Inka Dinka Done

Manute Bol, who brought The Gods Must Be Crazy to the NBA, has died of Stevens-Johnson syndrome at the age of 47. Seven feet, six inches and about 112 pounds of arms and legs, Bol was a blocking machine, setting a rookie record with the Washington Bullets with 397 and finishing his career 14th on the all-time list with 2,086, and with the second-best blocks per game average (3.34), despite averaging less than 19 minutes a game through his career. Offensively, he was the black Shawn Bradley, scoring about as often as Mother Teresa despite being able to touch above the rim flat-footed. Renowned for his long-range shooting, Bol was a bit of a long shot himself, the son of a Dinka chief from Sudan who once used a spear to kill a lion threatening his herd before being discovered by a coach from Farleigh Dickinson University. Bol never forgot his homeland, spending everything he earned in the NBA and doing extensive fund-raising work to build schools and hospitals as part of the rebuilding effort following Sudan’s lengthy civil war, and even moving to Kansas post-retirement to recreate the desolate surroundings. Bol was willing to do anything to raise money and awareness for Sudan, boxing William “the Refrigerator” Perry, signing a one-day contract with the Central Hockey League’s Indianapolis Ice, and serving briefly as a horse jockey.