“Have to Pay For a Wife in My Country”: Despite Earning $5,150,000, 26-Year-Old Manute Bol Paid Sudanese In-Laws ’80 Cows’

Standing at a whopping 7 ft 6 inches, Manute Bol was one of the tallest players in the history of the NBA. Father of the current NBA player Bol Bol, Manute played for multiple NBA teams and earned a total of $5,150,000 during his career. Originally hailing from Sudan, Manute played for the likes of the Golden State Warriors and the 76ers. His overall income estimated by HoopsHype does not include the income from his early years at the Warriors and the Washington Bullets. This means that Manute earned far more than the $5.1 million estimated by HoopsHype, according to LA Times.

Regardless of his NBA career,  26-Year-Old Manute avidly followed the rituals and customs of his ancestral family. His marriage with Bol Bol’s mother Ajok Deng included a range of similar rituals. For example, back in Sudan, prospective husbands are expected to pay for their wives in cash or kind. Manute had revealed in 1989 that he was expected to pay in the form of 80 cows. The Sudanese International had already paid out 32 cows and still had part of the payment left when the interview took place.

Manute Bol had to pay for a wife despite earning millions in the NBA

With Manute Bol making more than a million every year, the expectation would be that he would have no trouble finding a wife. However, as he himself revealed, Sudanese culture stipulates payment for every prospective husband. This does not only refer to a monetary payment but can also involve, well cows. In an interview with LA Times, he said,

“I know her father. You have to pay for a wife in my country. If you don’t have money or a cow, it’s hard to get married. I pay 80 cows, 32 so far. I owe some. When I go back home, I pay. In America, all you have to pay for is the party to get married.”

Considering Manute had a long and happy marriage, and his son also went on to play in the NBA, it will be fair to say that the cow investment proved successful. Bol Bol eventually followed in his father’s footsteps to himself play in the NBA.

Of course, Manute spent 9 seasons in the NBA and played for multiple teams such as the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, and the Philadelphia 76ers. He is expected to have made more than $8 million through his NBA career. A fairly lucrative career did not do away with the need to pay for a wife, as Manute himself revealed.

Manute Bol is still remembered for his philanthropy and NBA career

Apart from being a successful NBA star, The Sudanese international was also a political activist. On the court, he was a huge asset with his height and overall defensive abilities.

Never a scorer, Manute was known for his impact on the defensive end of the court. He averaged a whopping 5 blocks per game during his rookie year and was firmly a role player right from the start of his career.

Still, with earnings of more than $5 million, Manute has been able to continue his legacy off the court as well. Known for a range of philanthropic initiatives, Manute Bol Bol is one of the most unique players to have ever played in the NBA.