[126], Jazz composer Thad Jones named the music composition "Big Dipper" after Chamberlain. [26], In his 2004 biography of Chamberlain Wilt: Larger than Life, Robert Allen Cherry describes that Chamberlain wanted a change and did not want to be near Philadelphia, also eliminating New York City, was not interested in New England, and snubbed the South because of racial segregation; this left the Midwest as Chamberlain's probable choice. In Game 6, in which Chamberlain recorded 18 rebounds and 4 assists but only 8 points, the Celtics won 9990. Accessorizing: Supersize My Ride", "A Full-Court Press to Regain Late Basketball Great's Items", "Sexual claim transformed perception of Wilt", "A Giant Shadow: Did Wilt Chamberlain have a son? 13. Russell's teams won all four series-deciding seventh games against Chamberlain's; by a combined margin of nine points. Wilt Chamberlain averaged the unbreakable record of 50.4 . He also never fouled out of a game; and is the only player in NBA history to average at least 30 points and 20 rebounds per game in a season, a feat he accomplished seven times. [10][11], Chamberlain led the team to two city championships, and over three seasons Overbrook logged a 563 win-loss record. Answer (1 of 6): An interesting fact: in Wilt's two championship seasons, both his teams set regular season win records. When Chamberlain died in 1999, Chamberlain's nephew stated that Russell was the second person to whom he was ordered to break the news. Joe Ruklick got the assist for Wilt's 100th point. 1. Chamberlain broke Tom Gola's Philadelphia high school scoring record and graduated with 2,252 points, averaging 37.4 points per game. He spent his last year in basketball in a coaching position, due to a contractual issue. [71] Much like later center Shaquille O'Neal, Chamberlain would be fouled intentionally, and was a target of criticism because of it. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Chamberlain did it in 1966-67 and 1967-68; Only player in NBA history to average . Among the members of the team were Florence Griffith before she set the world records in the 100 meters and 200 meters, three-time world champion Greg Foster,[144] and future Olympic Gold medalists Andre Phillips, Alice Brown, and Jeanette Bolden. Chamberlain had other plans, however, pursuing interests outside of basketball. Wilt Chamberlain was born on August 21, 1936. ', "Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers Box Score, March 18, 1968", "Wilt Chamberlain Reportedly Had A Quintuple-Double With 53 Points, 32 Rebounds, 14 Assists, 24 Blocks, And 11 Steals", "James Harden tied Wilt Chamberlain for the most points scored in a triple-double", "Russell Westbrook scored 57 points for most in triple-double", "Rockets' James Harden records first 60-point triple-double in NBA history", "Use Extension On Operating Table As Wilt Chamberlain Undergoes Tendon Surgery", "Achilles Heel Advertising: Repositioning the Competition", "5 Things You Didn't Know About Wilt Chamberlain", "Wilt spoke of regrets, women and Meadowlark", "Ali vs. Wilt Chamberlain: The Fight That Almost Was", "Jim Brown Talks Ali vs. Wilt Chamberlain // SiriusXM", "Chamberlain's feats the stuff of legend", "Flynn Robinson, 72, Scorer on Dominant N.B.A. [54] His 58 points were a then-career-high for him, and he later tied that on February 21, as he recorded 58 points to go along with 24 rebounds in a 131121 over the visiting Knicks.[55]. As of 2019, he is the first and the only player in NBA history to record 50 points and 35 rebounds in an NBA playoff game. Chamberlain allegedly forced her to perform oral sex after offering to show her a closet containing his NBA jerseys. Standing 7-foot-1 and weighing almost 300 pounds, he was one of the greatest players in NBA history and a pop culture icon. Cherry notes that there was a certain tension within the team, as Greer was the formerly undisputed leader and was not willing to give up his authority, and Jackson, a talented center, was now forced to play power forward because Chamberlain occupied the center spot; however, as the season progressed, the three began to mesh better. It is at these times that greatness is determined and Wilt doesnt have it. Leaving college in 1958, Chamberlain had to wait a year before going pro due to NBA rules. The fact that Chamberlain scored 100 points without hitting a single three-pointer is so . [21][22] Chamberlain was the youngest member of the team. In that series, they again succumbed to Russell's Boston Celtics, this time losing 41. He ran the 100-yard dash in 10.9 seconds, shot-putted 56 feet, triple jumped more than 50 feet, and won the high jump in the Big Eight Conference track and field championships three straight years. [36] For many years following Chamberlain's departure from KU, critics also said that he wanted to leave the Midwest or was embarrassed by not being able to win a championship. Prior to the 196667 NBA season, Schayes was replaced by a familiar face, the more assertive Alex Hannum. In Game 5, the valiant but injured West and Hairston had bad games, and the Lakers lost the game 10293 and the series 32, despite Chamberlain scoring 23 points and grabbing 21 rebounds. Owing to his strong start, he still managed to put up a season-average 27.3 points, 18.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Pejoratively calling the new recruit "The Load", he later complained that Chamberlain was egotistical, never respected him, too often slacked off in practice, and focused too much on his own statistics. This caused sports journalist Joe McGinnis to comment: "The Celtics played like champions and the Sixers just played. [126] Furthermore, he told Chamberlain to use his rebounding and passing skills to quickly initiate fastbreaks to his teammates. [154] After undergoing dental surgery in the week before his death, he was in great pain and seemed unable to recover from the stress. In Game 2, the Bucks won again despite Chamberlain scoring 26 points, four more than his Milwaukee counterpart. Chamberlain became coach of the San Diego Conquistadors for a year before turning to business and entertainment. [188] While previously friends, after Russell criticized Chamberlain for his performance during Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, the two did not speak for two decades. [41] By the time Chamberlain was 21, before he even turned professional, he had already been featured in Time, Life, Look, and Newsweek. [84] For the fifth time in seven years, Russell's team deprived Chamberlain of the title. In Game 2, which the Lakers won 10692, Chamberlain put Lucas into foul trouble, and the Knicks lost defensive power forward Dave DeBusschere to injury. In 19601961, when Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points per game, he said that Boston did not rely on Russell's scoring, and he could concentrate on defense and rebounding. Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( / tembrln /; August 21, 1936 - October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played at the center position. "[110], Chamberlain experienced an often-frustrating season. 2 in Slam's "Top 50 NBA Players of All-Time in NBA History" in 2009,[178] and No. He was basketball's first player to earn at least $100,000 a year and earned an unprecedented $1.5 million during his Lakers years. [i] In comparison, the previous top earner was Bob Cousy of the Celtics with $25,000, the same figure Eddie Gottlieb used to buy the Warriors franchise in 1952. Wilt Chamberlain improved his previously dismal free throw percentage (barely 50%) by throwing underhand (granny) style, hitting 28/32 in the famous game where he scored 100 point. According to various unofficial box scores at the time, Wilt Chamberlain had three quadruple doubles in the 1960s playoffs. Chamberlain's most famous season, however, came in 1962. After that I play defense and get the ball off the boards. When Hall-of-Fame Detroit Pistons center Bob Lanier, who was 6 feet 11 inches and 250 pounds as a rookie,[116] was asked about the most memorable moment of his career, Lanier answered: "When Wilt Chamberlain lifted me up and moved me like a coffee cup so he could get a favorable position. . He retired at the age of 35 after 12 seasons in the NBA. Wilt Chamberlain retired in 1973, at the end of the '72-'73 season, to pursue other interests. [157] Goldberg also said: "He was more inquisitive than anybody I ever knew. [5][163] Chamberlain is most remembered for his 100-point game,[164][165] which is widely considered one of basketball's greatest records. [10] According to Chamberlain, that was the time that people started calling him a loser. [80], Statistically, Chamberlain was again outstanding, posting 34.7 points and 22.9 rebounds per game overall for the season. 6 in ESPN's list of the top 74 NBA players of all time in 2020, the third best center of all-time behind Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell. Chamberlain, always a poor free throw shooter, battled the "loser" label, before finally breaking through and winning the 1967 NBA Finals as a member of the 76ers. While Chamberlain was from Philadelphia, this was the new name of the relocated Syracuse Nationals, a former rival. He also took five NBA MVP trophies in his glorious career and was the all-time leader in MVPs at the time of his retirement in 1969. . [132], The 197273 NBA season was to be Chamberlain's last, although he did not know this at the time. Cherry says that Chamberlain was not a natural leader or a loyal follower, which made him difficult to fit in. "[205] In a 1999 interview shortly before his death, he regretted not having explained the sexual climate at the time of his escapades and warned other men who admired him for it, with the closing words from the chapter of the same book: "With all of you men out there who think that having a thousand different ladies is pretty cool, I have learned in my life I've found out that having one woman a thousand different times is much more satisfying. "[38] KU won 7365 in overtime, after which police had to escort the Jayhawks out. "[12], Rick Barry wrote Ill say what most players feel, which is that Wilt is a loserHe is terrible in big games. [134] In that series, the Lakers started off with a 115112 win, but the Knicks won Games 2 and 3; things worsened when West again injured his hamstring. [140], Barred from playing, Chamberlain mostly left the coaching duties to his assistant Stan Albeck, who recalled: "Chamberlain has a great feel for pro basketball the day-to-day things that are an important part of basketball just bored him. Because Schayes did not want to risk angering his best player, he scheduled the daily workout at 4 pm. . Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Wilt Chamberlain, Birth Year: 1936, Birth date: August 21, 1936, Birth State: Pennsylvania, Birth City: Philadelphia, Birth Country: United States. This display of arrogance motivated the Celtics. Wilt Chamberlain was drafted by Philadelphia Warriors, 1st round (3rd pick, 3rd overall), 1959 NBA Draft (territorial selection). [41] Another landmark was his 25,000th point, making him the first-ever player to score that many points; he gave the ball to his team physician Stan Lorber. He took the game so seriously that he threw up in the locker room before almost every game. [47], Despite his foul line woes, Chamberlain set the NBA record, later tied by Adrian Dantley, for most free throws made (28) using the underhand technique in a regular-season game in his 1962 100-point game. Wilt Chamberlain retired in 1973, at the end of the '72-'73 season, to pursue other interests.