Manute Bol: the master blocker who once killed a lion (allegedly)

Alberto Clemente MANUTE BOL The master blocker who once killed a lion (allegedly)

[{"selector":"#anim-9157c384-b60b-41fd-b654-f398e319e27a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 137.40015%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d90282f6-b472-4577-bbf2-f01944d9278f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, -16.553948575996536%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"fill":"both"}] Back in the 1980s, the NBA witnessed the emergence of Manute Bol, a player who boasted astonishing physical attributes.

[{"selector":"#anim-b5378234-3851-4fcb-8025-651d6de820ef","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d72f8c57-f907-4b54-9f33-074ee1d2c268 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, -10.604343856845698%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] At 7ft 7in, Bol is the second-tallest player in NBA history. He is only surpassed, by a fraction of an inch, by the Romanian Gheorghe Muresan.

[{"selector":"#anim-45265890-011e-42a7-a212-0f1447f1944c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-db5b47e4-d017-4b9f-b00c-2060737a9d11 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(37.998219081345944%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Bol had an 8ft 6in wingspan, but despite such measurements, he was very light: he weighed just 91kg.

[{"selector":"#anim-ff421285-9bff-4f96-8a9f-f382a9d6ea29","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 137.40015%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e8dd9618-dc31-422b-9235-eba7e8f34613 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(40.102823931975024%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Bol died in 2010 at 47, and would have turned 60 on 16 October this year. However, doubts have been raised about his stated age.

[{"selector":"#anim-5ffb8c96-3fff-4c55-a468-5c4b72d757f2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a74224bf-6b74-42b8-9962-517a5eca61be [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.8620689655172413)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"forwards"}] Many believe Bol was older than he said he was when he played in the NBA - and that his career took him past his 50th birthday.

[{"selector":"#anim-3ccad5bc-76be-478c-9319-b161639bfd7b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2bb2e705-90ef-4be9-ab1f-05147ae90684 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.9345794392523364)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"forwards"}] Meanwhile, his incredible physique sparked other kinds of rumours. It’s claimed he once killed a lion with his bare hands.

[{"selector":"#anim-0d0f1371-8570-45ae-890d-a7d79dcc2da0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70ea354d-f7ac-4a50-a751-38177ceda169 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 0.12345709277238391%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Born in Sudan, he arrived in the NBA in 1985. Blocks were his speciality, and in his first season in the league, he averaged five per game.

[{"selector":"#anim-3448119b-0f8e-478e-ac82-0294c6831550","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55a7201e-14c5-4de2-b86e-b8d8c2aaede9 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 0.12345709277238391%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] His highest number of blocks in a single game was 15 - a haul he managed twice in his NBA career.

[{"selector":"#anim-119a6fd7-285e-477e-a6a4-63975a911c8c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 228.50243%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ef48e1ae-f9e9-46fb-ab82-e4c55be19c35 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 7.760782355151471e-15%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Bol scored 43 three-pointers in the NBA, an extraordinary feat for someone his size. Six came in a single half.

[{"selector":"#anim-bb42e2c9-173b-4ef4-bf42-3c2bb81f0ee0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b4048b33-53fb-4e8c-aa11-eca2f995c823 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 0.12345709277238391%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] His most famous play is the four straight blocks he pulled off against the Orlando Magic - a moment that brought the fans out of their seats.

[{"selector":"#anim-966f6070-21f9-46aa-8fd3-187e087f889d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5b60f5a2-e285-4e08-9cb0-03e36464a695 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 3.033980678341304e-7%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] His son, Bol Bol, also became a basketball player. He belongs to the Magic, the team against which his father produced his memorable play.