Manute Bol

Former Sixer Manute Bol dead at 47

Manute Bol,Former 76ers center Manute Bol died Saturday after battling acute kidney failure and a skin disease, Stevens-Johnson syndrome. He was 47.

Bol was known for his humanitarian efforts in his native Sudan and founded Sudan Sunrise, a humanitarian group based in Lenexa, Kan., that promotes reconciliation in Sudan.

Sudan Sunrise executive director Tom Prichard said in an e-mail that the 7-foot-6 Bol died Saturday morning at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville.

Bol was hospitalized in mid-May during a stopover in Washington after returning to the United States from Sudan. Prichard says Sudan "and the world have lost a hero."

Bol played 10 seasons in the NBA with Washington, Golden State, Philadelphia and Miami. The center finished his career with 1,599 points, 2,647 rebounds and 2,086 blocks.