Bol's exact birth date and location are not known, but is believed to be October 16, 1962 in Gogrial, Sudan. Bol came to the United States after being recruited by representatives of Fairleigh Dickinson University. (A popular story states that he chipped his teeth on the rim of a basketball hoop when shown how to slam dunk.) He later attended Cleveland State University despite not having a strong command of written English. After an eligibility scandal, Bol played one year of college basketball at the University of Bridgeport. He was then drafted in the 1985 NBA draft by the Washington Bullets.
For reasons of his height and impossibly long limbs, Bol was one of the league's most (if not the most) imposing defensive presences, not to mention his frequent usage as a publicity stunt. His actual basketball skills (when disregarding his ability to block shots) were very limited, and his physique (he weighed only 185 pounds (85 kg) upon entering the NBA) made it difficult for him to compete with the league's physical centers and power forwards. But Bol's status as a likable and marketable athlete earned him fairly large contracts. He spent some of his pay on the establishment of a Washington, District of Columbia-area nightclub, which eventually failed, but most of his money went to support the largest rebel group in Sudan, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), who fought the country's Islamic government. Bol was very active in charitable causes throughout his career, supporting famine relief organizations such as Oxfam and establishing his own charitable foundation, the Ring True Foundation.
After Bol's career ended, he attempted to play professionally in Italy and Qatar before rheumatism caused him to end his career and return to Sudan. There, Bol was threatened by the government and eventually escaped the country again, returning to the United States. Since then, Bol has raised money from appearances on Celebrity Boxing and minor-league hockey. He lives in Connecticut.
A biography of Bol, Manute: The Center of Two Worlds, was written by Sports Illustrated writer Leigh Montville.