Recently, a Twitter thread by Frank Michael Smith has popped up, chronicling the career of Manute Bol. In particular, it focuses on his time with the Warriors, his move to the Washington Bullets, and finally ending with his run on the Philadephia 76ers. In fact, one of the tweets on the thread featured a comment from his former teammate on the Sixers, Jayson Williams. The quote revealed Bol’s odd pre-game habit, which involved him walking around the locker room naked and drinking Heinekens.
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Manute Bol was a one-of-a-kind player, some may even say a freak of nature. Standing at 7’7″, the Sudanese center was one of the tallest players the NBA had ever seen. And, his intriguing play style involved aspects of his own culture and the lessons he learned playing in the NBA. All of which contributed to some incredible moments on the hardwood court.
Jayson Williams once claimed that Manute Bol never played a single game in the NBA sober
Manute Bol is perhaps one of the many “unicorns” that have come through the ranks in the NBA. Having played 10 years in the league, Manute played for several teams, including the Washington Bullets, the Golden State Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Miami Heat. And, while his height made him stand out, it wasn’t the only thing that made him unique.
From 1990 to 1993, Bol played for the 76ers, where one of his teammates was Jayson Williams. The organization was intent on making sure that Manute, who weighed a measly 200 pounds, gained more weight. And, this involved getting him to drink as much beer as he wanted whenever he wanted.
As a result, this often meant he was spotted in the Sixers’ locker room naked and with a bottle of Heineken in hand. Moreover, as Williams revealed, he had never seen Bol play a game sober.
“He would just walk around the locker room naked drinking Heinekens. He never played sober in one game in his career!”
Safe to say, Manute played in the NBA during the right era. Things like this definitely won’t fly in today’s NBA. Although, he isn’t the first NBA superstar to have played a game under the influence.
Charles Barkley, much like Bol once played an NBA game under the influence of alcohol
Manute Bol wasn’t the only player who played an NBA game drunk out of his mind. In fact, one of the most well-known players in league history, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley also played a game under the influence. As he revealed in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, he once went out drinking to celebrate a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Unfortunately, the trade fell through and he had to play a game later that night. Safe to say that game wasn’t his best performance.
Times have changed since Chuck and Bol last played in the NBA. It’s very unlikely you’d find anyone walking around in the locker room naked with a beer in hand before the game in this day and age.
