Manute Bol, who was one of the tallest players in NBA history and gained stature off the court for his efforts to save lives in his homeland of Sudan, has died.

He was 47.

Bol died Saturday at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, a spokeswoman said. She could not comment on a cause of death.

Tom Prichard, executive director of the group Sudan Sunrise, told the Associated Press that Bol was being treated for severe kidney trouble and a painful skin condition.

“Sudan and the world have lost a hero and an example for all of us,” Prichard said.

Bol was a 7-foot-7 curiosity when he was drafted in 1985 by the then-Washington Bullets. He was so thin that during his rookie season then-Dallas coach Dick Motta told The Washington Post that Bol would “break like a grasshopper” once he ran into a typical NBA post player.

But Bol lasted 10 seasons, playing for four teams. His enormous wingspan made blocking shots his specialty, and he set a record with 397 blocks his first season.

“He made a career out of something that people saw in the beginning as a circus act,” Chris Mullin, a close friend and former teammate, told The New York Daily News in 2004.

His most lasting legacy may be his efforts to use his celebrity to improve conditions in war-torn Sudan.

“God guided me to America and gave me a good job,” he told Sports Illustrated in 2004. “But he also gave me a heart so I would look back.”

He was born Oct. 16, 1962, in Gogrial, Sudan, with a biography unmatched in the NBA. A member of the Dinka tribe and the descendant of chiefs, Bol once killed a lion with a spear while herding cows.

Florida players in the dugout react after UCLA scores in the eighth inning of a College World Series game Saturday in Omaha, Neb. UCLA won, 11-3.

Golf

Daly 4 back at Nationwide event

Fort Smith, Ark. — John Daly sits four strokes off the lead after shooting a 1-under 69 in the third round of the Fort Smith Classic.

Josh Broadaway (65) moved to the top of the leaderboard at the 6,873-yard Hardscrabble Country Club course. He leads by one stroke at 11 under.

Hur shoots 64 to take LPGA lead

Galloway Township, N.J. — South Korea’s M.J. Hur has the lead after two rounds of the ShopRite LPGA Classic, with comeback kid Paula Creamer right behind.

Hur birdied the 18th hole for a 7-under 64 and one-stroke lead over Creamer heading into the final round of the $1.5 million tournament, just miles from the Atlantic City casino resort.

Pro Football

Raiders slap Seymour with franchise tag

Alameda, Calif. — Defensive lineman Richard Seymour has signed his $12.4 million exclusive franchise-tag tender with the Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders announced the move on their website Saturday. Oakland placed the tag on Seymour in February, making him unable to negotiate with any other teams.

Browns sign and trade OT Brown

Metairie, La. — The New Orleans Saints have agreed to trade offensive tackle Jammal Brown to the Washington Redskins for an undisclosed pick in the 2011 draft.

Brown, a restricted free agent, signed a tender offer before the trade.

The 29-year-old was a first-round selection in the 2005 draft from Oklahoma. The 6-foot-6, 313-pounder was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 2006 and 2008 seasons.

Auto Racing

Edwards wins at Road America

Elkhart Lake, Wis. — Carl Edwards swooped past Jacques Villeneuve on a restart with nine laps to go, then ran away from the field to win the NASCAR Nationwide series race at Road America on Saturday.

Villeneuve made a wild charge to the lead with 12 laps to go. But another caution bunched up the field, allowing Edwards to make his decisive move.

Ron Fellows finished second in a Chevrolet, 4.302 seconds behind Edwards’ Ford. Brendan Gaughan finished third in a Toyota.

Hockey

Flyers deal for defenseman

During their playoff run to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers were reluctant to use their third defensive pairing.

So, in his first move of the off-season, general manager Paul Holmgren made a deal Saturday that significantly upgrades that unit, acquiring defenseman Dan Hamhuis and a conditional draft pick in 2011 from Nashville for Ryan Parent, a little-used and frequently injured defenseman.

Pro Baseball

Marlins’ SS exits with injury

Miami — Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez left the Marlins’ game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night due to a tight right hamstring, apparently after hitting a two-run double in the eighth inning.

Ramirez was checked out by Marlins trainer Sean Cunningham and manager Fredi Gonzalez after that hit. He stayed in the game at that point, scoring the tying run when Cody Ross’ grounder was mishandled by Rays third baseman Evan Longoria.

When the Marlins took the field for the ninth, Brian Barden replaced him at shortstop.

Ramirez is the leader in fan balloting for the NL’s starting spot at shortstop for this year’s All-Star game, leading Philadelphia’s Jimmy Rollins by about 200,000 in the latest tally.

Former pitcher Hartman dies

Kenosha, Wis. — The family of former major-league pitcher Bob Hartman says he has died of an infection following a cancer operation last year. He was 72.

Audrey Hartman says her husband died Wednesday in Kenosha. She says he was having trouble speaking at the end, but that he managed to find the strength to tell her he loved her.

Bob Hartman had brief stints with the Milwaukee Braves in 1959 and the Cleveland Indians in 1962. The left-hander appeared in 11 games, going 0-1 with a 5.21 ERA.

Hartman is survived by his wife, three daughters and six grandchildren.