What was Manute Bol's Net Worth and Salary?
Manute Bol was a professional basketball player and humanitarian who had a net worth of $7 million at the time of his death. Manute Bol played in the NBA for the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat. Notably, he is tied with Gheorghe Mureșan as the tallest player in NBA history, at 7'7″. Bol ended his playing career with the Italian professional team Fulgor Libertas Forlì in the 1996-97 season. Manute Bol died prematurely at the age of 47 in Charlottesville, Va. of kidney failure and complications stemming from a rare skin disorder, Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
Contracts, Salary & Career Earnings
Manute Bol played in the NBA for 10 seasons, from 1985 to 1995. He signed four contracts during his career, with the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat. His highest-paying contract was with the Philadelphia 76ers, for $1.6 million in 1992. His total earnings in NBA salaries were $5.9 million.
Here is a breakdown of his contracts and salaries:
- Washington Bullets (1985-1988): Two-year contract for $500,000 per year.
- Golden State Warriors (1988-1990): Two-year contract for $400,000 per year.
- Philadelphia 76ers (1990-1993): Three-year contract for $1.3 million per year.
- Miami Heat (1993-1995): Two-year contract for $650,000 per year.
Manute Bol Height
How tall was Manute Bol? Manute Bol stood 7 foot 7 inches. In 1987, one of Manute's teammates was a rookie named Muggsy Bogues. Muggsy is famously the shortest player in NBA history at 5 foot 3. Here's a photo of Manute and Muggsy in 1987:
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Early Life and Education
Manute Bol was born in Turalei, Sudan to Madute and Okwok. He had no formal birth record, although his birthdate is reportedly October 16, 1962. Bol hailed from a family of supremely tall women and men, as his mother was 6'10" and both his father and sister were 6'8″. His ethnic group, the Dinka, is known for its exceptionally tall people. Bol began playing soccer in 1972 but had to abandon the game due to his height. Later, as a teenager, he started playing basketball in Sudan with teams in Khartoum and Wau.
In Sudan, basketball coach Don Feeley noticed Bol and convinced him to go to the United States to play there. He settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where he took ESL classes at Case Western Reserve University. Bol went on to enroll at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, an NCAA Division II school with an English program for international students. There, he played for the Purple Knights during the 1984-85 season. Thanks to Bol, Bridgeport made it to the NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament.
Washington Bullets, 1985-1988
After playing with the USBL's Rhode Island Gulls in the spring of 1985, Bol was drafted by the Washington Bullets in the NBA draft. In his rookie season, he played in 80 games and set the NBA rookie record for single-season blocks, with 397. Bol played two more seasons in his first stint with the Bullets. In 1987, he was paired with the 5'3″ Muggsy Bogues, the shortest player in the league.
Golden State Warriors, 1988-1990
In June of 1988, Bol was traded to the Golden State Warriors. His first stint with the team lasted two seasons through 1990. In his first season as a Warrior, he attempted a career-high 91 three-pointers, making 20 of them.
Philadelphia 76ers, 1990-1993
Bol was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in August of 1990. In his first season with the team, he played a career-high 82 games. However, Bol played only 71 games the next season, and a then-career low of 58 games the season after that.
Miami Heat
After being released by the 76ers in 1993, Bol played in eight games with the Miami Heat during the 1993-94 season. The Heat was the only team that didn't use him as a starter, as well as the only one in the NBA he didn't spend two tenures with.
Washington Bullets, 1993
Released by the Heat, Bol returned to his original NBA team, the Washington Bullets. However, his second tenure with the team lasted for only two games in the 1993-94 season.
Philadelphia 76ers, 1994
Bol moved from Washington back to Philadelphia toward the end of the 1993-94 season. His second stint with the 76ers lasted for four games, during which he amassed six points, six rebounds, and nine blocked shots. Bol also helped mentor his fellow tall teammate Shawn Bradley, who stands at 7'6″.
Golden State Warriors, 1994
For the 1994-95 season, his final in the NBA, Bol returned to the Warriors. He played five games that season, including his home debut in a memorable November game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, his season was ended due to a knee injury. Bol was waived by the Warriors in early 1995.
Final Years of Playing
After leaving the NBA, Bol played 22 games with the Continental Basketball Association's Florida Beach Dogs in the 1995-96 season. The following season, he played for the Italian professional team Fulgor Libertas Forlì.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Humanitarianism
Outside the basketball court, Bol was known for his extensive humanitarian work. He spent much of the money he made in the NBA supporting causes in his birth nation Sudan, frequently visiting Sudanese refugee camps and founding the Ring True Foundation to raise funds for refugees. In 2006, Bol participated in the Sudan Freedom Walk from New York City to Washington, DC, which was intended to promote awareness of the genocide in Darfur and other human-rights abuses throughout Sudan. Additionally, he advocated for reconciliation efforts, and strove to improve education in South Sudan.
Personal Life and Death
With his first wife, Atong, Bol had six children. He had four children with his second wife, Ajok. Two of Bol's sons became basketball players, with Bol Bol playing in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic.
In the summer of 2004, Bol was severely injured in a car accident in Connecticut. Because he donated most of his fortune to causes in Sudan, he had no health insurance and was sent into financial ruin. Bol passed away in June of 2010 in Charlottesville, Virginia from acute kidney failure and complications of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a serious skin reaction.
