History of basketball: 10 quirky facts you probably didn't know about the NBA

#5 Manute Bol once killed a lion with a spear

Manute Bol

The tallest listed player in NBA history at the time of the 1985 NBA draft, Manute Bol was selected by the Washington Bullets with the 31st overall pick. He was deemed to be too raw a prospect for the NBA at the time by scouts, but he decided to declare for the draft anyway because he needed the money to bring his sister out of his native country Sudan, which was in a state of political unrest at the time.

Often in press interviews, he was asked about a story, the likes of which you will never hear again from an NBA player. At the age of 15, while tending to the cattle belonging to his family, Manute was tasked with killing a lion with a spear. The fact that the lion was asleep made the feat easier for him, but I'll be damned if there's another player who's ever done this before entering the league.