He played two years (1956-58) at the University of Kansas, after which he joined the Harlem Globetrotters for a year (1958-59). Phillies fans traveling to Clearwater, FL for Spring Training are frustrated by the MLBs lockout and cancellation of games. If you are having problems using this website, including problems accessing any portion of this site using screen reader technology, please call 215-952-7000 or email 76ersservice@76ers.com for assistance. There is no doubt that Wilt was one of the greatest players ever to play the game of basketball. He participated in high jump, long jump, and even broad jump, but excelled in the 100 yard-dash, and the 400 metre. You must put away any notions of todays NBA when you consider the 1962 NBA. Legends profile: Wilt Chamberlain | NBA.com I traveled with the Warriors during these peak years when Wilt was dropping 50 or more points. 5. That means for 28 minutes of that game in Hershey, the tallest player the Knicks had was 68 Cleveland Buckner. Shannon Sharpe compares LeBron James-Steph Curry rivalry to Its a pretty big arena, but its half-filled? While fans and media have made light of players sitting out for load management, players and teams know the importance of rest not just to be ready for the playoffs or for the next season, but to be able to walk comfortably in retirement. On March 2, 1962 exactly 60 years ago the legendary Philadelphia Warriors center scored 100 points in a single game. Wilt Chamberlain in 1972 with the Los Angeles Lakers. He achieved an average of 30.1. Aside from being one of the strongest players in the league, Wilt was rumored to be one of the fastest men on the planet. This is a half-filled arena. Its a perfect score on a test score. Wilt Chamberlain somehow went his entire 1,045 game career without getting six personal fouls in a single game. What was Wilt up to? This game happens at a moment when the NBAs ascendence, dominance is certainly not inevitable. A closer like at the life and play of the most dominant player in NBA history, Wilt Chamberlain.Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/nonstopFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nonstopWilt Chamberlain is often considered the most dominant force that played the game of basketball, and one of the greatest players of all time. A basketball game, as you know, is 48 minutes. Most people have short histories. For decades, no other big man has come remotely close until Denvers Serbian dime-dropper Nikola Jokic posted averages of 6.1 and 7.3 in 201718 and 201819, respectively. Most people would just resign themselves to driving some big boxy ride with plenty of legroom in this situation. He and Magic Johnson both made incredible plays look easy. But based on the athletes I've seen play, it's Michael Jordan. Ive had never seen Russell more distraught than that game when Wilt grabbed 55 rebounds. I saw the team win a championship for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967. However, Ali dropped the Frazier fight for his first professional loss, and Chamberlain ended up backing out at the last minute thanks to an escape clause in his contract. Battling Illness As a very young child, Chamberlain dealt with a brutal bout of pneumonia which nearly killed him. How Good Was Wilt Chamberlain Actually? - YouTube the story goes Magic made a game ending foul call that angered Wilt greatly. Gary Payton had a good night and Thomas Bryant put his name in the record books by each going 1414, but theyre the only two players to even come close in the last four decades. WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor, Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era.. He was the only player the rules of the game were changed for. Our capsules show the matchups along with the Net Rating, Offensive Rating and Defensive Rating for each team. Bill Russell defends as Wilt Chamberlain goes up for a shot Wilt Chamberlain seems like a dream from another world, another era. He then asked who was next and the guy said You are, Wilt. Wilt owned a famous nightclub in NY during the 60s and 70s. The club featured dancing waiters and waiters on roller skates. 11 Things You Didn't Know About Wilt Chamberlain Wilt kept that promise and blocked all of Magics shots. Chamberlain promoted the sport so effectively that he was named to the Volleyball Hall of Fame, he became one of the few athletes who were enshrined in different sports. He became the first (and still only) center to lead the league in total assists with 702 in 196768 for an average of 8.6, which remains the single-season record for the position. Wilt was told that he would make more money if he passed the ball more so Wilt did what any good player would do in response and led the league in assists the following season. Wilt went out and put on an Olympic-worthy performance. Wilt was playing pickup games against Magic Johnson and Norm Nixon in his mid-forties. The 21 assists was a Sixers single-game assist mark for many years. Half-filled in the famous chocolate town of Hershey. Chamberlain spent the night before the game in New York, partying all night with a woman. And I think hes right. Wilt Chamberlain had more competition back in his day than there is today. In its heyday in the 1950s and 60s, you could go to Kutshers resort and see Muhammad Ali training for a fight, Mickey Mantle playing golf and a teenage Wilt Chamberlain playing basketball. What do you, the writer of this article, think of Wilt Chamberlain's endurance? Wilt passed away on October 12, 1999, at the age of 63. After a season of enthusiastically throwing himself into the Globetrotters' skits and shooting, Wilt jumped to the Philadelphia Warriors of the NBA. Living in New York during his playing days, Wilt was a regular at Big Small's. He learned when he was 34 years old. If that. One of my favorites was when he scored 78 points against the Lakers in a triple overtime game. Defenders used to hang all over Wilt and nothing was called. According to Chamberlain's sister Barbara, the former NBA star was known to run across the roofs of Los Angeles on the hunt for a swimming pool in which he could soak his hulking frame. When the issue of championships comes up, I am reminded of a quote Wilt once gave in an interview (I used to have it on videotape from a documentary on the history of basketball) where he said, "The Boston Celtics had to figure out how to beat Wilt Chamberlain, but I had to figure out how to beat the Boston Celtics." Eddie Gottlieb was the owner of the Philadelphia Warriors. 11 Memorable Wilt Chamberlain Performances | NBA.com The greatest NBA record book ever is Harvey Pollacks NBA Statistical Yearbook. (Of course Wilt won the MVP of the game.) Schwarzenegger once remarked that "Wilt was the strongest Human being I have ever seen". 76ers Embiid sitting out showdown with Nuggets Jokic. Lets start the night before the game. WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor. There are game tapes of him going up for a block and his fingers are parallel to the top of the backboard. Wilt Chamberlain had held 72 NBA records, according to NBA.com. But there are only a few where people actually remember the number involved. This week we dive into what a pro athletes eat. Wilt Chamberlain - Basketball-Reference.com When Wilt died, two numbers became the shorthand summary of Wilts life: 20,000 and 100. In which he out jumped all of Kansas current high jumpers. Because it was not a certain future for the NBA. Wilt Chamberlain is not the greatest basketball player ever, (he's my third best) but he is a better athlete than any man, woman, or demigod who has ever done what he did. After losing in the finals of the NCAA tournament during his junior year at Kansas, Wilt wanted to make the leap to the NBA. While anyone can get hot on any given night, with the continuing rise of the less efficient three-pointer (even among big men) its becoming less and less likely that someone gets 1818 hot. Wilt Chamberlain - Wikipedia Little did we know that this game would be a precursor to his 100-point game only a few months later. How about a triple double double! Wilt is the greatest basketball player of all time. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and their up and down relationship and where it went sour. Chamberlain even thought about a return to competition. 7. Wilt took the cart and lifted it on to the lobby floor. Wilt Chamberlain was born on August 21, 1936. "So Wilt said, 'There will be no more layups in this gym,' and he blocked every shot after that. Wilt didn't sleep the night before he scored 100. Auerbach wanted Chamberlain to go to a New England university, so he could draft him as a territorial pick for the Celtics, but Chamberlain didn't agree. Wilt was at a party with legendary NFL running back Jim Brown when they got into an argument about who is faster. Starting in the 1970s, he formed Wilt's Athletic Club. For crying out loud Ben Wallace floored a Miami shaq with a clean block, imagine 7'1", 7'8" wingspan, 300 pound l wilt who could bench 500 (550 after he retired) jump between 43 and 49 inches in the air, supposedly run the 40 in 4.5 seconds against shaq, it would be a block party. Wilt Chamberlain, who played with the 76ers, was one. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. There are some recordings of the fourth quarter. Imagine a player doing that for an entire season. In the end he was able to win the Big 8 track and field championships three straight years. There wasn't anything he couldn't do in sports. In a 76ers game against the Warriors, he didn't shoot the ball the ENTIRE game. Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. Wilt even competed in track and field in college in both jumping, field, and running, track. He averaged 50.4 points per game in the 1962 season. In the end he was able to win the Big 8 track and field championships three straight years. Cookie Notice Harveys Take: Often overlooked in the enormity of Wilts scoring records was his ability as a passer. For comparison with OTHER NBA players who have run these same kinds of races (that unfortunately are no longer the standard distances for Track and Field) here's a collection of their times (many came from 1970's and early 1980's tv series called "superstars" which challenged pro athletes at various events) for some context: 5.8 Shaquille O'Neal (note - in his 30's, @ 340lbs), 100 Yard Dash (slightly shorter than a 100m), 10.00 Elvin Hayes claimed he used to run it at this speed in High School, 220 yard dash (slightly longer than 200m), 300 meter dash (From a Milwaukee Bucks 1970 training camp), 440 yard dash (slightly longer than 400m), note - all three of these guys were competitive Track and Field athletes, 880 yard/half mile race (slightly longer than 800m). He believed that playing w the Globetrotters had a positive impact on his abilities on and off the court. In his mid-forties, he was able to humble rookie Magic Johnson in practice. YouTube Gold: Wilt Chamberlain Dominating And Leading The Fast Break Wilt Chamberlain fastbreak sprint : r/nba - Reddit Instead of facing triple teams his senior season in college, Wilt signed a one year contract with the Harlem Globetrotters. But later in life, he realized that when he walked down the street, people would point at him and say, There goes the guy that scored 100 points.. To put that into perspective, if you go to an NBA game right now, youre not going to see twelve foot rims, youre going to see ten foot rims. Before he was in the NBA, Wilt played for the Harlem Globetrotters. The following year the IVA All-Star game was televised only because Chamberlain played in it. Pixabay 4. Even as James Harden went on his historic run in 201819 with a streak of 32 consecutive 30-point games, he finished the season 1,211 points short of Wilts 196162 campaign (the year he set the record with 65 straight 30-point games). Not even Wilt himself came within 6 PPG of his record 50.4 PPG in 196162 and the leagues most elite scorers of the past half century have come no closer than Michael Jordans 37.1 PPG in 198687. He stopped me dead in my tracks with his arm, hugged me and lifted me off the floor with my feet dangling. His six rings are a testament to his prowess, and this article explains all the reasons he's the best of all time. '5 Things You Didn't Know About' appears every Friday. And that did not include the kids who snuck into the arena in the usual ways. To add some context to Wilt's low scoring numbers in the playoffs, John Stockton has a career average of 20.4 PPG per-100 in the playoffs. Wilt Chamberlain - Age, Bio, Personal Life, Family and Stats - CelebsAges Oscar Robertson, the great NBA star, would later say that Wilt saves the league. After he retired from basketball, he played professional volleyball. He arrived several hours before the game and played an arcade shooting game in the area before tip off. Rulemakers also banned the practice of lobbing the ball in from the baseline directly over the backboard so a player like Chamberlain couldn't catch it near the basket in position for an easy score. A 50-point game is rightly celebrated today. 2. He goes on to explain how he would lift up Arnold and Andre the Giant with one hand. That year he became a board member of the International Volleyball Association, a fledgling pro coed volleyball league that only lasted until 1979, and brought his intimidating 7'1" frame to the Seattle Smashers' front line. This was how the NBA tried to develop its base. On Point is produced by WBUR for NPR. Sixers owner Josh Harris, rival group submit formal bids for Commanders, AP sources say. That's hilarious. During a game against Boston, Wilt committed a hard foul on K.C. And then there's Wilt Chamberlain. Privacy Policy. At Kutshers Wilt used his unique height as a bellhop to hand the suitcase and luggage from guests directly to the second story of the hotel, making it easier for other Bell boys to transfer for more click here. When asked about the incident, one of the men said that the cart weighed about 600 lbs. Meschery got it again, faked again, and got it blocked again. Well, in a seven-game series versus Russell, Wilt averaged nearly 29 rebounds per game against him and in the final Game 7, grabbed his 200th of the series., The Sixers lost Game 7 on Sam Jones shot, 110-109.. Wilt actually averaged 48.5 minutes per game that season. The 86-year-old basketball player was born in Philadelphia, PA. The great Boston Red Sox hitter Ted Williams used to say: When I walk down the street, I want people to point at me and say, `There goes the greatest hitter that ever lived., Wilt did not embrace the 100-point game for decades because he thought it fostered the notion that he was an individualist only interested in his own statistics. How good was Wilt Chamberlain really? Harveys Take: Everyone makes a big fuss out of a triple double. All content 2000-2023 RealGM, L.L.C. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979. Wilt Chamberlain had held 72 NBA records, according to NBA.com. This article will go over who is the greatest running back of all time. Jimmy Butler and Tom Thibodeau remain linked. Phillies fans who booked trips to Clearwater for Spring Training frustrated by MLB lockout. He was 7'1", 275 pounds. Harveys Take: To give you some perspective, Wilt scored 50 or more points 118 times in his illustrious career. He was a mammoth of a man, and as strong as a bull. When was . Wilt skipped his Senior season at Kansas choosing instead to play with the famed Harlem Globetrotters. (Golden State, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, respectively). They were on a trip to Russia and they were assigned a tight locker room. "This is a very old team," he says, "and we are simply not much of a fast-breaking team . No player has had more than 26 rebounds since 1977, so Wilts playoff single-game record of 41 seems pretty safe as well. The other, more experienced player was named Phil Jordon. Twenty one assists in a game is simply unheard of for a center. Here's what really sets Wilt apart. Claiming that he had never been beat in shot put and only been beaten in high jump by Olympic Gold Medalist Charles Dumas. 4. He has almost four times as many 50-point games as the next-closest player (Michael Jordan), more than five times as many 60-point games as the next-closest (Kobe Bryant) and more 70-point games than every other player in NBA history combined. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. They wanted to see the guy who scored 100 points. In addition to all these legendary tales, Wilt toured with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1959. Who is the greatest NBA player ever? NBA rules didn't allow players who hadn't finished college, though, so Wilt signed up with the Globetrottters. Wilt also claimed to have been able to snatch change off of the top of the backboard. Bill Russell may be considered the NBAs most influential player and Michael Jordan perhaps the greatest but what is undisputable: No one rewrote the record books like Wilt Chamberlain. How much did Wilt Chamberlain weigh when playing? Jim was mad and raced Wilt again. For more information, please see our Basketball for me would never be the same. Chamberlain averaged 22.9 for his career. Theres no footage of the game, so its taken on a mythological quality to it something that doesnt seem real. Mark Tulin (author) from Long Beach, California on May 21, 2020: Wonderful information, Jake. Who Was Wilt Chamberlain? Insane speed of Wilt Chamberlain - RealGM Wilt Chamberlain's age is 86. So what happened on this particular on the court that allowed him to reach this unsurpassed peak? Their will never be another athlete that could come close to Wilt Chamberlain athletic abilities. But safest of all rebounding records may be his 2,149 in the 196061 season. The crowds were so small the joke went back then that P.A. After his basketball career ended, Chamberlain played volleyball in the short-lived International Volleyball Association, was president of this organization, and is enshrined in the IVA Hall of Fame for his contributions. He played basketball and ran track and field at the University of Kansas, played professional basketball with the Philadelphia Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Lakers. But the game was played in Hershey because the league was trying to grow new fans. For whatever reason the players started playfully shoving each other and two of them set for Wilt. Wilt wasn't just a basketball player. Who were the best NBA players to play for the Los Angeles Lakers? In the big 8 conference Chamberlain dominated, he ran the 100 yard dash in 10.9seconds, shot-putted 56feet and triple jumped more than 50feet. Harvey Pollack s Most Memorable Wilt Performances. The coach argued that without any practice their was no way he could be competitive. I watched Wilt pass the ball to Hal Greer, Luke Jackson, and Billy Cunningham. Perhaps most impressive was Wilts proficiency from the free throw line that game. Wilt was getting on an elevator while two delivery men were having trouble lifting a cart. Wilt Chamberlain is the greatest ATHLETE of all time, and it - Medium For a player to score 100 points in an NBA game, he must not only want to do it, he must on, on a deeper level, need to do it. It's still the signature record in basketball history. The two quickly became friends. But he only scored 100 points once. Chamberlains single-season scoring record is so out of reach that only one player Michael Jordan in 198687 has even come within 1,000 points of it. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. So this [crowd estimate] was 4,124. 1. No one had as much impact in professional sports as Wilt. He was at an All-Star Game in El Paso for Volleyball and a player on the East team (Wilt was in the West) was misquoted about Wilts imperfections on the court. Wilt played bigger than life. [OC] An Analysis of Wilt Chamberlain's Scoring Output in the - Reddit Why Wilt Chamberlain Was the Greatest Athlete of All Time Is Michael Jordan still number one? Walter and Wilt went to half court to shake hands. I loved the way Chamberlain took charge of the game with one giant swat of the ball or one little fade away while balancing on one leg. That's completely insane. His high jump was 6'6" when the world record was 7'1". Its the statistical Everest. As a teenager, Chamberlain was sought after by more than 100 colleges and universities after his play at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. WHYY host Avi Wolfman-Arent revisited that historic night with sportswriter Gary Pomerantz, the author of Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era.. He wore number 13. Wilt Chamberlain Interview: Who is the GOAT? - YouTube Its a cold Friday night in early March. Wilt did what he wanted, when he wanted.