Manute Bol was a giant and had to be stopped at all costs.That was the view of Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird, and he was so determined to stop Bol, he devised a special tactic in order to limit the phenom who was proving to be a major thorn in his team’s side.Bird had a unique way to stop the potential pain Bol could inflict on his teamGettyThe 1985-86 season was Bol’s debut campaign, and while the Celtics won the first game they had played his Washington Bullets, the South Sudanese star was dominant.The 7-foot-7 giant racked up five blocks in the game and was a particular nightmare for Celtics forward Bill Walton, who was given the unenviable job of having to guard him.At one point, Walton was open on the left wing with an open shot. He let it fly, and then Bol, out of nowhere, stretched impossibly high and swatted it out of the air.The Celtics went home with the win, but they knew they were dealing with a phenom in Bol.Bird devises tactic to stop BolIn his book, “Back from the Dead,” Walton reveals how most of the team had never heard of Bol up to that point.But Hall of Famer Bird knew exactly who he was, and as the second game against the Bullets and Bol was approaching, the three-time NBA champion devised a plan to stop him — it didn’t involve his infamous trash-talking skills.“Larry called us all together and said that we all had to put $100 into a pool, and that the first one to dunk on Manute would get all the cash — $1,200,” wrote Bill.So in November 1985, two weeks after the Celtics first played the Bullets and Bol, it was time to face the big man once again.This time, the Celtics were at home, but even with Bird’s cash incentive, it was proving difficult to stop Bol.Walton wrote in his book that Boston teammate Kevin McHale was relentlessly targeting Bol, even ignoring play calls, but he was blocked every time.Bol was a deeply intimidating player and the Celtics had to work overtime to stop himGETTYWalton was the Celtics player tasked with guarding BolGETTYtalkSPORT's greatest NBA teams of all-time#4 Boston Celtics The NBA has had some dominant teams over the years.From the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls to the recent 2015-16 Golden State Warriors.talkSPORT has ranked the 10 best teams in NBA history, and Larry Bird’s 1985-86 side ranks fourth.Find out who sits top of the list by reading the full list – HERE!Even Bird wanted to dunk on Bol, so at one point he orchestrated a play to put himself in position to make it happen, waving Bol back on defense as part of a ‘game within the game.’However, Bol rejected him as well.In the end, no one could dunk on Bol, and so the $1200 cash prize was left untouched.But the Celtics did beat the Bullets again, winning 118-144 at Boston Garden.Manute Bol’s accoladesWhile Bol doesn’t have the most impressive resume, he became one of the most unforgettable NBA players in history.The gentle giant became the tallest player in NBA history, a record he held until Gheorge Mursen beat him by a few centimeters several years later.Unfortunately, Walton wasn’t always successful in stopping BolGETTYIn his rookie season, Bol led the league in blocks with an average of five per game and nearly six in the postseason.He was also the NBA blocks leader in 1988-89 with 4.3While he never won the Defensive Player of the Year award, he finished 2nd, 4th, and 4th in voting for the award in 1986, 1987, and 1989, respectively.Bol forged an impressive career for a player who moved to the United States at the age of 20 after being born in a small village in South Sudan.Sadly, he died in 2010 from acute kidney failure and complications from Stevens–Johnson syndrome. He was 47.His legacy still lives on, though, not least through one of his sons, Bol Bol, who is an NBA player himself.The younger Bol stands at 7ft 3in and last played in the league for the Phoenix Suns in 2025.He has also played for the Denver Nuggets and Orlando MagicStay up to date with the latest from the NBA across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.