07/07/2026
Manute Bol was unlike any player the NBA had ever seen. Standing 7 feet 7 inches tall with an estimated 8 foot 6 inch wingspan, he turned the paint into a no fly zone. His reach was so extraordinary that shots most players thought were safe often ended up being swatted away.
Even the great Michael Jordan had to adjust when facing Bol. Early on, Jordan occasionally attacked the rim the same way he did against other defenders, only to find Bol’s impossibly long arms waiting for him. Rather than continuing to challenge him directly, Jordan did what made him one of the greatest players ever.
He adapted.
Instead of forcing layups over Bol, Jordan began using pump fakes, quick changes of direction, pull up jump shots, fadeaways, and angles that kept Bol from using his full reach. He learned to make Bol leave his feet before finishing or to score before Bol could recover. Jordan didn’t beat Bol by jumping higher. He beat him by thinking faster.
That matchup became a lesson in greatness. Manute Bol showed that extraordinary physical gifts can disrupt even the best players. Michael Jordan showed that talent alone is not enough. The greatest athletes recognize a challenge, adjust, and find another way to win.
Sometimes the difference between good and great is not strength or size. It is the willingness to adapt when your first plan no longer works.
