The Phoenix Suns had a stellar outing at the Crypto.com Arena against the Los Angeles Lakers. They blew out the home team 127-108 and led by as many as 27 with the entire fourth quarter left to play. With victory secured, the Suns fielded their bench players in the final 12 minutes, giving 7’3″ center Bol Bol the rare opportunity to play over 15 minutes in a game. He filled the stat sheet with six points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and two steals in his team’s comfortable win.
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Bol Bol is the son of former NBA star Manute Bol, the tallest player in NBA history. Manute played ten seasons in the NBA and was one the most unique players in league history due to his height, dexterity, and astonishing three-point shooting ability.
Like his father, Bol made headlines for his unusual growth spurt early in life. He grew to 6’5″ by seventh grade and dominated his undersized peers on the court. He averaged 20.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game in his final year of high school at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada.
Bol had a great relationship with his father, who supported his dream of becoming a basketball player. Unfortunately, Manute would never see Bol playing in the NBA. The 7’7″ giant passed away in 2010 when Bol Bol was only 10 years old.
Eventually, Bol Bol did manage to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an NBA player. He was drafted 44th overall in the 2019 NBA draft. Bol is now eyeing an NBA title with the Suns, an honor his father never won. Now, Bol has the opportunity to surpass his father’s legacy with a ring.
Bol Bol’s interesting family history
Bol Bol’s family tree is extensive. His father, Manute Bol, was married twice and had ten kids. After Manute’s career wound down, he returned to his home country, Sudan, and spent all his time on humanitarian efforts.
He met his second wife when he was in Sudan and married her without informing his first wife. Large families are common in the Dinka tribes of South Sudan. Manute’s grandfather, Bol Chol, a Sudanese tribal chief, reportedly had 50 wives and 80 children. Bol Bol was born in 2001, and a year later, he and his family were forced to move back to the US to escape persecution in their nation.
Only one of Bol’s nine siblings found any success in basketball. Madut, Manute’s son with his first wife, played basketball for the Southern University Jaguars. His father’s passing in 2010 meant he never saw Madut play in college. He carried that pain and ensured his stepbrother did not go through the same. In an interview with the Athletic in 2019, Madut said:
“My dad never saw me play. So, I was like, ‘I don’t want Bol to be on this level and nobody comes to see him play.’”
Madut lives in New Jersey and tries to attend as many of his stepbrother’s games as possible. Their mothers don’t see eye-to-eye and aren’t close. But the two still share some degree of affection for each other.
