Imagine trying to cross Wilt Chamberlain with a 8'4" wing span. It is at these times that greatness is determined and Wilt doesnt have it. [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. [74], In the 196364 NBA season, Chamberlain got yet another new coach in Alex Hannum and was joined by promising rookie center Nate Thurmond, who eventually entered the Hall of Fame. "[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. Cherry says that the Sixers shot badly (Greer, Jones, Walker, Jackson, and Guokas hit a combined 25 of 74 shots), while Chamberlain grabbed 34 rebounds and shot 4-of-9 for a total of 14 points. [5], Chamberlain's game evolved over the years. [158], Chamberlain is holder of numerous official NBA all-time records. In the 1967 NBA Finals, the Sixers were pitted against Chamberlain's old team, the San Francisco Warriors. [142], Starting in the 1970s, he formed Wilt's Athletic Club, a track and field club in southern California,[143] coached by then UCLA assistant coach Bob Kersee in the early days of his career. [30] He reportedly had a 50-inch (130cm) vertical leap,[31] and was capable of converting foul shots by dunking, without a running start, beginning his movement just steps behind the top of the key. Chamberlain had . [38] It is considered one of the sport's greatest games. [24] There were contemporary reports of the games in Philadelphia publications, but he tried to keep them secret from the Amateur Athletic Union. [106], In Game 7, 15,202 stunned Philadelphia fans witnessed a 10096 defeat for the Sixers, making it the first time in NBA history that a team lost a series after leading 31. [114] In Game 1, the Knicks masterminded a 124112 win in which Reed scored 37 points. [63] Cherry comments that Chamberlain was "difficult" and did not respect coach Johnston, who was unable to handle the star center. [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. [51] In his third game, Chamberlain recorded 41 points and a then-career-high 40 rebounds in a 124113 win over the visiting Syracuse Nationals. [51], In what was the first of many match-ups, Chamberlain outscored Russell with 30 points versus 28 points but Boston won the game, and the ChamberlainRussell rivalry (see below) would grow to become one of the NBA's greatest of all time. He wished people would understand that their roles were different. 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. [132] In that game, he fell on his right hand and was said to have sprained it but it was actually broken. He boasted that he made love with 20,000 women. [10] According to Chamberlain, that was the time that people started calling him a loser. [142] He played occasional matches for the IVA Seattle Smashers before the league folded in 1979. [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. [84] For the fifth time in seven years, Russell's team deprived Chamberlain of the title. Cherry describes his house as a miniature Playboy Mansion, where he regularly held parties and lived out his later-notorious sex life. 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. [158] On-court rival and personal friend Bill Russell stated, "the fierceness of our competition bonded us together for eternity. His ability to leap from the foul line led to the rule that a free throw shooter must keep his feet behind the line. [211] When Abdul-Jabbar broke his all-time scoring record in 1984, Chamberlain criticized his game and called on him to retire. [117] In Game 1, Alcindor outscored Chamberlain 3222, and the Bucks won 10685. [152][153] His condition deteriorated rapidly in 1999 and he lost fifty pounds (23kg). 5 in ESPN's list of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team,[180] and No. ", Chamberlain is regarded as one of the most extraordinary and dominant basketball players in the history of the NBA,[41][5][10] often being debated as the greatest NBA player of all time even ahead of Michael Jordan. [35], Chamberlain's prospects of playing under Allen ended when the coach turned 70 shortly after and retired in accordance with KU regulations. In response, Chamberlain had everybody put all the pens in the middle of the floor and stepped on them. Over a ten-day period, there were 23 checks in the book, which would be a rate of 2.3 women per day. The 15-round bout would have taken place on July 26, 1971, in the Houston Astrodome. How old was Wilt Chamberlain when he entered the NBA? Most importantly, he was not afraid to stand up to the dominant Chamberlain, who was known to not communicate with coaches he did not like. [207], Cherry says that although Chamberlain was an egotist, he had good relationships with many contemporaries and enjoyed a great deal of respect. [62] Despite his individual success, the Warriors lost 49 of their 80 games and missed the playoffs. [32][e] Inbounding the ball over the backboard was banned because of Chamberlain. Jackson forced a jump ball on the rebound, and the Sixers won the championship. [56] The teams split the first two games, but Chamberlain got fed up with Heinsohn and punched him during Game 3. Scott Jenkins. [193], Chamberlain was the first big earner of basketball; he immediately became the highest-paid player upon entering the NBA. He also did not say where in Florida he died, but Jones had been living in the Orlando area. [95], In the 196768 NBA season, matters continued to turn sour between Chamberlain and Kosloff, the Sixers' sole surviving owner. [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. [12] Specifically, according to the 2 year contract that Chamberlain had signed prior to the 1971-72 season, if he failed to sign and mail back his next contract his contract with the Lakers would be deemed to be renewed. [111], After the game, many wondered why Chamberlain sat out the final six minutes. The Lakers won 60 games in the regular season and reached the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, a franchise that featured a healthy team with a rejuvenated Reed, while the Lakers were now handicapped by several injuries.
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