He participated in high jump, long jump, and even broad jump, but excelled in the 100 yard-dash, and the 400 metre. Wilt wasn't just a basketball player. It was in 1971, though, that it looked like this throwdown was really going to finally happen. What do you, the writer of this article, think of Wilt Chamberlain's endurance? This game was not televised. In the 1980 season Cleveland offered Chamberlain a contract and at age 50 New Jersey offered him a contract, but he again declined. In his mid-forties, he was able to humble rookie Magic Johnson in practice. Wilt skipped his Senior season at Kansas choosing instead to play with the famed Harlem Globetrotters. Here's what really sets Wilt apart. Chamberlain's late age dominance is well documented. And then there's Wilt Chamberlain. Lets set the scene a little. Schwarzenegger once remarked that "Wilt was the strongest Human being I have ever seen". FILE - Wilt Chamberlain, of the Philadelphia Warriors, holds a sign reading "100" in the dressing room in Hershey, Pa., March 2, 1962, after he scored 100 points, as the Warriors defeated the New York Knicks. Its the holy grail of NBA records, a hallowed mark looked upon in reverence. I was glued in front of my old black and white TV trying to fix the rabbit ears so I could see the Sixers play the Boston Celtics on the old parquet floors of the Boston Garden. And that did not include the kids who snuck into the arena in the usual ways. He then asked who was next and the guy said You are, Wilt. Post #1 by 70sFan Thu Jul 1, 2021 10:50 pm . " He would jump off the roof on top of the garage, or jump from one barn across to another. Most people have short histories. He was with the Lakers when he asked Volleyball legend Gene Selznick how to play volleyball because he heard Gene was the best. He did things that are still incomprehensible and nearly superhuman.. What Chamberlain craved, though, was speed. mczellers1@gmail.com on February 18, 2019: I look at how the refs favor the current superstars in the NBA, I have to think it was not so for Wilt, some or maybe many called a very tight game and may have favored lesser players from time to time! On March 2, 1962 exactly 60 years ago the legendary Philadelphia Warriors center scored 100 points in a single game. Phil Jordon didnt play that night because hed gone on a late-night bender the night before and was vomiting in the hotel room in Harrisburg. During his career he played Hall of Fame Centers Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Willis Reed, Nate Thurmond, Artis Gilmore, Bob Lainer, Walt Bellamy, Wes Unseld and Dave Cowens. Wilt Chamberlain - Stats, Death & Career - Biography Sure, the big man got most of his buckets a few feet away from the basket so the shots werent exactly the most difficult, but there have been countless dominant big men since Kareem, Hakeem, Shaq and none of them even came close to this level of efficiency in a single game. Wilt was a dominant player, and that season he was particularly dominant as a scorer. Wilt was getting on an elevator while two delivery men were having trouble lifting a cart. The ushers stepped aside, and they were overrun by the kids who ran out to the court to congratulate Wilt. 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. Harveys Take: Wilts 100-point game was part of his transcendent season in 1961-62 where he averaged 50.4 points and played all but eight possible minutes for the Philadelphia Warriors (3,882 of a possible 3,890). Keep in mind this is a guy who once averaged 50 PPG over a whole season. In the last few years weve seen both Klay Thompson and James Harden sit out the fourth quarter in blowout games where they were already up to 60 points, so even if a player is red hot he may not even get a shot at the record unless the game is still competitive. Wilt Chamberlain Career Stats | StatMuse Both are in the hall of fame for each sport and both are considered, or at least in the argument as the greatest ever in their two sports. The younger ones werent playing at HoF level yet, but when your opponents are that stacked and you can keep a series within a couple points year after year, without anywhere near that kind of help, that is impressive. As told by K.C., During a game near the end of Wilts career against Boston, Paul Silas and Happy Hairston were about to get into a fight. In his 14-year NBA career, Wilt Chamberlain routinely put up video-game-like numbers. The spot in Harlem was frequented by the elite during the 60s and 70s. The Stilt burst onto the NBA scene in 195960 and not only set the rookie single-game record with 58 points, but matched it less than a month later. Wilt and Arnold stared on the movie Conan the Destroyer together. For whatever reason the players started playfully shoving each other and two of them set for Wilt. Privacy Policy. The next highest field goal attempt number on the Warriors was Paul Arizin, who had 18. Chamberlain loved cars, and he was known for cruising around in his Cadillac convertible or a custom-made lavender Bentley he'd imported from England. Im Walter Bellamy. Wilt responded with Hello Mr. Bellamy. After losing in the finals of the NCAA tournament during his junior year at Kansas, Wilt wanted to make the leap to the NBA. A player never leaving the court for an entire season is insanity. The 2010-11 edition was just released. Its a wonderful sports moment, and theres something about radio that TV cant touch. Wilt is the greatest basketball player of all time. 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. In the end he was able to win the Big 8 track and field championships three straight years. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. After Lunch he boarded the team bus to Hershey. As if in a scene from. Magic called a non-foul and Wilt declared that there would be no more shots from Magic. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. He and Chamberlain comprised an intimidating front court. The club was finally closed in 1986. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? Lets start the night before the game. Well, it was a difficult moment to be an usher. One myth surrounding Chamberlain was that he played against no height, that is far from the truth. He had a Goliath syndrome. Wilts coach at Kansas, Dr. Phog Allen, was advocating for twelve foot rims while Wilt was in college. But people are also aware of what just happened. 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. After his 11-year career ended, Hairston. And the game, you know, has been launched into sports mythology. He was selected to play in 13 All-Star games. Putting him through countless basketball drills and explaining the ins and outs of life. Wilt dominated basketball in his 40's and 50's against the NBA's best in famed UCLA open runs. As an avid track and field athlete, Chamberlain high jumped 6 feet, 6 inches, ran the 440 yards in 49.0 seconds and the 880 yards in 1:58.3, put the shot 53 feet, 4 inches, and long jumped 22 feet. Chamberlain was notorious for always seeking out a new challenge, but he missed out on one that became one of the great "what if? Back then their was far more talent inside. Red Auerbach the coach of the Boston Celtics spotted the talented teenager at Kutsher's and had him play 1-on-1 against Kansas University star and MVP of the 1953 NCAA Finals, BH Born. Michael Jordan cemented as the modern day GOAT, David Robinson's impact on the 1990's. Bill Russell defends as Wilt Chamberlain goes up for a shot Wilt Chamberlain seems like a dream from another world, another era. Mark Tulin (author) from Long Beach, California on May 21, 2020: Wonderful information, Jake. He beat the immortal NFL player, Jim Brown, in a race, when he played with the Harlem Globetrotters. Stars like Bumpy Johnson, Sammy Davis Jr., Malcom X, Frank Lucas, Nicky Barnes, Willie Mays, Sonny Liston Langston Hughes, Muhammad Ali were all known to hang around Smalls Paradise. Twenty one assists in a game is simply unheard of for a center. NBA rules didn't allow players who hadn't finished college, though, so Wilt signed up with the Globetrottters. During an interview for a book called Tall Tales by writer Terry Pluto, former college and NBA player Johnny Kerr admitted that Chamberlain broke his toe with a dunk one time when he was playing against him. Who is the greatest NBA player ever? Wilt Chamberlain in 1972 with the Los Angeles Lakers. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. No, wilt bulked up muscle , not fat. 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. Well, as Wilt would tell it, the night before the game as with most nights he was with a woman. All while sleeping with all of your grandmas. The Lakers were playing games in Seattle and in San Francisco. In the big 8 conference Chamberlain dominated, he ran the 100 yard dash in 10.9 seconds, shot-putted 56 feet and triple jumped more than 50 feet. This week we dive into what a pro athletes eat. If that. I was lucky to see both play and didn't realize how amazing they were until I looked back. In his mid-forties, he was able to humble rookie Magic Johnson in practice. And the ego was essential. Ive had never seen Russell more distraught than that game when Wilt grabbed 55 rebounds. The book contains 330 pages of historical and current NBA statistics and is a must for any diehard NBA fan. In high school, Wilt Chamberlain was a track and field star. I watched Wilt pass the ball to Hal Greer, Luke Jackson, and Billy Cunningham. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. While it depends on the type of athlete, most have pretty unique diets compared to the average joe. It also helped launch the legend of Wilt a superstar who would help establish the NBA at a time when its future seemed wobbly. Its one of the great athletic achievements in sports. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Wallace_Wallace Assistant Coach Posts: 3,971 And1: 4,900 Joined: Jul 28 . His high jump was 6'6" when the world record was 7'1". Chamberlain immediately became the team's top draw; who wouldn't want to watch a seven-footer play shooting guard? When he retired following the 1972-73 season, it was 128 times. Who Was Wilt Chamberlain? Why Wilt Chamberlain Was the Greatest Athlete of All Time Wilt Chamberlain's accomplishments are widely known, from his 100 points in a game, 25,000 woman or never fouling out of a basketball game. The man who once scored 100 points in a single game and claimed to. [6] He was the star player for the Overbrook Panthers basketball team, wearing jersey number 5. (Of course Wilt won the MVP of the game.) Still Auerbach was a great mentor to Chamberlain at Kutshers during the summer. Wilt Chamberlain was the greatest athlete the world had ever seen and he doesn't let you forget it. Its launched into the imagination. That's completely insane. They met back up at the start of the second half and Wilt told Walter Okay, Walter. But safest of all rebounding records may be his 2,149 in the 196061 season. Not anymore. Wilt Chamberlain was the greatest athlete the world had ever seen and he doesn't let you forget it. 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. He would talk about how fierce Bill Russell was, the will to win, how much he wanted to win, how much will, how much drive, and how much. 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. Financially, Chamberlain probably made out like a bandit by skipping the NBA to head to Harlem. wilt ran a 49 in high school. All rights reserved. Is Wilt Chamberlain in the Hall of Fame? Between yards, touchdowns, interceptions, supporting casts, and championships, it's hard to decide who is the greatest of all time. Phillies fans who booked trips to Clearwater for Spring Training frustrated by MLB lockout. 3. Wilt Chamberlain had more competition back in his day than there is today. Instead of facing triple teams his senior season in college, Wilt signed a one year contract with the Harlem Globetrotters. So Im going to attempt to keep them brief. Collection of Wilt Chamberlain speed stories, Track and 40 - Reddit So what happened on this particular on the court that allowed him to reach this unsurpassed peak? But the Lakers have lost their fast break because Chamberlain does not look for an outlet pass. In which he out jumped all of Kansas current high jumpers. Mark Tulin (author) from Long Beach, California on February 18, 2019: Absolutely. Walter said Hello Mr. Chamberlain. Chamberlain triple jumped more than 50 feet and successfully won the Big 8 Conference high jumping competition three years in a row. Most seasons leading the league in minutes: 8, Highest scoring average in a season: 50.4, Most seasons leading the league in field goal percentage: 9, Highest average in rebounds over a career: 22.9, Most free throws made in a game: 28 (and he was an awful free throw shooter). Wilt Chamberlain - Wikipedia He averaged 8.8 blocks in those 122 games. He was a legend when he played and still a legend today. Jimmy Butler Makes NBA History In Heat-Bucks Game 5 On Wednesday Wilt Chamberlain - Track and Field at the University of Kansas in I saw those cool underhanded free throws and his no-look passes to the cutting teammates. At the time, the average NBA player made less than $10,000 a season, while Wilt's deal guaranteed him $65,000 each year. Wilt Chamberlain weighed 275 lbs (124 kg) when playing. YouTube Gold: Wilt Chamberlain Dominating And Leading The Fast Break Who were the best NBA players to play for the Los Angeles Lakers? Legend has it that Wilt went up to the University of Kansas track coach and asked if he could compete. 11. Both also changed the game by their very presence. '5 Things You Didn't Know About' appears every Friday. But he only scored 100 points once. Chamberlain slapped the ball down. When Wilt died, two numbers became the shorthand summary of Wilts life: 20,000 and 100. 4 Crazy stories that you did not know about Wilt Chamberlain The Speed of Wilt Chamberlain - YouTube As a Kansas Track and Field athlete, Wilt won the Big 8 (which is now the Big XII) championships three years running by high jumping upwards of 50 inches on the high jump. He became board member of the newly founded International Volleyball Association in 1974 and became its president one year later. 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. And in that season he dropped 100 points against the New York Knicks. Probably fastest 7 footer ever, possibly just plain one of the fastest NBA players ever regardless of his height as testimony indicates faster than any players from his era: Archived post. No one had as much impact in professional sports as Wilt. The man who once scored 100 points in a single game and claimed to have bedded 20,000 women was a fairly enigmatic figure, though, as his huge athletic gifts made him something of a loner throughout his career. Harveys Take: Wilt and Russell played against each other 142 times throughout their careers. He also played polo, tennis, paddle ball, and water skied. Note, all of the below times were taken when Wilt was between the ages of 16 and 18: 10.0 100 yard (note: shorter race than the 100 meter), 20.9 220 yard (note: slightly longer than 200 meter - all race lengths below are also longer than their meter counterparts so be careful with comparisons to modern meter races). He was a scrappy, hard-nosed rebounder who averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds for the season. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The Boston Celtics played in Providence. This is a half-filled arena. A basketball game, as you know, is 48 minutes. Fans wanted to see Wilt. Embiid's post-All-Star Game surge has led sportsbooks to make him a slight favorite over Jokic in the MVP race. Forty five of those came in the 1961-62 season when he averaged 50.4 points., Harveys Take: Even though the game was in Pittsburgh, it was considered a Sixers home game and Wilt treated the fans to an unforgettable performance., Wilt also had games of 15 and 16 field goals without a miss.. The second highest total is Michael Jordan with 31. Only Kobe Bryants 81-point performance has even come close and it doesnt seem physically possible that a player could fit in 19 more points than he did in that game. So they did what any two athletes would do and they went outside, took their shoes off and raced. Most significantly, perhaps, the New York Knicks had two centers both 610. In what seems like a logical impossibility, Wilt Chamberlain averaged more minutes per game in a season than there are minutes in a regulation NBA game. A record that still stands to this day. To me, Wilt Chamberlain was the Greatest Athlete of all times. While Chamberlain was indeed renowned as an incredible pick-up artist and ladies' man, for him to hit such a lofty number he would have needed to bed 1.2 women a day every single day from the age of 15 until he wrote the book. Dave DeBusschere, Terry Dischinger, Joe Strawder all tried to stop Wilt that game and it was pointless. The Speed of Wilt Chamberlain - YouTube 0:00 / 1:23 The Speed of Wilt Chamberlain jaranarm 3.5K subscribers 3.2K 411K views 9 years ago Weighing anywhere from 250 to 310 pounds the 7'1". Hall of fame coach Larry Brown retells the rest, Good Old Boys - Jason Williams & Randy Moss, 10 Greatest High School Basketball Teams of All Time, Best Playground Basketball Courts in America. Claiming that he had never been beat in shot put and only been beaten in high jump by Olympic Gold Medalist Charles Dumas. Not only because of their overlapping histories, but because of their shared approaches. I often tell people that Wilt is the GOAT. and our Wednesday marks the 60th anniversary of the greatest scoring effort in NBA history 36 field goals, 28 free throws, 100 points for Chamberlain, in the Warriors 169-147 win in a game played before about 4,000 people in Hershey. 9. Philadelphia 76ers owner Ike Richman eventually talked Chamberlain out of the match, but the idea just wouldn't die. Before you look away and start commenting, let me explain. Hannum was convinced it would have been the 180lb guard Al Attles but it turned out to be the (at the time 300lbs) Wilt Chamberlain, 4.6 40 (hand-timed by KC Chiefs coach Hank Stram, Wilt ran it barefooted, 290lbs at the time). Wilt Chamberlain's 10 Most Unbreakable Records - Medium I loved Wilt. 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. After he retired from basketball, he played professional volleyball. We already had the top 10 amazing facts on Chamberlain on the channel, and in this video, we'll try to further debunk the myth that is Wilt the Stilt. Wilt kept that promise and blocked all of Magics shots. Wilt Chamberlain somehow went his entire 1,045 game career without getting six personal fouls in a single game. As a Kansas track and field athlete, Wilt ran a sub-eleven second 100m, a forty-nine second 400m in baggy sweats, and a 1:58.3 second 800m. No other player had more rules changed specifically to thwart that player, such as widening the lane and not allowing dunks during a free throw (as Wilt was known to do). Now, let's look at how efficient Wilt Chamberlain was in the playoffs. In Wilts rookie season, he not only led the league in scoring (37.6) and rebounds (27) but also in minutes per game (46.4), Harveys Take: I was at every one of those games and no matter what defenses they threw at Wilt, he either willed his way to the basket or dominated from mid range. What Wilt did was shatter that quota the whole notion that this league would be a white mans enclave. This article will go over who is the greatest running back of all time. Well, a few things happened off the court that allowed him to reach this unsurpassed peak of 100 points. 17 year old Wilt Chamberlain CATCHES a shot and runs the fast break Wilt Chamberlain Archive 69.6K subscribers Subscribe 45K 4.4M views 8 years ago This is a rebound, a blocked shot, and 3. That's hilarious. Maurice Cheeks eventually tied it., Wilt was the only player to play all 48 minutes in that game.. In 1955, Wilt scored 100 points in a game at Hershey, Pennsylvania. Imhoff committed six fouls and therefore fouled out of the game after playing just 20 minutes. Wilt won again. 41 WitBeer forget the video. In addition to all these legendary tales, Wilt toured with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1959. Well, its possible when you literally never leave the floor and a few of the games go into overtime. 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. announcers would introduce the starting lineups before the game, and then they would introduce each fan in the crowd because there were so few of them. Even though the era in which he played and the level of his competition will always be used to contextualize his feats, his jaw-dropping stats are still an official part of NBA lore and are likely never to be seen again. His six rings are a testament to his prowess, and this article explains all the reasons he's the best of all time. Wilt dominated the paint, taking everything in sight. On March 2, 1962 exactly 60 years ago the legendary Philadelphia Warriors center scored 100 points in a single game. Amid so many sports records, why does this milestone still resonate? Moderators: ken6199, infinite11285, zimpy27, bwgood77, bisme37, KingDavid, Domejandro, cupcakesnake, Harry Garris, Dirk, Post#1 by 70sFan Thu Jul 1, 2021 10:50 pm, Post#2 by Wallace_Wallace Thu Jul 1, 2021 10:55 pm, Post#3 by druggas Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:02 pm, Post#4 by Mob Byers Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:12 pm, Post#5 by TheGOATRises007 Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:14 pm, Post#6 by LakerLegend Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:14 pm, Post#7 by shotsquatch Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:20 pm, Post#8 by LakerLegend Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:23 pm, Post#9 by shotsquatch Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:25 pm, Post#10 by kulaz3000 Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:28 pm, Post#11 by Mob Byers Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:29 pm, Post#12 by rapstarter Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:29 pm, Post#13 by Currygoat Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:36 pm, Post#14 by Salieri Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:44 pm, Post#15 by Ice Trae Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:47 pm, Post#16 by Buckeye-NBAFan Thu Jul 1, 2021 11:47 pm, Post#17 by D.Brasco Fri Jul 2, 2021 12:27 am, Post#18 by Knicks365247 Fri Jul 2, 2021 12:46 am, Post#19 by Yallbecrazy Fri Jul 2, 2021 12:53 am, Post#20 by alebaba Fri Jul 2, 2021 2:01 am. Wilt also claimed to have been able to snatch change off of the top of the backboard. Although the 20,000 feat would have been logistically difficult, Chamberlain allegedly told his on-and-off girlfriend Lynda Huey, "What's a zero between friends? The most dominant player the NBA has ever seen died 11 years ago today. Wilt was playing pickup games against Magic Johnson and Norm Nixon in his mid-forties. There was never any athlete as good as number 13. No player has had more big scoring games than Wilt and its not even close. He became the first (and . Wilt took the cart and lifted it on to the lobby floor. Do the superstars of today measure up to the past legends? It also helped launch the legend of Wilt a superstar who would help . The two rounded out the most often asked question of Chamberlain, why did #BillRussell win 11 and #WiltChamberlain, only 2?#nba75 -Hi All,We are more than thrilled to announce our companies' brand new website has launched and can be found at https://CLNSmedia.com OR forExclusive NBA/Celtics coverage only, click here- https://www.clnsmedia.com/nba/ Thanks!Nick G (#BoomerRAGE) HTTPS://Twitter.com/clns_nick-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-CLNS is powered by FanDuel. The kids of the chocolate factory workers in Hershey had lined up three- and four-deep around the court waiting for the moment. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. How tall was Wilt Chamberlain? Cookie Notice After a season of enthusiastically throwing himself into the Globetrotters' skits and shooting, Wilt jumped to the Philadelphia Warriors of the NBA. 4. Go behind the headlines: From the economy and healthcare to politics and the environment - and so much more - On Point talks with newsmakers and real people about the issues that matter most. After Retirement Wilt got heavily into Volleyball. Even when a player sustains greatness like Harden did, it only serves to highlight the magnitude of the statistical gap between Wilt and everyone else. Harveys Take: To give you some perspective, Wilt scored 50 or more points 118 times in his illustrious career.
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