Wilt Chamberlain averaged 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. Every time Chamberlain went to bed with a different woman, he put a check in his Day-Timer. [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. In that Game 7, Chamberlain scored 30 points and 32 rebounds, while Russell logged 16 points, 27 rebounds, and eight assists. [106] On April 4, national tragedy struck with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. With eight of the ten starting players on the Sixers and Celtics being African-American, both teams were in deep shock, and there were calls to cancel the series. [158], Chamberlain is holder of numerous official NBA all-time records. [126] Furthermore, he told Chamberlain to use his rebounding and passing skills to quickly initiate fastbreaks to his teammates. Overbrook in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Draft: [28][d], Chamberlain's freshman team debut was highly anticipated; the freshman squad was pitted against the varsity, a team favored to win their conference that year. [147] A result of this resentment was the 1997 book Who's Running the Asylum? [129], In the playoffs, the Lakers swept the Chicago Bulls, then went on to face the Milwaukee Bucks of young center and regular-season MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly Lew Alcindor). Ex-soldier Hannum, who later entered the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach, was a crafty psychologist who emphasized defense and passing. 13. 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 ultimately won two NBA championships, four regular-season Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards, the Rookie of the Year award, one Finals MVP award, and one All-Star Game MVP award, and he was selected to thirteen All-Star Games and ten All-NBA Teams (seven First and three Second teams). Retirement. Kosloff and Chamberlain worked out a truce, and later signed a one-year, $250,000 contract. The young Lew Alcindor was soon allowed into his inner circle and quickly idolized the ten-year older Chamberlain. [124] In 1967, retired NFL star Jim Brown acted as Chamberlain's manager; Ali's manager Jabir Herbert Muhammad backed out of the AliChamberlain match, which was slated to take place at Madison Square Garden. "[187] Chamberlain outscored Russell 30 to 14.2 and outrebounded him 28.2 to 22.9 in the regular season, and he outscored him 25.7 to 14.9 and outrebounded him 28 to 24.7 in the playoffs as well. [111] Cherry comments that some journalists reported how Game 7 destroyed two careers: "Wilt's because he wouldn't take over and Van Breda Kolff because he wouldn't give in. By doing this, he won Chamberlain's respect. When did Wilt Chamberlain stop playing basketball? [62] Because Chamberlain played in overtime games, he averaged more minutes per game than the regulation 48 and would have reached the 3,890-minute mark if he had not been ejected in one game after picking up a second technical foul with eight minutes left to play.[66]. [19] Overbrook won the Public League a third time, beating West Philadelphia 7860; in the city championship game, they met West Catholic once again. This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. [185] Chamberlain was named All-NBA First Team seven times to Russell's three, but Russell was named the NBA MVPthen selected by players and not the pressfive times against Chamberlain's four. 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. In retrospect, Gottlieb remarked: "My mistake was not getting a strong-handed coach. [138] The Lakers sued their former star and successfully prevented him from actually playing because he still owed them the option year of his contract. Wilt Chamberlain attended Overbrook in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Kansas. While blocked shots were not an official NBA statistic at that time and would not be officially counted until the season after Chamblerlain's retirement in 1973, reported data for blocked shots in 112 games played by Chamberlain in the 1970s shows he averaged 8.8 blocks per game. Join our linker program. like Wilt Chamberlain, Russell was a defensive and rebounding force. [111], After the game, many wondered why Chamberlain sat out the final six minutes. 13 in ESPN's list "Top North American Athletes of the Century" in 1999. [24] There were contemporary reports of the games in Philadelphia publications, but he tried to keep them secret from the Amateur Athletic Union. [133] Chamberlain's all-around performance helped the Lakers win their first championship in Los Angeles with a decisive 114100 win. [96] Although there is no written proof for or against, Schayes and Sixers lawyer Alan Levitt assumed Chamberlain was correct. He scored 32 points and led Overbrook to a 190 season. In that year, Chamberlain set several all-time records which have never been threatened, as he averaged 50.4 points and grabbed 25.7 rebounds per game. It had a 2,200-pound pivot as a front door and contained great displays of luxury. In the 1967 NBA Finals, the Sixers were pitted against Chamberlain's old team, the San Francisco Warriors. The Big Dipper participated in pickup games regularly, going well into his 40s and played against many of the . "Hell, I'm the world's worst foul-shooter, and I hit 28 of 32 free throws that night87.5 percent," Chamberlain wrote in Wilt. In the semifinals, North Carolina also needed triple overtime to advance over. Chamberlain retired from the NBA after the 1973 season however he still remained very close to basketball. [79], In the 196465 NBA season, the NBA widened the lane from 12 feet to 16 feet especially because of centers like Chamberlain. [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]. In addition, Chamberlain drove a Ferrari, a Bentley, and had a Le Mans-style car called Searcher One designed and built at a cost of $750,000 in 1996. [89] Cherry adds several personal reasons, among them Chamberlain felt he had grown too big for Philadelphia, sought the presence of fellow celebrities, which were plenty in Los Angeles, and finally also desired the opportunity to date white women, which was possible for a black man in Los Angeles but hard to imagine elsewhere back then. Returning to his hometown in 1965, Chamberlain joined the Philadelphia 76ers. "If he were here, I think he would have enjoyed this," said his sister . [137] Chamberlain claimed that at least part of the reason for leaving the Lakers was that he believed he had the right to renegotiate his contract after winning the 1971-72 NBA championship, and was upset that the Lakers did not contact him until September 1972, and in the meantime were trying to acquire UCLA star center Bill Walton, who ultimately decided to return to school for the 1972-73 season. [10][11], Chamberlain led the team to two city championships, and over three seasons Overbrook logged a 563 win-loss record. 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. . When did wilt chamberlain retire? All Rights Reserved. Wilt Chamberlain, in full Wilton Norman Chamberlain, bynames Wilt the Stilt and the Big Dipper, (born August 21, 1936, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.died October 12, 1999, Los Angeles, California), professional basketball player, considered to be one of the greatest offensive players in the history of the game. [a] Chamberlain had a natural advantage against his peers; he soon was renowned for his scoring talent, his physical strength, and his shot-blocking abilities. And for a damn good reason. Wilt Chamberlain claims that his vertical, during his prime, was "46 to 48 inches, easy. [87] Cherry is critical of Chamberlain because, while conceding he was the only Sixers player who performed in the series, he says his unprofessional, egotistical behavior set a bad example for his teammates.[86]. Chamberlain changed the game in fundamental ways no other player did. "[131], In the NBA Finals, the Lakers again met the New York Knicks, a team that was shorthanded after losing the 6'9" Reed to injury, and undersized 6'8" Jerry Lucas had the task to defend against the 7'1" Chamberlain. With rookie Jim McMillian easing the scoring pressure, Chamberlain scored 24 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in a 118107 victory, but the Bucks defeated the Lakers 11794 in Game 4 to take a 31 series lead. Chamberlain was criticized as a non-factor in the series, getting neutralized by Russell with little effort. He disliked the ones that portrayed his height negatively, such as "Wilt the Stilt" and "Goliath". [88] When emotions cooled off, Hannum said to Chamberlain that he was on the same page in trying to win a title but Chamberlain had to "act like a man" both on and off the court to pull this off. He also was one of the most versatile big men ever, leading the league in . The Celtics prevented a sweep by winning Game 4 with a 121117 victory. [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. Still, his feats as a player were not forgotten. [207], Cherry says that although Chamberlain was an egotist, he had good relationships with many contemporaries and enjoyed a great deal of respect. 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. [43] According to Ramsay, Chamberlain threatened to jump to the ABA after Hannum left and forced the trade. Standing at 7ft 1in (2.16m) tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport's history. Wilton Norman Chamberlain was born on August 21, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [157] Goldberg also said: "He was more inquisitive than anybody I ever knew. home/away, monthly, etc More Wilt Chamberlain Basketball Reference pages, Compare Wilt Chamberlain to other players. [80], Statistically, Chamberlain was again outstanding, posting 34.7 points and 22.9 rebounds per game overall for the season. [48][h] Chamberlain became the NBA's highest paid player when he signed for $30,000, in his rookie contract. [110], For the 196869 NBA season, Chamberlain joined a squad featuring his fellow former All-American, forward Elgin Baylor, and the Hall-of-Fame guard Jerry West, along with backup center Mel Counts, forwards Keith Erickson and Tom Hawkins, and talented 5'11" guard Johnny Egan. [14] The Panthers comfortably won the Public League title after again beating Northeast in a game in which Chamberlain scored 40 points, and later won the city title by defeating South Catholic 7450. [106] Prior to Game 5, the Sixers seemed poised to win the series, as no NBA team had overcome a 31 deficit before;[106] however, the Celtics rallied back, winning the next two games 122104 and 114106, respectively, powered by a spirited John Havlicek and helped by the Sixers' bad shooting. Wilt had long since retired when Jordan emerged, but he alluded to a much-ballyhooed one-on-one clash in the 1980s between 7-foot-1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the 6-7 Julius Erving. [85], In the 196566 NBA season, the Sixers experienced tragedy when Ike Richman, the Sixers' co-owner as well as Chamberlain's confidant and lawyer, died of a heart attack while attending a road game in Boston. [12] In an April 1965 issue of Sports Illustrated, Chamberlain conducted an interview titled "My Life in a Bush League" where he criticized his fellow players, coaches, and NBA administrators. ", "Greatness Revisited: Why Wilt Chamberlain Was the Greatest NBA Player Ever", "11 Memorable Wilt Chamberlain Performances", "Are all sports records made to be broken? 1936 [83], In the final minute, Chamberlain hit two clutch free throws and slam dunked on Russell, bringing Boston's lead down to 110109 with five seconds left. 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. He spent his last year in basketball in a coaching position, due to a contractual issue. Initially, Sharman wanted Chamberlain and West to share this duty, but West declined, stating he was injury-prone and wanted to solely concentrate on the game. [38], Chamberlain was named first-team All-American. He scored 34 points as Overbrook won the Philadelphia Public League title and gained a berth in the city championship game against the winner of the rival Catholic league, the West Catholic High School. For Game 5, Chamberlain's hands were packed into thick pads normally destined for defensive linesmen in football; he was offered a painkilling shot but refused because he feared he would lose his shooting touch if his hands became numb. Chamberlain was one of the few players of his . Chamberlain played in college for the Kansas Jayhawks, and led Kansas to the national championship game, but lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels in triple overtime. When Chamberlain was 50, the New Jersey Nets had the same idea but were declined. In the 198081 NBA season, coach Larry Brown recalled that the 45-year-old Chamberlain had received an offer from the Cleveland Cavaliers. In Game 6, in which Chamberlain recorded 18 rebounds and 4 assists but only 8 points, the Celtics won 9990. Going ahead 32, the Sixers defeated the Knicks 11597 in Game 6 after Chamberlain scored 25 points and 27 rebounds; he had a successful series in which he led both teams in points (153), rebounds (145), and assists (38). 13 retired by the Warriors, 76ers, and Lakers. The 15-round bout would have taken place on July 26, 1971, in the Houston Astrodome. 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 . [84] For the fifth time in seven years, Russell's team deprived Chamberlain of the title. and 6 assists in the same season. [106] Chamberlain later blamed coach Hannum for the lack of touches, a point that was conceded by Hannum. In his first NBA game, against the New York Knicks, the rookie Chamberlain scored 43 points and grabbed 28 rebounds. For good reason. [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. [114] Game 3 saw West hit a 60-foot shot at the buzzer to tie the game at 102; however, the Knicks took the game 111108. The Lakers mounted a comeback, but then Chamberlain twisted his knee after a rebound and had to be replaced by Counts. Yes, Wilt Chamberlain won a championship. [56] In Game 5, with his hand healthy, Chamberlain recorded 50 points and 35 rebounds in a 128107 win over the Celtics, extending the series to a Game 6. [4], Chamberlain was 6ft 11in (2.11m) when he entered Philadelphia's Overbrook High School. Wilt Chamberlain had his no. [189], Although Chamberlain racked up some of the most impressive statistics in the history of Northern American professional sports, Chamberlain was often called selfish and a loser because he won only two NBA championships and lost seven out of eight playoff series against the Celtics teams of his rival Bill Russell. Chamberlain won his second championship as a member of the 1972 Lakers, a team which set a record with a 33-game winning streak. [45], On October 24, 1959, Chamberlain made his NBA debut, starting for the Philadelphia Warriors. [132] In that game, he fell on his right hand and was said to have sprained it but it was actually broken. He eventually reached his full height of a staggering 7'1" tall. The NCAA finals thus pitted 2nd-ranked Kansas led by Chamberlain against the 1st-ranked, undefeated North Carolina Tar Heels, led by All-American and National Player of the Year Lennie Rosenbluth. [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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. With no sleep and a hangover, he boarded the train to Philadelphia at 8 AM. Do you have a blog? In response, Chamberlain had everybody put all the pens in the middle of the floor and stepped on them. Basketball is 94 feet long and 10 feet high. [80] In return, the Warriors received Paul Neumann, Connie Dierking, and Lee Shaffer, who opted to retire rather than report to the Warriors, plus $150,000. 1. [132], The 197273 NBA season was to be Chamberlain's last, although he did not know this at the time. [1] He was a frail child, nearly dying of pneumonia in his early years and missing a whole year of school as a result. 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. [6], Chamberlain was the catalyst for several 1956 NCAA basketball rule changes, including the rule which requires that a shooter maintain both feet behind the line during a free-throw attempt. [92] In Game 3, Chamberlain grabbed 41 rebounds and helped the Sixers win 115104. [38] Leading a talented squad of starters, including Maurice King, Gene Elstun, John Parker, Ron Lonesky, and Lew Johnson, the Jayhawks went 131 until they lost a game 5654 versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys, a team holding the ball the last three and a half minutes without any intention of scoring a basket, which was still possible in the days before the shot clock (introduced 1984 in the NCAA). Chamberlain blocked Quigg's shot but was also called for the foul. [62], Chamberlain's 4,029 regular-season points made him the only player to break the 4,000-point barrier. After several Tar Heel turnovers, the game was tied at 46 at the end of regulation.[38]. [108], On July 9, 1968, the trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sixers was completed, making it the first time a reigning NBA MVP was traded the next season. In the scuffle, Chamberlain injured his hand, and Philadelphia lost the next two games. Wilt retired from the NBA after the 1972-73 season with the . [71] Much like later center Shaquille O'Neal, Chamberlain would be fouled intentionally, and was a target of criticism because of it. [j] Chamberlain capped off his rookie season with a selection to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, winning the All-Star Game and the All-Star Game MVP award with a 23-point, 25-rebound performance. Chamberlain spent the night before the game in New York, partying all night with a woman. In 1982, the Sixers tried to lure 45-year-old Chamberlain out of retirement after he was out of the league for nine seasons. He played for the Philadelphia Warriors (which later became the San Francisco Warriors), the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Wilt Chamberlain weighed 275 lbs (124 kg) when playing. [125], In the 197172 NBA season, the Lakers hired former Celtics star guard Bill Sharman as head coach. Wilt's basketball career ended in October 1969, when he retired at the age of 33. Kareem also won six rings to Wilt's two. Russell never considered Chamberlain his rival and disliked the term, preferring competitors, and also said that they rarely talked about basketball when they were alone. In a closely contested Game 7, Chamberlain tied the game at 107 with 16 seconds to go, but Celtics shooting guard Sam Jones hit a clutch shot with two seconds left to win the series for Boston. Many of those moments were in Philly, where he spent four seasons (1964-68), won regular season MVP three out of those four seasons and led the team . [90][91] For these feats, Chamberlain earned his third MVP award. . Wilt Chamberlain was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1979 (Full List) [40], Having lost the enjoyment from NCAA basketball and wanting to earn money, he left college and sold the story named "Why I Am Leaving College" to Look for $10,000, a large sum when NBA players earned $9,000 in a whole season. "[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. Eventually he dropped her off at 6 am the next morning. (Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, Dippy, Dip, The Load, Big Musty, The Record Book, Hook and Ladder, Wiltie, Whip, Whipper), Position: Chamberlain stayed with the Warriors as they moved out to San Francisco in 1962. [6], He was the star player for the Overbrook Panthers basketball team, wearing jersey number 5. [10] Celtics forward Heinsohn said: "Half the fouls against him were hard fouls he took the most brutal pounding of any player ever. More than 7 feet (2.1 metres) tall, Chamberlain was an outstanding centre . Chamberlain had other plans, however, pursuing interests outside of basketball. [106] In Game 2, Philadelphia evened the series with a 115106 victory, and won Games 3 and 4, with Chamberlain suspiciously often played by Celtics backup center Wayne Embry, causing the press to speculate Russell was worn down. Wilt Chamberlain, while still considered by most to be the most dominant offensive force in history, only won two NBA titles in his career, one with the Philadelphia 76ers in . Chamberlain was a standout player at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. [62] Powered by his defensive presence, the Lakers embarked on an unprecedented 33-game win streak en route to a then-record 69 wins in the regular season, yet the streak led to one strangely dissonant event. Then, Phog Allen retired. [89] The motivation for this move remains in dispute. [71], In the 196263 NBA season, Gottlieb sold the Warriors franchise for $850,000,[o] to a group of businessmen led by Franklin Mieuli from San Francisco and the team relocated to become the San Francisco Warriors under new coach Bob Feerick. [62] His efficiency that season was reflected by a streak of 35 consecutive made field goals over the course of four games in February. [47] He appeared in ads for TWA, American Express, Volkswagen, Drexel Burnham, Le Tigre Clothing, and Foot Locker. EDITORS Kareem Abdul-Jabbar passed Wilt Chamberlain for the NBA's career scoring lead on April 5, 1984 during a game against the Utah Jazz in Las Vegas.
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