Humanitarian and basketball star Manute Bol dies

[Drunken Irishman]

Source: The Kansas City Star

Manute Bol, the tallest player in NBA history during his 10 seasons, has died, his friend Tom Prichard told The Star today.

Bol, who had a home in Olathe, died this morning. He was fighting acute kidney failure and a skin disease he contracted while trying to help his native Sudan. He was 47.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/19/2029405/humanitarian-and-basketball-star.html

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[Faygo Kid]

1. This is very sad. He was a good and kind soul.

He was taller than most of us in many ways.

[Bitwit1234]

9. I don't think he was very kind the time I met him

It was in a shopping center and they were bidding on items. Some kids saw him and asked for his autograph and he was one of the nastiest person saying no I ever saw. AND another woman who worked with me said the same thing about him. He was at an African American gathering and she said he was agrarian and unreachable and the African Americans there were very disappointed they have invited him. Just two opinions..he might have changed.

[zonkers]

10. Manute Bol was a class act. Posting 2nd hand nit picking heresay about him is not.

[northzax]

14. he was agrarian?

well yes, I hear he really did like farming, but why is that a reason to dislike him?

[hvn_nbr_2]

17. Ya gotta be careful with those agrarians.

You just never know when one of them will flip out and hit you with an organic zucchini.

[awoke_in_2003]

18. or worse yet

cherokee purple tomatoes

[Joanie Baloney]

19. I'm an Aquarian

Agrarians and I get along just fine.

-Marian, the Librarian


;)

R.I.P. Manute

[hvn_nbr_2]

20. Marian, the aquarian librarian.

I think we have the makings for a 1950s doo-wop hit.

:hi:

[Art_from_Ark]

53. Throw in 76 trombones

and it will be a real smash

[RedRoses323]

21. LOL..

:rofl: :rofl:







RIP Manute :(

[WillyT]

38. DUzy !!! - ROFLMAO !!!

:rofl:

:toast:

:hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. I live in the area and have heard only really nice things about him

:shrug:

[liberation]

28. Saying nasty innuendo on the recently deceased ain't very kind either...

[Ken Burch]

29. You probably caught him on a bad day.

Sometimes Albert Schweitzer got grumpy too, most likely.

[johnnyplankton]

39. Once I was in an elevator with Jesus...

and he farted. Plus, Martin Luther King once took the last chocolate donut out of the box at a church service when I was really hungry, and another time Gandhi sped up and stole my parking space.

[MrMickeysMom]

40. What are you, 12?

[CLANG]

46. What are you, humorless?

[MrMickeysMom]

51. I see you're easily amused...

Frankly, I would laugh if it was humor instead of cheesily infantile

[CLANG]

52. I bow to your superior humor tastes!

:rofl:

[Ken Burch]

44. Guys like that are NOTHING but trouble.

:sarcasm:

[Judi Lynn]

33. I wish you'd had the maturity and decency to keep that unwarranted hatred to yourself. n/t

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[a la izquierda]

47. What do you mean by agrarian?

I'm just curious, but I'm guessing the word is not one you intended to use.
Agrarian means of or pertaining to land or land tenure, or a person who favors the equal division of rights. It's from Latin. I ask because the word choice struck me as very odd.

[Frank Cannon]

49. I can't for the life of me figure out what this person meant.

Usually, I can suss out the intended word from context. But damned if I know what they were aiming at here. Maybe they really do hate farmers.

[a la izquierda]

50. Perhaps...

though what's to hate? :crazy:

[conscious evolution]

2. That sucks

He was a really nice guy.
He had an office next door to where I worked many years ago.On occassion he would stop by and say hi.Always had a good attitude and a smile.

[WCGreen]

3. i remember when he came on the scene....

Good ball player, not just tall...

[Bette Noir]

4. So young. My condolences to his family.

[madrchsod]

5. he is a lion....

he did so much with the gift that he had. he will be missed.

[OhioChick]

6. Damn. Too young.

RIP

[gateley]

7. "Let him rest from his labors, for his good deeds go with him." Rest in peace, brother. nt

[Festivito]

8. Some do more in a short time than others do with a full measure.

A big man inside and out. Peace out.

[mikita]

13. well said. Thanks.

[TheWatcher]

11. Manute was a Good Man. What a sad loss for his family and the World.

Safe Journey, Gentle Giant.

You Will be Missed. :cry:

[xultar]

12. Way too young to die. He was a beautiful soul. Rest in peace Manute.

:cry:

[Mosby]

16. RIP Manute

[stevedeshazer]

22. I'll miss the guy. He was a good man.

:(

[Bombero1956]

23. How very sad

A few years ago I had to conduct an inspection at the Hall of Fame just prior to the induction ceremonies. As I drove up I saw him just outside the door shaking hands and posing for pictures with vacationers who were visiting. He was extremely friendly and went out of his way to make people's visit to the Hall of Fame memorable. The people from the hall weren't even aware he was doing this. At the time he was living at a shelter in West Hartford and shortly after that he was almost killed in a car crash. A truly tragic figure.

[MadMaddie]

24. RIP Manute you took on the challange to help your country

without hesitation and you made a difference!

[maxsolomon]

25. Why did Manute Bol live in Olathe?

KC doesn't have a pro basketball team - curious place to wind up after an NBA career.

Rest in Peace, Big Man.

[givemebackmycountry]

26. Manute and Muggsy - what a pair...

This guy could hit a three pointer from way downtown!



Manute, you did good and people liked you.
Can't ask for anything else.

[Drunken Irishman]

30. My favorite...

[BeyondGeography]

27. RIP, good man

:patriot:

[KamaAina]

31. "a skin disease he contracted while trying to help his native Sudan"?

As far as I know, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (just about the worst thing you can have: basically, your skin burns itself off :scared: ) is not contagious; in Bol's case, it is far more likely to have been a complication of his kidney disease (or treatments for it).

[Warren Stupidity]

32. Former Sixer Manute Bol dead at 47

Source: Philadelphia Enquirer

By Keith Pompey
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A giant among even NBA stars and a towering symbol of hope in his native Sudan, Manute Bol, a former 76er, died Saturday morning. He was 47.

Bol passed away at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville where he was being treated for acute kidney failure and a skin disease, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

The 7-foot-7 center, who could be an intimidating defensive presence on the court, was also known for his humanitarian efforts in Sudan and founded Sudan Sunrise, a group based in Lenexa, Kan., that promotes reconciliation in Sudan.



Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/breaking/sports_breaking/96725749.html?cmpid=15585797#ixzz0rLiw85Ws
Play fantasy sports and win cash prizes instantly. Philly.com's Instant Fantasy Sports Games

Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/breaking/sports_breaking/96725749.html?cmpid=15585797#axzz0rLihMP5R

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Manute was a wonderful person. He will be missed.

[bigwillq]

35. K and R

RIP :(

[OverBurn]

36. R.I.P. Manute

[Odin2005]

37. Damn! That sucks!

RIP :(

[MrMickeysMom]

41. So sorry to see a great man go too soon...

He was great in more ways than one.

[GreenTea]

42. Manute Bol: "He had everybody on our team in stitches all of the time." - Extremely Cool!.

The 7-foot-7 center played 10 seasons in the NBA, including three seasons in Golden State, where he became a fan favorite for his shot-blocking skills and unusual penchant for shooting three-pointers. Bol donated almost all of his $6 million in career earnings to his native Sudan.

"He was a wonderful man with a terrific sense of humor," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "He had everybody on our team in stitches all of the time.

"He cared deeply about his people and did everything he could to help them."

Bol also cared about his teammates. He played practical jokes on them and spent hours after practice playing H.O.R.S.E. with more talented shooters, like Chris Mullin.

That's how Nelson decided to allow Bol to launch shots usually reserved for guards. Looking for a way to hide Bol's lack of offensive skills, Nelson told him to stand near the three-point arc and shoot only if the shot clock was down to five seconds or less.

"He actually thought he was a good offensive player, but, of course, he wasn't," Nelson said. "When I told him that he could shoot three-pointers, he bought into it.

"He loved it, his teammates loved it and the fans loved it. It was really great."

Bol's stunts continued after his basketball career ended. He boxed William "The Refrigerator" Perry, became the world's tallest jockey and even skated with a minor-league hockey team to raise money for his humanitarian efforts.

Bol died at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville, where he had been hospitalized since mid-May. Tom Prichard, the executive director of Sudan Sunrise, said in an e-mail, "the world has lost a hero."


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/warriors/detail?entry_id=66147#ixzz0rMemGSOj

[neverforget]

43. How sad. 47 is way too damn young!

[onestepforward]

45. Rest in peace Manute.

Your compassion and love was a true gift to this earth and your beautiful spirit will be deeply missed.

[USA_1]

48. Pizza Lover!

The first time I remembered reading about him when he played in the Northeast was his great fondness for pizza. He couldn't resist it. And who could blame him?

So sad to see this great humanitarian pass away at such an early age.