person, kind of like the Grand Canyon.

I met him in the late 80's at Cleveland State. He had two escorts that went up to his knees (one white chick and one white guy) they helped him around campus. He sat on the bench the whole year for CSU basketball because of his immigration status.

[Chapper]

this horse is saying "WTF?"
http://www.wizznutzz.com/images/bol_horse1.jpg

Great thread--really takes me back--Thanks