There's a story that he once killed a mountain lion with his bare hands. The only part of that story that's hard to believe is that a mountain lion would even consider attacking him in the first place XD
The thing I notice about Wilt when he dunked is that he never hung on the rim and pushed or elbowed guys the way shaq did so often. He also never lost control when he was challenged around the basket. He just overpowered the defender, but didn't try to hurt anyone. I wouldn't want to see him angry.
I *would* want to see him angry, lol. I think it'd be similar to Shaq though. I rewatch Shaqs game 1 of the 2001 Finals every so often and the dude was just beating the hell out of everyone. It was illegal (literally) what he was doing to other centers during the 3 peat.
***** I wish there was more footage of that era. Wilt once blocked Gus Johnson's shot (excellent player if you ever studied him) and dislocated Johnson's shoulder. The block was legal and Wilt didn't foul him. Mind you, Gus was 6ft 6 or 6ft 7 inches and about 250-260 pounds. A great athlete and one of the first athletic small forwards that were starting to appear in the NBA during the 70's. I got to see the tail end of his career. You ever notice when Wilt dunks the ball, it's one fluid powerful motion. He doesn't lose his balance with guys challenging him. Just amazing.
Timer dean, When you see Shaq, ask him has he ever bench pressed 400lbs? And while you're at it, ask Shaq or LeBron James or anyone else in the NBA today, if they can high jump 6'6" in canvass Chuck Taylor All Stars and broad jump 22'?
+C Howard bro u spelled my name wrong and i think LeBron and shaq can bench press 400lbs if they trained for it cuz if u didn't realize they're trained athletes and who knows maybe wilt used steroids lol
tymere dean LeBron James cannot bench press 400lbs! Nor can Shaq. You're dreaming! Nor can Shaq or Lebron play every minute of every game with people beating them. Todays NBA is soft! PERIOD
+tymere dean Wilt actually claimed to bench 600 lbs. He was stronger than Shaq. Wilt also claimed to have above a 50" vertical. Also I saw Charles Barkley out bench Shaq. Shaq was big and strong but he was no Wilt. No one is though, that's the point. Wilt was a freak of nature.
Am I the only one who gets so UPSET and ASHAMED of the fact that most basketball fan have no concept of how extraordinary of a player Wilt Chamberlain truly was??? He was a one in a million athlete and basketball player. Incredible player. They will remain ignorant tho because for the most part these basketball fans don't care about the actual sport, they're just "player fanatics" and mainstream sports media does not give the FOUNDERS OF THE GAME their proper credit and acclaim. The NBA basically didn't exist before Magic, Larry and Jordan (holy trinity lmao)... just fucking sad
+Darrel Be It is. And as just as much to hear young folks, I imagine, to for whatever reason, to simply vault Kobe over a Baylor, West, Robertson, Barry, even a Havlicek or Erving just because he came right after Jordan. Basketball (and excellence) existed before then.
The most physically dominant athlete to ever live. His sheer size was incredible to see in person. When I was a kid in 1971 or 72 my dad and I saw Wilt in LA score 23 points, grab 28 rebounds and block 15 shots at something like 36 years old. Standing next to 6-11 270 pound Bob Lanier, Wilt looked 4 or 5 inches taller and 30 or 40 pounds heavier. Lanier could literally hide behind him and you could not see him. Unbelievable sight.
Lookup the video where a retired 50+ year old Wilt shakes hands with and stands next to a young Shaq. Wilt makes Shaq physically look like a high school kid! AND, the look on Shaq’s face after Chamberlain shakes his hand and (makes a point by) yanks his off balance is very interesting and humorous.
I saw Wilt play with my Dad for the first time in the '60s and The Big Dipper was so large, I had to look twice because I couldn't believe how big Wilt was the first time I looked. People think Shaq was big but Wilt was next level big. Of course, Wilt dominated the boards, was the leading scorer, and dominated the paint on defense with blocked shots. Wilt is easily the most dominant center I've ever seen play in my lifetime and it's not even close.
One thing I like mentioning is the very end of Chamberlin's career overlapped with the start of Kareem Abdul Jabbar's NBA career. (Jabbar started in 1969, Wilt retired in 1973) You'd expect Jabbar, being 11 years younger, would dominate in those games. Not really. Jabbar did come out on top in some games, but Chamberlain was a thorn in his side the entire time. Chamberlin also routinely blocked the (supposedly) unblockable Skyhook. Unfortunately, they didn't track blocks back then so we aren't sure how many times he blocked it.
Just look at the dunk at 4:54 mark, he makes it look like nothing, yet that is a very difficult dunk. He's behind the basket and uses his length to straight arm it in from behind the backboard. Behind the backboard dunks have been in plenty of slam dunk contest. he did it with ease, in real games.
On October 12, 1999, I was in a hospital where my then seven-month-old daughter almost died from a respiratory virus called RSV. Good thing she was a large and feisty baby (she was 9.5 pounds at birth). When the nurse was taking blood, and she pulled the needle, we knew she was going to be OK. About five minutes later, I look at the TV. Sportscenter was on, but I had to mute it when the medical professionals were in the room. I look at the TV, and see a picture of Wilt Chamberlain with the caption "1936-1999." I rush to turn the volume on. I was stunned! I am an individual who is VERY stoic with serious issues such as death, but his really hit me - its impact only surpassed by Len Bias (I went to Maryland when he was there). A couple of minutes later, a nurse approaches me and notices my emotions. She says "I know you and your wife have been through a lot. Your daughter is doing great. We're just going to keep her another night for observation." I replied "Thank you, but that's not why I am emotional. They just announced Wilt Chamberlain died of a heart attack at the age of 63. Of course, the only things she knew about him was that he played basketball and claimed to sleep with 20K women. She said she was sorry, went to my wife to tell her your husband is emotional. When my wife saw the TV, she said "I don't doubt it. My husband is a sports historian and he met him personally ten years ago." Twenty years later to the day, the announcement of Wilt's death still resonates with me. There are other reasons besides the confluence of that day's events related to sports history. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
@@Fantline That's very kind of you. The other thing I remember when I watched Sportscenter later that day was the late Stuart Scott, as only he could say and in his own stule "Chamberlain shocked more people by dying today" For those who don't know, it is a reference to the bellman telling the Lakers when they arrived at the hotel in St. Louis after he dropped 100 points on the Knicks in Hershey. PA.
Dom2K I believe the referee is Earl Strom. It's amazing how few referees there were back in the mid '60s when this game took place. Since there were only 9 teams in the 1965-66 season, and only two refs required per game, there were a total of 10 refs in the NBA. Some of those names are legendary : Mendy Rudolph, Norm Drucker, Joe Gushue for example. The player who goes after is #11 Johnny Egan of the Bullets. They would later be teammates on the Lakers. The guy sitting on the floor at 0:25, as a result of bumping into Wilt, is a former Wilt teammate on the Philly Warriors Johnny Red Kerr.
ddenuci And the ref at 0:32 getting an earful from Wilt is Manny Sokol. I recognize this clip as being from the 1971 Lakers/Bulls playoff game. The full game is available on youtube. What happened at this point in the game is that a Laker (McCarter) believed he called timeout, and just dropped the ball on the court. A bull (Weiss) picked up the ball and went in for an uncontested layup since the Lakers had already begun walking back to the bench. Sokol claimed no timeout had been recognized.
TODAY SOFT ERA GOT EJECTED FOR TRASH TALK WILT PUSH REFS ARMS AND SHOVE TO HIM, STILL NOTHING. MISS REAL MAN SPORT. NOT THIS MODERN SOFT GIRLS WHO PLAY FOR MONEY AND MARKETING SELLOUT ONLY.
You know Wilt is a beast when they use the same music in this highlight video, as they do when a freaking kraken sea monster is coming out of the sea in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Wilt’s stamina is one of the many factors people overlook when they assess his impact. He never sat during games, often all season, in his 1950s and ‘60s heyday. He played 48 minutes a game, just about every game. And in his Lakers years, Wilt wasn’t aiming for 50 ppl, but he was a fine passer and defender.
Strong Af, if we ever turn into angels first thing at most i'd want to see Wilt benchpressing 500 Pounds while Arnold would be flabbergasted same time as Andre the Giant would be drinking over 100 beers next to them :D
Wilt is easily the most dominant player in the history of the game. I saw Wilt play and the first time I saw him in person, I couldn't believe how big he was, unbelievable. If he had had Shaq's temperament, he would have been scary. In my opinion, Wilt is the greatest center to ever play the game. Thanks for another excellent video.
As a kid, I met him, and I had the exact same impression. Bill Russell came out of the building after the game, and yes, he is tall, but very slender. Wilt, on the other hand, was like a redwood tree.
@@erichvonmanstein6876 Wilt was much bigger and stronger than Kareem and almost as tall. Wilt also dominated more facets of the game than Kareem - Wilt was a better shot blocker, rebounder, passer, defender than Kareem was at the end of his career when he faced Kareem despite playing on ONE good knee and in his prime Wilt averaged 50 against large Hall of Fame centers.
@@klicknkreate7077 wilt is garbage and overrated. Learn the game. In REAL circles everybody knows the debate on the greatest ever comes down to Michael and Kareem. Now i supposed lebron can be mentioned. Hes not THE greatest but hes earned a spot in the argument.
Wilt Chamberlain finished with a 30.1 career scoring average, second all time. However, at the end of his scoring title run, Chamberlain had an unfathomable 39.6 career scoring average, and after his 50 point scoring average season, his career scoring average was 42.2 points per game........yeah.......
Its because his last 7 seasons his coach said he scored too much so he focused more on assist, he coul of ended his career with 40 points if he wanted.
To all those fanboys and know-it-all haters, if Wilt played today he wouldn't just have stronger opposition blahblahblah. He'd also have the better training and diet regimens. And the result would be a walking fucking war crime.
It would be interesting to see him against Shaq - both in their prime. He was much more limber and maneuverable than O'Neal. And if LeBron tried to drive the lane against him? fugheddabout it !
Do you notice how Wilt was careful not to damage the rim when he dunked? He just throws it in, hardly touching the rim. If he wanted to, he could have done crazy showboat dunks!
Thanks, we have to keep the legend of the "Big Dipper" alive. Without video, no one would believe this. He was also a tremendous shot blocker and could run with the guards. He could have lasted longer if he didn't play the whole game and if he was in today's era, he would have the longevity technology and nutrition used by LaBron and Brady. Kareem stayed very thin his whole career and didn't fall into excessive living which really helped.
Man I could watch and listen to Wilt Chamberlain stories and watch highlights of him all day!!! Not enough superlatives to describe his. X Men Apocalypse Dominance and Greatness☀♌🔥
Modern day Wilt would have adapted to today's game because he was a total, complete 24/7 athlete who excelled in any sport he chose. Strong, fast, agile and smart. Would he score 100 pts a game? No, but he'd be an all-star in today's NBA.
There teams in the NBA that dont have anybody on there roster than could stop Wilt.He could definitely score a hundred today against the right team and they feed him the ball and the refs actually call fouls.
Wilt could smash that board if he wanted to, but a delayed game can be a terrible thing. So he simply just nudged it through, and run back on defense. No need for unnecessary flair, because he was practically unstoppable just jamming it home.
I always Refer to the 100 Point Game. Some people think Wilt Never Scored 100 Points cause there is No Film of it. There is No Film of Gerorge Washington or Abe Lincoln, does that mean they Never Exsisted? Clearly not. 100 Points will Never be Touched.
I normally expect "old school" stuff to be tame compared to today's athletes but Wilt is still eye popping awesome. I only saw him in his Laker years. He was unbelievable as a young player.
There was never a player who worked harder or longer for a championship and continuously disappointed than Jerry West. When Wilt came to the Lakers he made West smile for the first time in his career.
Wilt would light up Marjanovic for about forty with 20 boards and probably eight to ten blocks. Boban would be lucky to get ten points against Chamberlain, who would have him sucking wind by the second quarter and probably foul him out by the third. Wouldn't be much of a contest. The only thing Marjanovic has going for him is height. Wilt was a much better athlete and much more skilled.
what is even more remarkable wilt never could dunk with full force he always had to dunk very carefully because of the fragil backboards in the old days imagin wilt dunking on a actual backboard he would dunk completely different
For years I didn't understand - for years I didn't want to understand...He literally changed the free-throw rule, he altered the basket height, they forced him to play in college bc they were worried he would be too good (and the league was racist at that time): whatever he did he was amazing. I want people to understand this. 30pts, 24 rbs, 5 asts, 11 blckd shts. His first ten seasons Wilt had 12 blocks per game average - and yet they only counted the last 112 games of his carrer lol - Wilt averaged a Triple Double in his career in 30pts,24rbs, 11blcks. He averaged a Triple Double For His Career. This is a man who lifted. 6' 1" Schwarzenneger with one arm...Think about that. He lifted 8x strongest man in the world up with one arm. 15.9ft w arms. He holds over 90 NBA records (Jordan doesn't have. a dbl dbl for his career) Undefeated finals teams r an illusion. Barkley took 20m for his family to tank game 6 against Bulls. Russell lost 2 finals. '16 finals were rigged. Every great champion loses. *The true human element of sports - is to embrace the human element of the player, not the ideal. When u see the real personality is as big as the talent - that's how you understand where the talent comes from. He benched 1k pounds. I wish they had. filmed more of his games, and that he had been on a bigger market team from the start.He was stronger than Schwarzennegar, and Russel says in this video he was better than him. Russel played on the greatest sports team of all time so that's a separate conversation. I'm sad he's gone and can't believe they didn't do a better job of filming all of his games. He beat Magic one on one in a best of twelve when Magic was team captain and then proceeded to not allow a shot for the rest of the game. Ur talking about a human being that can bench press 1k pounds. A high jump, long jump champion and shot put champion. Any sport he played he was amazing. -'course he had gone to a bigger market team they'd have praised him from beginning. Final thoughts:just bc ur shoes sell doesn't make u great. Idols let u down 100% bc they are manufactured Ideals. U want real Gods look to people who lead by ex. Look to athletes that lived as people (isn't it interesting how the league doesn't want a black star ... until they decide to change their mind...?)
People dont understand that Wilt was actually a very powerful dunker. He didn't really break any backboards or rims cause he didn't hang on to it and wriggle around like he's having a seizure (like Shaq). He just threw the ball down forcefully through the rim and let go.
Well to me after seeing his records And seeing him play in videos I have got to be live what my eyes see Wilt Chamberlain is the GOAT 🐐 No doubt about it he is the GOAT 🐐
Tbh wilt is the best center in nba history of all time & the best player of all time. Wilt is even faster can most pg sg sf pf and centers of 2dy. Wat other 7'1 center do uk have a 52 inch vertical maybe even higher dan dat. If there was a conversation about the g.o.a.t then it would only about a handful of centers in da goat convo whih is Kareem shaq bill russel & hakeem. He only person 2 block da sky hook was wilt. The guy dunkedbda ball so hard wen it came down it broke a man's toe. Wilt was picking up 210-260 pound ppl which was 6'4 - 6'9 like babies. He was bench pressing 600+ wen he was 50 years old he was bench pressing 500+ he gt inducted into the volley ball hof. B4 h3 died @ 63 he was bench pressing 465. Wat other 60 year olds UK can bench pressing 460+ nobody. He's a beasf
A 7 foot 1 player (85 inches tall) with a 52 inch vertical means that the top of his head would be 17 inches above the rim. Watching all of his dunks in this video, (which by the way aren't that impressive), does it look like the top of his head comes close to the rim on any of these? You might say he was humble and didn't want to jump too high. To that I say bs because this was the guy that bragged about sleeping with 20k women and had his team foul the other team so he could get the ball back to get to 100 points. If he could jump and have his neck touch the rim I'm certain he would have done it on more than one occasion. So let me make sure I understand. Even though athletes in every other team and individual sport have drastically improved in the past 50 years somehow the nba in 1960 was peak performance. I mean, if the strongest and best player ever could only manage 54% shooting against those players, that must mean his competition (8 other teams in the nba in 1965) must have been way better than any basketball player today. I guess if you transported the nba from 1960 to today everyone in the nba today would be out of a job.
You will never see a 7 foot guy jump to his max in a basketball game the rim is only 10' high.Wilt could touch the rim without hardly jumping at all.What are u talking about?
What is with the comparisons? Wilt holds 98 records, he retired 40 years ago. He played against 11 Hall of Fame centers, who hold the other records that he set. 7 scoring titles, 8 FG titles, 11 rebounding titles, 1 assist title, 2 rings, if not for the Celtic dynasty; 7 game series that were separated by about 9 points, more rings. Also, the high flying dunkers would think twice with Wilt standing there, if he gets a hand on the ball, there down hard! My first team: Wilt, Magic, Bird, Jordan, Malone.
Howard Beck biggest nba myth was that wilt didn’t play against great centers. I always lol when I hear people say he only played against 6’3 center and Russell when in fact the average height of nba centers during his time were actually taller than the 90’s and today. FACT
Wilt dominated people with quickness, finess, power, and an incredible vertical leap. He didn't need to get away with offensive fouls the way Shaq did. If you allowed Wilt unlimited offense fouls the way Shaq got, Wilt would average 200 points per game in today's NBA.
Those behind the backboard dunks are not easy, even today you don't see it nearly as much as he did. His length and athletic ability let him do things that were taken advantage of. Some of those he's 6 feet behind the backboard, if he was able to lower his shoulder (Shaq) it would be easy for him. They compared Hakeem, but he was 6'10 with sneakers, he was quick and had hops, but Wilt was over 7'1 in socks, with the same speed and agility.
I can imagine that, and I don't like it. If Jordan played in the 60's he would not be the consensus GOAT. His shots would be goaltended so damn much. His career points would inevitably go down, due to the lack of a 3-point arc. Also, Magic and Bird would have surpassed him as better players. You see, I believe a huge part of why Jordan is widely considered the best to ever play, is because of the timing in which his career happened. Had it been any other time, people would probably not be so quick to spew out his name every time the question - "who is the greatest basketball player ever?" - is asked.
Mike was phenomenal but if he played in the 60's his numbers would drop a little, no palming of the ball,no carrying, no three point line. Mike played in an era where you could do all of those things and he played in the era of illegal defense, no such thing back in the 60's. There were better defenders at the wing position than Craig Ehlo back then. MJ wouldnt be any better than Wilt,Russell,Elgin Baylor,West,Oscar Robertson
That not fair, like what.machiel jordan said about kobe bryant he stole all my moves, I hear kobe bryant score 50s on machiel jordan he was very old, love early 1960s wilt would chew players today
There are 2 clips here that have remained a mystery to me, and I'd appreciate it if anyone could shed some light. The first is at 5:25. I think this is probably from the 1962-63 season, and the play starts with Al Attles passing the ball to Wayne Hightower, who then feeds the ball to Wilt. My question is "Why is the guy guarding Wilt wearing what appears to be a warm-up jacket"? I'm reasonably sure that team on the court with the Warriors is the Pistons because the court has the unique wall of the Cobo Arena. So the guy in the jacket is most likely 7'0" Piston center Walter Dukes. If this is a real game, it seems inconceivable that the refs would allow a player to wear something that does not have a number on it.
ddenuci The second clip is the one starting at 6:39. Here, a player is wearing sweatpants, and this is clearly not an official game. It looks like perhaps a college scrimmage. What's interesting is that Wilt is wearing #33, while one of the other players on the court is wearing #13. Is this a clip from Wilt as a college freshman playing an intra-squad game with his Kansas freshman teammates?
The dunk's name is taken from Wilt's nickname the big dipper. It's obviously inspired by the constellation but it was really because of the fact that he had to dip his head whenever he walked into a room because of how low most doorways are.
Wilt's "Baseline Dunk" move such as at 2:08 is truly amazing; not sure if anybody else ever did it. Jumping up with his head BEHIND the backboard, reaching UNDER the rim to dunk it. Requires the reach of Kareem, and the strength of Shaq, but way more vertical than Shaq could muster. Who does that leave that could also do it? Maybe Artis Gilmore?
Wilt had a longer reach than Kareen had and was only half an inch shorter but had a higher standing reach look it up. Kareem had a longer neck Wilt had a bigger body and was taller at the shoulders. He also had longer legs but a shorter torso.
Greatest Center Of All Time. Wilt could run the floor, block shots from the top of the backboard, Pass, rebound, handle the ball (He was a globetrotter), could score, up and under, finger rolls, hook shots, turnaround fadeaway bank shots, dunks of course. He battled Russell, Prime Kareem, Willis Reed plus other solid Centers. He was stronger than Kareem, more skilled than Shaq. Only center with more skills was probably Hakeem. Thats about it. RIP Wilt. Top 5 All Time.
@ 6:04 Wilt benched pressed at 600 pounds wow, Wilt is the greatest center to play the position I'm constantly amazed by his physical and mental adjustments.
I grew up watching Wilt, and feel fortunate to have seen the greatest basketball player of all time. He said in the video, when asked about guarding Shaq, what he would do. He said he would see what Shaq liked to do least and try to make him to it the most. Shaw didn't like to run much. He would run Shaq to death by about the halfway point of the 2nd quarter. Wilt was at least as strong as Shaq, was faster, a better leaper, and had incredible stamina. It would be no contest in the 2nd half.
Yeah, I'm not talking about who would win in a game, I'm talking about who is stronger. I have no doubt that Wilt would out-run Shaq and beat him that way. When I see people talking about how strong Wilt is and then I watch the game play, I see a guy who's fast, kinda strong, but is playing in a weaker and smaller NBA and not dominating the post like you'd expect someone who supposedly benched 600+lbs to do. I see Shaq ripping off sturdier rims and literally tearing down reinforced backboards, and players much taller and stronger than Wilt's days are getting flung around. And I've seen videos of Shaq benching over 400lbs in retirement. What I hear and what I've seen doesn't add up, strength-wise in this Wilt vs Shaq debate.
Thank GOD he was a nice guy....if he had played like Shaq the entire NBA of his time would have been injured on the bench. Making him angry would have been a really, really stupid thing to do. GOLIATH indeed.
This is also just a rumor, but it's said that Wilt could, at one point, do a full barbell-back-squat of 845lbs, and there are several people today who claim to have been there to see it firsthand and have verified it. We're talking about so much weight that he had to use special made plates that were heavier just to fit them all on the bar. Even for a man weighing between 310 and 340lbs, that's an absolutely incredible feat and would explain his nearly four foot vertical leap
This is the most important thing to remember: He was holding back because he didn’t want to hurt opposing players. If he wanted to, he could’ve averaged 50 for his entire career. He’s like a ghost story. People don’t believe what he did was possible. Sportswriters in the 60s treated him like a circus act.
I think Wilt would still be pretty great today because there's only a handful of legit centers. But I`d love to see how he'd do in the golden age of centers back in the 80-90's cause a lot of these dunks looks like he's playing with children as far as opposing athleticism. He would`ve probably been great in any error, I just doubt at that same 50ppg caliber.
Even if he played in the "golden age of centers" wilt was 7'1 with insane strength, a huge vertical, speed, and he could play all 48 minutes a game. There is absolutely nothing anyone would be able to do if he set his mind to scoring.
Dom2K Wilt , if playing in the 80's and 90's, being brought up in that era, would have been a 30% better player, and even bigger and stronger and would have handled those centers in that era with ease. To compare a man born in the 30's, with centers born in a far later era, is the ultimate compliment!!
Jay Hall Wilt was being asked to play in the 80's and 90's as he was. In his 40's and 50's. I have an article of him being recruited to play as late as the 1992 season by the New Jersey Nets. I do not believe him being born in the 30's was a hindrance to his abilities or is strength. Personally I think he played to his ceiling as he was. How else could he have set all those untouchable records.
Wilt Chamberlain Archive Athletes today have far better nutrition, physical training, motivation, (huge money and fame), great coaching, etc.,,this leads to a far better athlete. You take Wilt born today as a baby, with the same physical attributes, and as he grows up and progresses you would see a finished product at least 30% better and I think even larger physically. It is also a known fact now that Wilt often played with great pain and with a heart problem that came from the planned assault on him early in his career on the court that resulted in a devastating broken jaw that would haunt and threaten his health and lead to his untimely death.
This might be true for some players but learn about Wilt's individual circumstance and you might understand why I disagree. I think people get carried away with these modern diet and training assumptions. Reading up on Wilt you learn he grew up in a stable household and never went hungry. Probably ate actual food from grocers and butchers as supermarkets and fast food weren't so abundant. Meanwhile players today start out as ordinary kids, who grow up on diets of McDonald's, Fruit Loops and Pepsi... I don't think kids today eat better or America wouldn't have an obesity and diabetes problem right now. As for training Wilt strength trained himself since he was a teenager. The same age and doing the same things a lot of players do today with trainers, he was doing for himself. He even drew inspiration from race horses and gave himself hydrotherapy to recove incredibly fast from his knee surgery in 1970. Multi-sport athlete since childhood and stuck with it as an adult so his body would also have been extremely well adjusted to a wide range of tasks. He gave himself what we'd today call advanced training, just on his own accord. That's why he was bulked up to 320lbs by only his 5th NBA season. Got so heavy he had to cut weight. I honestly don't think he'd grow up taller or bigger, or all that superior today. I think he proved to have done the right things in his own time to reach his Zenith. The only way to make Wilt Chamberlain a markedly better player in my eyes is to somehow improve his free throws. And he'd already tried just about everything with those too. That's just my opinion on this, knowing a little background on his individual circumstances.
Wilt was 320 lbs when he played for Lakers some say as high as 340Lb. Shaq was 340 but Wilt looked like he was carved out of rock while Shaq look like he was big not much muscle tone and a flabby gut. Wilt looks way more athletic and he was much faster and could lift at least 100 lbs more .The last statement has been verified and documented no BS.. Shaq was a dominating big man for sure but he was no Wilt Chamberlain.
Almost all of the famous backboard breaks were "on purpose". Shaq, Daryl Dawkins, etc, all knew what they were doing. Wilt said that he knew that if he broke a backboard back then, that he would have been immediately ejected from the game, and likely suspended for multiple games.
He played in his prime at 300-315. He stayed in constant shape and lifted so he wasn't fat like Shaq but was bigger that Shaq by a lot. There's a video with him in his late 50's and street clothes, shaking shaq's hand, who was in uniform. Wilt towered over Shaq and almost ripped his arm off. Shaq looked up at him like he'd seen a ghost.
Whenever you hear anyone talking about playing him they always say something about how lucky it was that wilt was nice because he could have legit hurt people all the time, playing within the rules. If he played like Shaq did, a lot of people would have broken arms, wrists, collar bones and concussions. These 6’10+, 280+ lbs guys say he could toss them around like rag dolls, it didn’t even seem hard for him. Just think about how strong someone would have to be to do that. Its inhuman and thats why people always try to diminish his accomplishments. They cant believe someone like him ever existed without having seen it live.
A 36 year old , sore kneed wilt held a young Kareem to 58 for 140 in last 4 games 72 wcf playoffs which really decided the championship that year. I never saw any center of the 80s play a old Kareem that tough ....what a legend
1971-1972 Lakers was the best lakers Team. Wilt Played the defensive anchor. Winning Rebounding Title. Considering he is in the twilight of his career. Chamberlain is arguably the 1&2 interchangeable with MJ on GOAT. He just played an ERA we consider the softest, but came out writing the book of NBA Records that some will never be broken. I am sad i ddn't have the opportunity to watch him play an unfair basketball game, but thank goodness he was a gentle giant, not the War mongering players of the 80's.
I think Shaq is great but he does not have the speed, athleticism and finesse that Wilt had. Shaq relied more on power than finesse. Still, no matter how great you are individually, it takes a team to get a championship.
