Some sad news to pass along this afternoon: Manute Bol, the iconic 7 foot, 7 inch big man — who, in recent years, had gained a cult following among Washingtonian basketball fans who fondly remembered his three-year stint with the then-Bullets in the late 1980s — died today. He was 47. Bol was, quite literally, one of the more visible players in the NBA during his ten-year career — especially when he teamed with the diminutive Muggsy Bogues (see right) to form one of the most vertically disparate duos in NBA history. Bol remains the only NBA player in league history who averaged more blocks than points per game in his career.

But it is Bol’s humanitarian work in his native Sudan which is the stuff of legend, and what he will surely be remembered for long after he is gone:

According to reports, he made nearly $6 million in his career, and, aside from a few American comforts, spent it all trying to save lives and educate children back home. He has given so much and received little in comparison. He was once lured back to his home country with the promise of a cabinet post, only to find out he would be required to convert to Islam. When he refused, he was stranded for nearly five years. His trust and good intentions have been abused so many times. Even while playing, he went into war zones to help the Lost Boys and other refugees. Sometimes, those visits were interrupted by bombings from warlords who viewed Bol as a threat. His family was wiped out by Darfurians, but when that country became victims, Bol was one of the first Sudanese to speak out in support.

But despite the severity of his cause, Bol wasn’t above pulling a publicity stunt to earn the public’s attention, such as the time he boxed William “the Refrigerator” Perry, earning the title of the “world’s largest jockey” or playing in an ice hockey match.

Bol had been helping to build a school in the southern region of war-torn Sudan when his health took a turn for the worse. Bol was hospitalized in mid-May, suffering from kidney failure and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, an incredibly painful skin affliction which often required large doses of morphine. A Facebook page set up in the wake of his hospitalization is overflowing with words of remembrance today; in a time where the headlines seem to be dominated by athletes with relatively ludicrous problems, Bol was certainly one to emulate.