There is something about this specific record that, for me, goes well beyond sports and goes to math, the base-10 number system. Theres no footage of the game, so its taken on a mythological quality to it something that doesnt seem real. That means for 28 minutes of that game in Hershey, the tallest player the Knicks had was 68 Cleveland Buckner. 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. Wilt adjusted his game and sure enough, led the league in assists.. For the Suns to beat the Nuggets, let alone reach The Finals, they need Ayton to narrow his role - then thrive in it. 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. Duane Morris investigation into Central Bucks finds no discrimination against LGBTQ students, Shapiro signs first bill, expands Pa. health insurance coverage for breast cancer screenings, 3 unions at Rutgers University have reached tentative agreements. 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. 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. Wilt. Magic called a non-foul and Wilt declared that there would be no more shots from Magic. Wilt must have been bored during the end of basketball, because the thought crossed his mind for him to think, Man, I should play pro volleyball but it happened. Wilt ran the 100-yard dash in 10.9 seconds, threw the shot-put 56 feet, he triple jumped 50 feet, and he won the Big Eight high jump three straight years." James' junior season high school football stats were indeed solid. 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. Before he was in the NBA, Wilt played for the Harlem Globetrotters. Renamed Big Wilts Smalls Paradise, after Chamberlain purchased the club. Walter and Wilt went to half court to shake hands. How good was Wilt Chamberlain really? Philadelphia 76ers owner Ike Richman eventually talked Chamberlain out of the match, but the idea just wouldn't die. He believed that playing w the Globetrotters had a positive impact on his abilities on and off the court. 3. He participated in high jump, long jump, and even broad jump, but excelled in the 100 yard-dash, and the 400 metre. On Point is produced by WBUR for NPR. Stream WHYY-FM, read the top stories from WHYY News, and listen to the latest podcast from WHYY Digital Studios anytime, anywhere. No, wilt bulked up muscle , not fat. Sixers owner Josh Harris, rival group submit formal bids for Commanders, AP sources say. Wilt used to work at a hotel as a bellhop and sometimes people would pull up with flat tires but had no jack. They were on a trip to Russia and they were assigned a tight locker room. Wilt Chamberlain is not the greatest basketball player ever, (hes my third best) but he is a better athlete than any man, woman, or demigod who has ever done what he did. The other, more experienced player was named Phil Jordon. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979. Hes inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the Volleyball hall of Fame, and the Kansas Jayhawk Hall of Fame. Most significantly, perhaps, the New York Knicks had two centers both 610. Both also changed the game by their very presence. He had no fear. The average center in Wilt's prime was taller and heavier than they are now. Question: I think perhaps the most overlooked aspect of Wilt's game was his endurance. Wilt Chamberlain, who played with the 76ers, was one. Putting him through countless basketball drills and explaining the ins and outs of life. Its a perfect score on a test score. Amid so many sports records, why does this milestone still resonate? Yes. Phillies fans who booked trips to Clearwater for Spring Training frustrated by MLB lockout. Harveys Take: Another away home game, this time it took place in Bethlehem, Pa. Wilt scores 58 points and a little less than a month later he did it in New York versus the Knicks. "So Wilt said, 'There will be no more layups in this gym,' and he blocked every shot after that. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File). 10.9 seconds It shows that he was athletic, he was versatile. This article will compare and contrast these things in order to try to determine who is the best QB of all time. Its debatable that Kobes 81 may never be reached again, so Wilts 100 remains the stuff of legend something no mere mortal could actually attain. 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. How does this night change the trajectory of the NBA? 11. Here are Pollacks most memorable Wilt games hes seen in person. On March 2, 1962 exactly 60 years ago the legendary Philadelphia Warriors center scored 100 points in a single game. 17 year old Wilt Chamberlain CATCHES a shot and runs the fast - YouTube The cart was so heavy that the elevator sunk a few inches under the floor. Really not a reason for that one. In high school, Wilt Chamberlain was a track and field star. There wasn't anything he couldn't do in sports. The 76ers to kick off the season with a nationally televised away game against defending Eastern Conference Champions, the Boston Celtics, on Oct. 18. Its the holy grail of NBA records, a hallowed mark looked upon in reverence. He can barely dribble lol. He faced Boston Celtic teams one of which had either 11 or 13 HoF players on it at the same time. It was broadcast on radio. To order, mail a check for $20.00 to Harvey Pollack, Philadelphia 76ers, 3601 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148. 2. Wilt disagreed, he then proceeded to perform the high jump. 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. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network. Sometimes you take greatness for granted. You cant see it. The primary knock against Ayton is that he wants more. Wilts 100-point game [also] carries important symbolism. 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. But people are also aware of what just happened. The club helped many of them train to compete in the Olympics. Harveys Take: Everyone makes a big fuss out of a triple double. 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). Imagine a player doing that for an entire season. At Overbrook High School in West Philadelphia, he was an avid track and field star: He high jumped 6 feet, 6 inches; ran the 440 yards in 49.0 seconds and the 880 yards in 1:58.3; propelled the shot put 53 feet, 4 inches; and broad jumped 22 feet. 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. Wilt scores, and you hear Campbell leaning forward and screaming into his microphone: He made it! That's completely insane. Aside from being one of the strongest players in the league, Wilt was rumored to be one of the fastest men on the planet. His six rings are a testament to his prowess, and this article explains all the reasons he's the best of all time. Wilt Chamberlain was the greatest athlete the world had ever seen and he doesn't let you forget it. He averaged 50.4 points per game in the 1962 season. 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. What Chamberlain craved, though, was speed. WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor. 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 One, Darrall Imhoff, was a rookie. Wilt actually averaged 48.5 minutes per game that season. He then wrote and sold a story titled "Why I'm forgoing my senior year of basketball" to Look magazine for 10,000 dollars (most NBA players made 9,000 at the time). 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). One hundred for the 100-point game in Hershey, and 20,000 for his myth-makers boast that he had slept with 20,000 women. NBA rules didn't allow players who hadn't finished college, though, so Wilt signed up with the Globetrottters. Im Walter Bellamy. Wilt responded with Hello Mr. Bellamy. Kobe finished his with 60 points and Wilt finished with a massive double-double that was routine for him, but a career night for almost anyone else. He did things that are still incomprehensible and nearly superhuman.. Wilt passed away on October 12, 1999, at the age of 63. What we have is the fourth-quarter play-by-play call of WCAU sportscaster Bill Campbell. He played occasional matches for the IVA Seattle Smashers before the league folded in 1979. Wilt Chamberlain weighed 275 lbs (124 kg) when playing. Even after Wilt scored 78, no one was thinking about 100.. And then theres Wilt Chamberlain. 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). 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. Your imagination is triggered by it, though. 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. The pure speed he runs at, truly incredible athlete. the story goes Magic made a game ending foul call that angered Wilt greatly. How much did Wilt Chamberlain weigh when playing? 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. Who Is The GOAT? The crowds were so small the joke went back then that P.A. How tall was Wilt Chamberlain? He had six games with 43 or more, topping out at 55. Well, a few things happened off the court that allowed him to reach this unsurpassed peak of 100 points. Wilt Chamberlain - Age, Bio, Personal Life, Family and Stats - CelebsAges On Kindle books. Jimmy Butler and Tom Thibodeau remain linked. The fans are rushing the floor.. He stopped me dead in my tracks with his arm, hugged me and lifted me off the floor with my feet dangling. "Just to be in the record books along with staples in basketball . In addition to all these legendary tales, Wilt toured with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1959. His high jump was 6'6" when the world record was 7'1". 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. Is Wilt Chamberlain in the Hall of Fame? It's still the signature record in basketball history. What do you, the writer of this article, think of Wilt Chamberlain's endurance? During a game against Boston, Wilt committed a hard foul on K.C. The fact that he scored 100 not 103 or 99 has always stood out and imbued [the record] with something I cant quite put my finger on. Most people think of Chamberlain as a member of the Lakers, Warriors, or 76ers, but his first pro basketball gig was actually with the Harlem Globetrotters. Chamberlain spent the night before the game in New York, partying all night with a woman. Perhaps most impressive was Wilts proficiency from the free throw line that game. 9. Wilt wasn't just a basketball player. On a cold night in Hershey, Wilt Chamberlain did the unthinkable. To me, Wilt Chamberlain was the Greatest Athlete of all times. Who Was Wilt Chamberlain? Here is a clip of Wilt playing volleyball. Wilt Chamberlain - Track and Field at the University of Kansas in Oscar Robertson, the great NBA star, would later say that Wilt saves the league. To celebrate, CLNS and FanDuel are giving players $200 when they bet $5. The most dominant player the NBA has ever seen died 11 years ago today. YouTube Gold: Wilt Chamberlain Dominating And Leading The Fast Break Not anymore. Imagine any center today leading the NBA in assists. While it depends on the type of athlete, most have pretty unique diets compared to the average joe. 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. Well, it was a difficult moment to be an usher. 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). Jaylen Brown and the Celtics are learning from Bill Russell and Wilt 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. Known for shooting a fake horse with a fake gun. Wilt won. Wilt played bigger than life. Wilt Chamberlain fastbreak sprint : r/nba - Reddit Who is the greatest NBA player ever? When I went to the free-throw line, my legs were still shaking. That's the truth, I saw it. Wilt Chamberlain. Here are 10 Wilt Chamberlain records that will probably never be broken all found via StatMuse. No player has had more big scoring games than Wilt and its not even close. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. "Once Wilt got upset with me," he said, "and dunked the ball so hard it went through the rim with such force that it broke my toe as it hit the floor.". The NBA needed to make it fair for the other players who didn't have the athletic skills and size. 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. No matter where he went, Philly, LA, or with the Harlem Globetrotters, he dominated. As a teenager, Chamberlain was sought after by more than 100 colleges and universities after his play at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. But the game was played in Hershey because the league was trying to grow new fans. Enraged and frustrated, the Seattle player ran up to Chamberlain swinging. 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.. Its one of the great athletic achievements in sports. 96 Then he met several friends at the Philadelphia train station and had lunch with them. All rights reserved. Chamberlain even thought about a return to competition. 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. " He would jump off the roof on top of the garage, or jump from one barn across to another. 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. 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.. Why Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game still matters - WHYY 1. Wilt was getting on an elevator while two delivery men were having trouble lifting a cart. A man of 2.16 meters for 120 kilos capable of running as fast as D'Aaron Fox and jumping as high as . 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. It's unbelievable how fast Wilt was at 7'1 and 290-310 lbs. And the game, you know, has been launched into sports mythology. Wilt was playing pickup games against Magic Johnson and Norm Nixon in his mid-forties. When Wilt died, two numbers became the shorthand summary of Wilts life: 20,000 and 100. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? For context, Wilt . In an unusually modest conversation Chamberlain joins Charlie Rose to discuss his new book. The team featured several prominent track athletes. 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. Ive had never seen Russell more distraught than that game when Wilt grabbed 55 rebounds. Pixabay 4. Wilt did what he wanted, when he wanted. Wilt was the strongest guy and best athlete ever to play the game. The 86-year-old basketball player was born in Philadelphia, PA. Still Auerbach was a great mentor to Chamberlain at Kutshers during the summer. The story goes that Wilt Chamberlain wanted to fight the narrative that he was a selfish player so he decided that he wanted to lead the league in assists, so he did. Wilt was big 8 high jump and shot put champion in college. Wilt Chamberlain Career Stats | StatMuse The interview below has been condensed and edited for clarity. 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. There are multiple stories of Wilts strength. Besides that, there are recordings of 122 of Wilt's games, mostly at the end of his career. After Lunch he boarded the team bus to Hershey. Legends profile: Wilt Chamberlain | NBA.com Wilt came with a body and an ego perfectly sculpted for dominating this game. When he retired following the 1972-73 season, it was 128 times. WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor, Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era.. 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. 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).