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. Putting him through countless basketball drills and explaining the ins and outs of life. All content 2000-2023 RealGM, L.L.C. To order, mail a check for $20.00 to Harvey Pollack, Philadelphia 76ers, 3601 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148. As for endurance, I never saw him come out a game. Imagine a player doing that for an entire season. How good was Wilt Chamberlain really? (Golden State, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, respectively). 2. 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. Our capsules show the matchups along with the Net Rating, Offensive Rating and Defensive Rating for each team. I saw the team win a championship for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967. 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. Chamberlain's famous claim that he slept with 20,000 women first appeared in his 1991 autobiography A View From Above. 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. His shot put was 53 feet when the world record was 63 feet. Wilt and Arnold stared on the movie Conan the Destroyer together. Here are Pollacks most memorable Wilt games hes seen in person. Answer: Absolutely. He won the Rookie of the Year award, 4 MVP awards, 1 Finals MVP award and 2 NBA championships. Is it really true that Wilt could bench 600 pounds in his prime? It might be the closest thing the NBA has to a single-game record that will never be broken. Well, as Wilt would tell it, the night before the game as with most nights he was with a woman. Is Wilt Chamberlain in the Hall of Fame? Only one player has even reached 1,500 rebounds in a season since Wilt retired Dennis Rodman, who had 1,530 in 199192. I idolized him growing up as a kid in Philadelphia, his hometown. Mark Tulin (author) from Long Beach, California on January 29, 2019: Very true, Mouser. He became board member of the newly founded International Volleyball Association in 1974 and became its president one year later. I loved the way he intimidated other players, changed the direction of their shots, and changed the course of the NBA game as we know it today. He did things that are still incomprehensible and nearly superhuman.. He participated in high jump, long jump, and even broad jump, but excelled in the 100 yard-dash, and the 400 metre. Wilt disagreed, he then proceeded to perform the high jump. And the game, you know, has been launched into sports mythology. Now they will do battle in an unexpected series. Its still the signature record in basketball history. Phillies fans who booked trips to Clearwater for Spring Training frustrated by MLB lockout. Copyright 2023 Legends Clothing Co. | Website builder by Shopify, Comments have to be approved before showing up, On a early summer day in the 1980s Chamberlain decided to play some pick up basketball at UCLA. 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 player never leaving the court for an entire season is insanity. On Kindle books. For more information, please see our The greatest NBA record book ever is Harvey Pollacks NBA Statistical Yearbook. Its a wonderful sports moment, and theres something about radio that TV cant touch. In the end he was able to win the Big 8 track and field championships three straight years. When someone asked Wilt to explain why he did so well from the line, he responded: I cant., We knew something big was in store because earlier that day, Wilt lit up the arcade in Hershey, taking on all comers and knocking em down whether it was shooting clay pigeons or pinball., Im glad I wrote 100 on a piece of paper for Wilt to hold up after the game for The Associated Press photographer because otherwise, Im not so sure people to this day would believe he actually scored 100.. 1. After losing in the finals of the NCAA tournament during his junior year at Kansas, Wilt wanted to make the leap to the NBA. " He would jump off the roof on top of the garage, or jump from one barn across to another. Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player to ever live. Harveys Take: Often overlooked in the enormity of Wilts scoring records was his ability as a passer. The primary knock against Ayton is that he wants more. 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. The cart was so heavy that the elevator sunk a few inches under the floor. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Harveys Take: Look up in the NBA Guide and youll find Wilt has four of the top highest single-game performances. Wallace_Wallace Assistant Coach Posts: 3,971 And1: 4,900 Joined: Jul 28 . 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. 10.9 seconds It shows that he was athletic, he was versatile. He achieved an average of 30.1. When was . Wilt Chamberlain was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1979 . Is Michael Jordan still number one? This was how the NBA tried to develop its base. The Boston Celtics played in Providence. He had six games with 43 or more, topping out at 55. 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. What was Wilt up to? Yes. " scenarios in sports history. Wilt didn't sleep the night before he scored 100. 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. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. Gambling is now legal in Massachusetts! For someone who played as many minutes in as many games as he did, it seems impossible that he never got a little sloppy on defense or encountered a game scenario that required him to hack away, yet here we are. 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. 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. Not to be overlooked but Wilt also scored 34 points.. Actually thats below average by todays standards. Claiming that he had never been beat in shot put and only been beaten in high jump by Olympic Gold Medalist Charles Dumas. Why was this game in Hershey, and what does that tell us about the state of the NBA in 1962? 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). Wilt dominated the paint, taking everything in sight. Tools and Resources Used by Real General Managers. In his 14-year NBA career, Wilt Chamberlain routinely put up video-game-like numbers. Incredible how fast he got down the court, takes like 12 steps to go the full length of the court. He was the only player the rules of the game were changed for. 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. His number is retired by Kansas, and in the NBA, his number is retired by the teams he played for. He was a legend when he played and still a legend today. He was a scrappy, hard-nosed rebounder who averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds for the season. 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. 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. 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. He beat the immortal NFL player, Jim Brown, in a race, when he played with the Harlem Globetrotters. Wilt Chamberlain - one of the most extravagant, dominant, iconic (and victorious) sportsmen. Wilt took the cart and lifted it on to the lobby floor. The coach argued that without any practice their was no way he could be competitive. Known for shooting a fake horse with a fake gun. Meschery got it again, faked again, and got it blocked again. Here are 10 Wilt Chamberlain records that will probably never be broken all found via StatMuse. Back then their was far more talent inside. 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. A group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales and another group led by Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos have submitted fully financed bids. When he retired following the 1972-73 season, it was 128 times. Its easy to imagine a future legend take the league by storm and erupt for a huge game in his first season, but the fact that so few freshmen have even come close to Wilts mark makes it seem very unlikely. Im trying to square those two things and picture what it would have felt like. But based on the athletes I've seen play, it's Michael Jordan. 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. Chamberlain slapped the ball down. Amid so many sports records, why does this milestone still resonate? Wilt signed a contract to fight Ali at the Houston Astrodome on July 26, 1971, potentially for the heavyweight title if Ali could beat champion Joe Frazier that March. One myth surrounding Chamberlain was that he played against no height, that is far from the truth. He also played Volleyball after his NBA career, and became a star. In our culture, the number 100 is a century. He had no fear. 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. Jones. Walter said Hello Mr. Chamberlain. In his mid-forties, he was able to humble rookie Magic Johnson in practice. 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. And I think hes right. And the ego was essential. As a teenager, Chamberlain was sought after by more than 100 colleges and universities after his play at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. Legendary NBA center who was a 13-time All-Star, 4-time MVP, and 2-time NBA Champion; scored 100 points in a single game on March 2, 1962 while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors. To celebrate, CLNS and FanDuel are giving players $200 when they bet $5. The mere mention of the Big Dipper's name evokes images of hoops dominance and romantic impossibilities. Who are the 10 best basketball players of all time? 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. 5. In those head-to-head matchups, Wilt averaged 28.7 points and 28.7 rebounds while Russell posted averages of 14.5 and 23.7. Hall of fame coach Larry Brown retells the rest "Magic Johnson used to run the games and he called a couple of chintzy fouls and a goal tending on Wilt," Brown said. 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. 1 | One of the fastest men on the planet. If theres a possible rebounding record, Wilt probably has it (with Bill Russell a close second). Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. The most dominant player the NBA has ever seen died 11 years ago today. 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). 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. There are a lot of greats to choose from, all of whom are Hall of Famers. Wilt Chamberlain started his own Track Club in the 1970s. He was selected to play in 13 All-Star games. Or call 215-389-9761. 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. Pixabay 4. Living in New York during his playing days, Wilt was a regular at Big Small's. Though its highly, highly unlikely any of Wilts incredible scoring or rebounding records will ever be matched, this record will be impossible to break. After a season of enthusiastically throwing himself into the Globetrotters' skits and shooting, Wilt jumped to the Philadelphia Warriors of the NBA. 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. There are multiple stories of Wilts strength. The yellow ride, called Searcher One, was built for Chamberlain in 1996 at a reported cost of $750,000. During a game against Boston, Wilt committed a hard foul on K.C. Wilt was playing against a good player named Walter Bellamy. This article will compare and contrast these things in order to try to determine who is the best QB of all time. Its launched into the imagination. Wilt used to work at a hotel as a bellhop and sometimes people would pull up with flat tires but had no jack. Schwarzenegger once remarked that "Wilt was the strongest Human being I have ever seen". Keep in mind this is a guy who once averaged 50 PPG over a whole season. Since then, only six rookies have cracked 50 in a game with Brandon Jennings being the last back in 2009. [6] He was the star player for the Overbrook Panthers basketball team, wearing jersey number 5. This was Chamberlain, though, and his solution to this conundrum was characteristically over-the-top: he designed and built a fully custom Le Mans-style racecar. Wilt went out and put on an Olympic-worthy performance. So Chamberlain spent the season touring the world with the likes of Medowlark Lemon and other Globetrotters Legends. His high jump was 6'6" when the world record was 7'1". Most people would just resign themselves to driving some big boxy ride with plenty of legroom in this situation. 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. No, wilt bulked up muscle , not fat. The second highest total is Michael Jordan with 31. All rights reserved. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. One of my favorites was when he scored 78 points against the Lakers in a triple overtime game. That game proved one thing to the NBA brain trust, that they can't let one man dominate a game inside the way Wilt Chamberlain had been doing. " to imply that the number was actually more like 2,000. Wilt in volleyball and nba, Jim in lacrosse and nfl. This is a half-filled arena. 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.. Harveys Take: Wilt and Russell played against each other 142 times throughout their careers. Known as "Wilt the Stilt" for his 7'1" frame, Wilt Chamberlain was a Harlem Globetrotter before joining the Philadelphia Warriors. Alex Hannum, the great Sixers coach told Wilt that the team didnt need him to dominate with his scoring but to get his teammates more involved. And if I am not mistaken, I believe he finished his career with a 20 point/22 rebound game or something like that. Quarterback is the most important position in football. Wilt was at a party with legendary NFL running back Jim Brown when they got into an argument about who is faster. Though Wilt Chamberlain mainly added value to his teams as a scorer, it looks like he wasn't much of a playoff scorer at all. (Of course Wilt won the MVP of the game.) But he only scored 100 points once. Bill Russell defends as Wilt Chamberlain goes up for a shot Wilt Chamberlain seems like a dream from another world, another era. Scoring a hundred meant infinitely more than scoring, say, 97 or 103. 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. What we have is the fourth-quarter play-by-play call of WCAU sportscaster Bill Campbell. The other, more experienced player was named Phil Jordon. He averaged 8.8 blocks in those 122 games. 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. So that meant the Philadelphia Warriors played three games in Hershey that season because Hershey had a big arena, seating nearly 8,000 fans. Wilt also claimed to have been able to snatch change off of the top of the backboard. Wilt scores, and you hear Campbell leaning forward and screaming into his microphone: He made it! Now, let's look at how efficient Wilt Chamberlain was in the playoffs. Chamberlain was a well-rounded athlete in the discipline; his personal best in the high jump was six feet six inches, he threw 55 feet in shot put, he ran the 440 in 49 seconds, and he could do a 22-foot long jump. The 86-year-old basketball player was born in Philadelphia, PA. "Just to be in the record books along with staples in basketball . On Point is produced by WBUR for NPR. He averaged 50.4 points per game in the 1962 season. Just to name a few: Most seasons leading the league in minutes: 8 Most points in a game: 100 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 Not only did the Miami Heat make NBA history by becoming just the sixth 8-seed to beat a 1-seed in the first-round of the NBA Playoffs, but Butler made history with his 42-point performance . Wilt Chamberlain in 1972 with the Los Angeles Lakers. I loved 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. Chamberlain's presence brought enough attention to the league that the IVA's All-Star game was televised.
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