With three minutes to go, the Lakers trailed 103102, but they committed costly turnovers and lost the game 108106, despite a triple-double from West, who had 42 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists, and became the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team. For good reason. "[47], After losing Baylor to an Achilles tendon rupture that effectively ended his career, and especially after losing West after a knee injury, the handicapped Lakers were seen as underdogs in the playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks of Alcindor, freshly crowned MVP, and the veteran Hall-of-Fame guard Robertson, whom they faced in the Western Conference Finals. Chamberlain had a bad relationship with Allen's successor Dick Harp fueled by this disappointment. That March, he became the first NBA player to score 100 points in a game, setting a league record for the highest number of points scored in a single game (which he still holds today). The closest any player has gotten to 100 points was the Lakers', Rick Barry, Confessions of a Basketball Gypsy: The Rick Barry Story, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, List of career achievements by Wilt Chamberlain, List of basketball players who have scored 100 points in a single game, List of National Basketball Association annual field goal percentage leaders, List of National Basketball Association annual minutes leaders, List of National Basketball Association annual rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career minutes played leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association franchise career scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association longest winning streaks, List of National Basketball Association rookie single-season rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association rookie single-season scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association single-game assists leaders, List of National Basketball Association single-game playoff scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association single-game rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association single-game scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association single-season rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association single-season scoring leaders, List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 30 or more rebounds in a game, "Chamberlain, Wilt(on) Norman Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures-HighBeam Research", "Chamberlain rated greatest in court game", "Overbrook and Its Greatest Get Back Together", "Helen Kutsher, Pampering Matriarch of a Grand Borscht Belt Resort, Dies at 89", "Farrell defeats Overbrook and Chamberlain", "Mr. Basketball USA winners: ESPNHS national player of the year honorees date back to 1955", "Christian Street YMCA unveils its Wall of Fame", "Another forgotten accomplishment Worthy of Recognition Today", https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/sixers/Wilt_Chamberlain_NCAA_rules_free_throw_shooting_Kansas.html, "Triple OT: The 50th Anniversary of 1957 Championship | KUsports.com", "Syracuse Nationals at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, November 4, 1959", "New York Knicks at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, November 10, 1959", "Philadelphia Warriors vs Detroit Pistons Box Score, January 25, 1960", "New York Knicks at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, February 25, 1960", "Players to have recorded 50 points and 30 rebounds in the playoffs", "Philadelphia Warriors at Syracuse Nationals Box Score, October 22, 1960", "Boston Celtics at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, November 24, 1960", "Philadelphia Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, November 29, 1960", "Chamberlain's 100-point game proves some things better with age", "Anthony Davis breaks Wilt's All-Star scoring record, earns MVP honors", "NBA's Greatest Moments 'Havlicek Stole the Ball! If you lose, everybody says, 'How could he lose, a guy that size? Known as "Wilt the Stilt" for his 7'1" frame, Wilt Chamberlain was a Harlem Globetrotter before joining the Philadelphia Warriors. Retired on November 9, 1983 in honor of Wilt Chamberlain, a member of the 1971-72 championship team that won an NBA record 33 consecutive games and a then-NBA record 69 . [45], On October 24, 1959, Chamberlain made his NBA debut, starting for the Philadelphia Warriors. Inside the Insane World of Sports Today, in which he criticized the NBA of the 1990s for being too disrespectful of players of the past.[148]. [43][110] Erickson commented that "Butch catered to Elgin and Jerry and that is not a good way to get on Wilt's side that relationship was doomed from the start. When did Wilt Chamberlain retire? [132] In that game, he fell on his right hand and was said to have sprained it but it was actually broken. [62], The Lakers again charged through the playoffs, reaching the NBA Finals, where they were pitted against the New York Knicks, loaded with future Hall-of-Famers Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, and Walt Frazier. [62], Chamberlain's 4,029 regular-season points made him the only player to break the 4,000-point barrier. Do you have a blog? [n] In the playoffs, the Warriors again met the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Division Finals, and this season was called by both Cousy and Russell the greatest Celtics team of all time. [126] Furthermore, he told Chamberlain to use his rebounding and passing skills to quickly initiate fastbreaks to his teammates. [186] Russell's Celtics won seven of eight playoff series against Chamberlain's Warriors, 76ers, and Lakers teams, and went 5737 against them in the regular season and 2920 in the playoffs. The ultimate legendary story that really stood out in Wilt's post-career was in 1986. Wilt Chamberlain was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [145], Even far beyond his playing days, Chamberlain was a very fit person. [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. Shaq never scored 100 points in a single game or averaged as many rebounds or assists as Chamberlain, but he did make 15 All-Star Teams (compared to Wilt's 13) and 14 All-NBA Teams (compared to Wilt's 10).Add to the fact Shaq won 2 more rings and 2 more Finals MVPs means he had a longer and better career than Wilt. Wilt Chamberlain attended Overbrook in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Kansas. The first team to retire Chamberlain's No. More than 7 feet (2.1 metres) tall, Chamberlain was an outstanding centre . Therein lies the tie to Chamberlain. Wilt Chamberlain, of the Philadelphia Warriors, holding a sign reading "100" in the dressing room in Hershey, Pa., on March 2, 1962, after he scored 100 points as the Warriors defeated the New York . He personally preferred "The Big Dipper", which was inspired by his friends who saw him dip his head as he walked through doorways. Joe Ruklick got the assist for Wilt's 100th point. [82] After defeating the Cincinnati Royals led by his fellow All-American Robertson in the playoffs, the Sixers met Chamberlain's familiar rival, the Boston Celtics. After his professional basketball career ended, Chamberlain played volleyball in the short-lived International Volleyball Association (IVA). Continuing to excel, he made the all-America and all-conference teams the following season. Wilt Chamberlain talks about playing basketball at the University of Kansas during a news conference Friday, Jan. 16, 1998, in Lawrence, Kan. Chamberlain returns to Kansas for the retirement of . [13], In his second Overbrook season, Chamberlain continued his prolific scoring when he tallied a high-school record 71 points against Roxborough. [137], After his stint with the Conquistadors, Chamberlain successfully went into business and entertainment, made money in stocks and real estate, bought a popular Harlem nightclub, which he renamed Big Wilt's Smalls Paradise, and invested in broodmares. Then, Phog Allen retired. [115] The Knicks led by 27 at halftime, and despite scoring 21 points, Chamberlain could not prevent a third consecutive loss in Game 7. In his first varsity game, Wilt scored 52 points and picked up 31 . [62] In one particular game, Chamberlain blocked a dunk attempt by Baltimore Bullets player Gus Johnson so hard that he dislocated Johnson's shoulder. Chamberlain was born on August 21, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a family of nine children, the son of Olivia Ruth Johnson, a domestic worker and homemaker, and William Chamberlain, a welder, custodian, and handyman. Auerbach spotted Chamberlain there and had him play one-on-one against University of Kansas (KU) standout and national champion B. H. Born, elected the NCAA Most Outstanding Player in 1953. [83] The two teams split the first six games and the last game was held in the Celtics' Boston Garden because of the better season record. [184] The two reconciled after two decades, but Chamberlain maintained a level of bitterness, regretted that he had not been "more physical" with Russell in their games, and privately continued accusing his rival for intellectualizing basketball in a negative way. Wilt Chamberlain averaged 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. [52] In his fourth game, Philadelphia met the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics of Hall-of-Fame coach Auerbach, whose offer he had snubbed several years before, and Bill Russell, who was lauded as one of the best defensive pivots in the game. He also led the league in rebounds (24.2), was third in assists (7.8), and played strong defense. [202][203] According to his contemporary Rod Roddewig, Chamberlain documented his love life using a Day-Timer. By conventional wisdom, Chamberlain now should have dominated against little-used Knicks backup centers Nate Bowman and Bill Hosket Jr., or forwards Bradley and DeBusschere, who gave up more than half a foot against him. UPDATE: For a great long read about the trade, check out Haley O'Shaughnessy's piece for The Ringer: Wilt Chamberlain's Trade To Los Angeles, 50 Years Later. When he became a Laker, Chamberlain built a million-dollar mansion in Bel-Air named after Ursa Major, as a play on his nickname "The Big Dipper". Best Known For: Wilt Chamberlain was the first NBA player to score more than 30,000 cumulative points over his career, and the first and only player to score 100 points in a single game. Learn more and register. Clyde Drexler had his no. [194][v] As a Philadelphia 76er, he could afford to rent a New York apartment and commute to Philadelphia. "[111] The greatest problem was his tense relationship with Van Breda Kolff. Basketball is 94 feet long and 10 feet high. He said: "There's been a lot of conversationthat I have some dislike for the University of Kansas. When Chamberlain died in 1999, Chamberlain's nephew stated that Russell was the second person to whom he was ordered to break the news. "[92] The team has been ranked as one of the best in NBA history. Or write about sports? Stats: 50.4 PPG, 25.7 RPG, 2.4 APG. He also was one of the most versatile big men ever, leading the league in . Chamberlain won his second championship as a member of the 1972 Lakers, a team which set a record with a 33-game winning streak. When he dunked, he was so fast that a lot of players got their fingers jammed [between Chamberlain's hand and the rim]." [61], Chamberlain surpassed his rookie season statistics, as he averaged 38.4 points and 27.2 rebounds per game. He then multiplied that number by the number of days he had been alive at the time minus 15 years. "[43], Despite some reluctance, after the trade, Chamberlain found himself on a promising Sixers team that included veteran shooting guard Hal Greer, a future Hall-of-Famer, and talented role players in point guard Larry Costello, small forward Chet Walker, and centers Johnny "Red" Kerr and Lucious Jackson. By the time he retired in 1973, Chamberlain had amassed an amazing array of career statistics. He helped the Lakers win the 1972 NBA championship, triumphing over the New York Knicks in five straight games, and was named the NBA Finals MVP. Chamberlain had a history of cardiovascular disease, and was briefly hospitalized in 1992 for an irregular heartbeat. . Chamberlain was known to sportswriters by several nicknames during his playing career, calling attention to his great height since his high school days. [84] For the fifth time in seven years, Russell's team deprived Chamberlain of the title. Chamberlain had other plans, however, pursuing interests outside of basketball. In my onion, Wilt was robbed of MVP when he averaged an NBA . If Chamberlain started having sex at the age of 15, from then up to the age of 55 (when the book was published) he would have had 40 years to sleep with 20,000 women, or 500 different women a year . [103], For these feats, Chamberlain won his fourth and final MVP title. 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. [42] Chamberlain likened his assist title to legendary home-run hitter Babe Ruth leading the league in sacrifice bunts, and felt he dispelled the myth that he could not and would not pass the ball. At the 1965 All-Star Weekend, Chamberlain was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Wilt Chamberlain retired from the NBA in 1973, and many thought his sports career was over. Wilt Chamberlain scored over 50 points a game in the '61-'62 NBA season and did not win the MVP, instead Bill Russell did. Returning to his hometown in 1965, Chamberlain joined the Philadelphia 76ers. Chamberlain holds 72 NBA records, so many that it led former teammate Billy Cunningham to remark The NBA Guide reads like Wilt's personal diary." It was a small consolation that he was again named an All-American, along with future NBA Hall-of-Famers Elgin Baylor of Seattle University and Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati, plus Chamberlain's old rival Guy Rodgers, now playing for Temple University. [211], Chamberlain denounced the Black Panthers Party and other black nationalist movements in the late 1960s, and he supported Republican Richard Nixon in the 1968 and 1972 presidential elections. That Would Be An NBA Record By A Margin of 3.3 Blocks", "Wilt Chamberlain on Sidelines as Conquistadors win 121-106", "Until his dying day, Wilt was invincible", "Chamberlain biopic has Canuck coproducer", "Chamberlain Was Seeing Heart Specialist, Taking Medication", "STD's, Cardiomyopathy and Wilt Chamberlain", "The day Wilt Chamberlain, NBA legend, died at 63 in 1999", "Agent says Chamberlain had congestive heart failure", "Reaction to a basketball legend's death", "The NBA's true greatest player of all time, Wilt Chamberlain", "The Greatest NBA Player of All-Time: Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain? Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Astrological Sign: Leo, Death Year: 1999, Death date: October 12, 1999, Death State: California, Death City: Bel Air, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Wilt Chamberlain Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/wilt-chamberlain, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: May 7, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested! Winning the regular season with 66 wins, the Bucks were seen as favorites against the depleted Lakers; still, many pundits were looking forward to the matchup between the 34-year-old Chamberlain and the 24-year-old Alcindor. In the Eastern Division Semifinals, they were pitted against the New York Knicks. For Abdul-Jabbar, 75, the hubbub over his pursuit of Wilt Chamberlain's scoring record nearly 39 years ago was little more than a distraction in the final weeks of the 1983-84 regular season . [149] Chamberlain played a villainous warrior and counterpart of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1984 film Conan the Destroyer. "[162] He was a scoring champion, all-time top rebounder, and accurate field goal shooter. 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. His success near the basket led to the widening of the lane, offensive goaltending rules, and it being illegal to inbound over the backboard. Despite his retirement, Chamberlain remained a highly sought after player, with multiple teams trying their hardest to lure the legendary center player out of . [104] Winning 62 games, the Sixers easily took the first seed of the playoffs. "[110], The lack of a second guard next to West, and the lack of speed and quickness, concerned coach Butch van Breda Kolff.
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