I have to laugh at all the Wilt detractors and people who say Wilt was not strong. My father player football for Kansas when Wilt played basketball there. My dad remembers Wilt coming into the weight room to work out. The first time they saw him some of the players were laughing at this tall, skinny black kid--he weighted maybe 230-240 then at age 19 or 20. Well, Wilt would work out and get people's attention. Once he was attempting to reach a new max press. My dad already saw him pump a 6-rep set at 405 pounds! Wilt did a max bench of 475---freaking 475 pounds at his age and size. According to others who knew him later, like Arnold, he reached 495-500 on a singe max bench press. Wilt was just a freak of nature.
And much more skilled and atletic in general. This is why I can't understand when peopl say Wilt was only good 'cause of his era. He was taller, stronger, faster, more skilled than Shaq, so if Shaq could put up 27 and 12, Wilt could've put up at the very least 35 and 15.
Don't forget Chamberlain was 300 pounds. But, Chamberlain couldn't hold a candle to Doug Hepburn. In an interview, Arnold Schwarzenegger mentioned Chamberlain's weight... it was great for a non lifter, but mediocre for a lifter : * 170 lbs triceps pull-down on the cable (Doug Hepburn was pushing over 300!). Chamberlain's biceps & wrists curls were okay ; his cable row (back) was his weakest point. He was strong for a NBA player, but compare to strongman... not really. But, he was doing those incredible things on a 7'1 frame. It is impressive if you asked me.
Wilt was truly a phenom. There has never been anyone like him. His all-around athleticism is truly incredible. He was a middle-distance runner, high-jumper, etc... Amazing guy. He was also a really savvy guy. Smart and good-natured.
13 Stories that Prove Wilt Chamberlain was not Human: 1. Scored 100 points in a game against a 6-10 center (same size as Dwight Howard). 2. Recorded an NBA record 55 rebounds against BILL RUSSELL. 3. Blocked 26 shots in a game against the Detroit Pistons. 4. Recorded an "unofficial" quintuple-double (blocks and steals were not yet officially recorded) - 53 points, 32 rebounds, 24 blocks, 13 assists and 11 steals on March 18, 1968 against the Los Angeles Lakers with 7-0 Mel Counts at center. 5. 122 games (regular season and playoffs) with 50 or more points (Michael Jordan is the next closest with 39). 6. 32 games (regular season and playoffs) with 60 or more points (The next closest players are Kobe Bryant - 6, Michael Jordan - 5, and Elgin Baylor - 4). 7. Wilt recorded the ONLY official double triple-double in NBA history, 22 points, 25 rebounds, 21 assists on February 2, 1968 against a Detroit Pistons team that had two Hall-of-Famers and two All-Stars not in the Hall (as well as a player who averaged a double-double over his career but never made an All-Star game). 8. Wilt is the ONLY player in NBA history to record a quadruple double-double (40+ in two different categories). HE DID THIS 8 TIMES. 9. Wilt once went 18 for 18 from the field on February 24, 1967 against the Baltimore Bullets. 10. Wilt is the ONLY center to ever lead the league in assists for a season (1968). 11. Wilt averaged 45.8 minutes a game over his career and never once fouled out. 12. Wilt has 78 total OFFICIAL triple-doubles. The next closest center is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 21. 13. Wilt recorded a 30-30 (30+ points and rebounds in a game) 103 times. All other NBA players COMBINED have done this a total of 28 times throughout the history of the league. I picked 13 stories to commemorate the jersey number he wore throughout his NBA career. There are so many more stories that could be used, not only in the NBA, but in college and high school as well. Not to mention his time with the Harlem Globetrotters. There are also many off-the-court stories (Google "Lynda Huey + Wilt + boat" for one amazing example). I grew up in the Jordan era, but after doing thorough research I've come to realize Wilt's greatness. A real-life Paul Bunyan. Picture a man with the strength of Shaquille O'Neal and the agility of Hakeem Olajuwon. That's Wilt Chamberlain.
I read it in an interview with Harvey Pollack, the famous sports statistician who followed Wilt's career, which I am having trouble finding. Here is a recent article about James Harden's 50-point triple double that mentions Wilt's official stats in that game: www.nytimes.com/2017/01/01/sports/basketball/james-harden-wilt-chamberlain-houston-rockets-keeping-score.html?_r=0
Well, Oscar has the record for most triple-doubles with 181 (not sure anyone will catch that). Wilt has the most out of any center... But remember, they didn't count blocks or steals during Wilt's career. Had they, Wilt would have more than Oscar (as Harvey Pollack recorded many games where Wilt had 10+ blocks). That's what's amazing about number 12 though; Wilt, a center, had 78 games with 10 or more assists! Wilt does have the most career double-doubles of any player.
Shaq is blubber Wilt is muscle. Wilt was faster, leaner, taller and stronger and more agile than Shaq or anyone. Wilt would foul Shaq out in the first quarter. Look what Wilt did to 7 foot Walt Bellamy. Jordan is a little boy next to Wilt. Wilt grabbed 55 rebounds in a playoff game vs Boston and Bill Russell. Unheard of today.
to grab 55 rbs off bill russell wow...shaq thought yao was a force you cant compare anyone to wilt shaqs only hope would be to start a fight with him and hope wilt doesnt break him up to get him the technical and booted out the game lol shaq was held by rodman lol mind you dennis was a beast but omg 600 lb bench and the agility of a ninja lol i wish i could have seen him play live so bad
When I was a kid watching Wilt, I knew he was a great great player who fans didn't appreciate!! Way,Way better than Shaq!!! RIP The greatest center ever!!
athanasia columbus actually Kareem Abdul Jabari is the greatest center ever But no doubt wilt is the strongest NBA player EVER and you know you don't mess with Wilt if Arnold tells you That Wilt is amazingly strong
@@iliketacos886 Yeah, old comment, but just have to mention - Kareem never had Wilt's stamina. "The Greatest" is a subjective measurement, but one-on-one, both in their prime, I would have to go with Wilt over any other NBA player I've ever seen.
I think Wilt would have done fine after he healed up. He was playing volleyball professionally with world class players after his NBA career was over. He was offered NBA contracts at ages 45 and 50, did a lot of training in the 80s and said in 1986 that he felt in better shape than he had in 20 years. He even ran the Honolulu marathon and finished the 50-mile Canadian race in the 90s.
Wilt is better than Jordan.... Wilt was a better scorer, blocker, and wilt had pretty man assists... Wilt himself changed basketball with goaltending and all that. He would dominate any era hands down
But still only managed to win 'just' two championships in an ERA where scoring is as easy as eating a piece of pie, well yeah really better than Jordan.
I didn't say you can't hand check a guy today Mr. Daniel. And if, Wilt is that good, he should have focused on team success rather than personal achievement. Wilt never had half of Jordan's success as a team player, just individual success and individuality is never the essence of a player; and how much more a GOAT.
Simon Guillen Jordan's success as a team player?? Wilt was the team. Was it his fault? Wilt was double,triple and even quadruple teamed, and hacked every time he got the ball. Jordan played 17 years, Wilt played 14 and could have played another 5-10 years if he wanted too. It took Jordan 8 years before he won his first title. You win as a team and you lose as a team. "We will never see a player like Wilt Chamberlain ever again" Michael Jordan quote after Wilts death. Everyone hated Wilt Chamberlain. If he won, everybody said "well look at him". If he lost, they would crucify him. No player in NBA history had the amount of pressure on them the way he did and no player ever will.
Wilt was the man. He was going easy too. If he played like Shaq and not worry, that he would hurt someone, he would have been even more unstoppable. The greatest ever along with Jordan. Can't decide. Both are just to great to put them lower than the number 1 spot. I can decide Wilt is GOAT by himself. Jabbar is nr. 2 and MJ is number 3.
Hey I like how you placed those 3 I'm coming up on 60 years old I him when did he start before I was born I heard he was fouled a must have been good with patients he could have hurt a lot of people great athlete
Wilt led the league in scoring 7 times, rebounding 11 and assists once. He has the record for most points averaged, most points in one game, most rebounds in one game, regular season and playoffs, most consecutive field goals made(18) highest field goal percentage, most 50 point games in a season, most 40 point games in a season, most field goals made in a season. Wilt Chamberlain had 45 50+ point games in a season, more than Jordan had in his career. He holds 62 NBA records.
That's right. So the players took advantage of Wilt when he had 5 fouls. They drove to the lane. Wilt, so conscious of his record, would not challenge the shots.
People that say Wilt wouldn’t be dominant in this era forget that he would be guarded by Karl Anthony Towns on a nightly basis... he’d average over 5 blocks a game even now, probably could average 30/15/5/5 in today’s game if not better
Thank you, Jaranarm. I am still a student of the game. In my opinion, the best players were from the parks in the old era. They had their own beautiful styles like Gervin and the Dr. They were tough as coffin nails. I knew Chamberlain was strong. I just never knew he was this strong. Today's game is different. It's full of showboats that don't really know how to win. It's still fun to watch. I just can't stand it when youngings flap their mouth about Kobe this or Shaq that. These people don't have a clue.
Take into account that he played every minute of every game one year averaging more minutes per game than anyone in history and he did that in a 80 game season. He also never had a season where he averaged less than 42 minutes per game. Possibly the best endurance for any athlete his size in history.
Mack and Conner Wilt is one of the greatest shot blockers of all time. Some guys looked at 110 of wilts games in his later career and in those games he averaged 8.8 blocks a game. Rebounding is also a large part of defense and he was the best there is.
Mack and Conner Defensively yeah i agree but not by much. Theyre some of the best interior defenders in nba history. And in terms of who blocked more, it was wilt. Bill i think was a better blocker though because a lot of the time the block went back to his teammates whereas wilt just swatted them away mostly.
i miss the man,,strongest man ive ever seen in basketball. I watched him all i could growing up,even though i didnt root for his teams..he was truely something to watch...look at video when he was 50 years old,incredible human specimen.I think if he were playing now, he would have scored alot more .,probably lead in scoring ,rebounding,shooting percentage,assists,and blocked shots and thats no joke..You never knew what feats he might do, MJ was like that , never knew from minute to minute if you might see something youve never seen done before..
That's actually really nice of you to say, not being sarcastic at all. He seemed like a pretty nice guy, & I think we all enjoy seeing guys like that on the winning side once in a while.
+Hamza Mohammed Both were extremely versatile. MJ's old man game was fun to watch, he had a deadly post fadeaway to go along with some post moves and ball fakes that would make Hakeem proud. At the same time, Wilt, despite his physical dominance, was almost more of a finesse player, with his speed, ball handling, passing, footwork, and shooting touch
+dimmacommunication He also tried out for the Kansas City Chiefs once when he considered quitting basketball after his rookie year due to an officiating bias where he would get hacked and not get anything called and was projected to be a starting tight end before he went back to the NBA. He also scheduled multiple fights with Muhammad Ali (all of which Ali's trainer cancelled)
+dimmacommunication Yeah. His size, athleticism, strength, length, and intelligence in addition to having some of the biggest hands in the history of pro sports would have made him unstoppable
It's a shame how modern day media disrespect Chamberlain saying he didn't play against good players and if he played today he would be an average player and I say bulls"#t !!
Mike: "I thought of myself first, the team second. I always wanted my teams to be successful. BUT I WANTED TO BE THE MAIN CAUSE." (emphasis mine) HE wanted to be the center of the spotlight; he was selfish to the core. He only wanted to win if it brought praise TO HIM. In his mind, HE had the best shot most of the times down the floor.
Wilt was so strong, one day I saw him get mad, pick up the Earth will all of it's life still attached to it, and slam it through the rings of Saturn. Pluto is still shaking.
+Derrick Rose I think, from the George Mikan era on, any player that's been truly dominant in their era of the NBA could dominate any era. Steph Curry could still succeed with his vision, handling, speed, and finishing on the fast break (that dominated Wilt's era) or in the half court (that dominated the 90's and still sometimes dominates today). Wilt and MJ of course could. Pretty much any HOFer and/or MVP from the time of Mikan and after could dominate any era
Wilt was probably one of the most all around players. He could pass, rebound play defense, block shots, and best of all, score. He averaged 50 points in a season, he scored 100 in one game, he averaged 9.0 assists in a playoff series, he led the league in assists during a regular season. He has the all-time record in career rebounds, rebounds in one game, rebounds in one season ,rebounds per game in one season, and rebounds per game career. He was average over 6 blocks for his career.
Funny story from Alex Hannum : 'Wilt was really concerned with Swede [Halbrook]... Wilt never had to look anyone in the eye and would get more involved in trying to outplay Swede than he would in trying to win the game'. Also KAJ outscored Wilt (even if the Stilt was out of his prime and Wilt's role wasn't the same at that point). Wilt was great but he has flaws in his game; everybody had/has.
+Nathalie Leduc No flaws in his game, but sometimes in his mentality. MJ had the same thing. That's why the great coaches are great. Because they can refocus a player's mind on what needs to happen to win the game. Bill Sharman did it for Wilt, Phil Jackson did it for MJ
shaqpopcorn34 Wilt had flaws with his free throw shooting, but Shaq was nearly as bad. Also, your name almost disqualifies you from this argument because it shows your definite bias. 1. Wilt was the only offensive option on his team and the game was played at a breakneck speed, of course he's gonna set some records for bricks. 2. You know why those percentages are lower? Because Wilt was double and triple teamed every time he caught the ball when playing for the Warriors. Shaq always had some great weapons around him. In addition, several refs from his era have admitted to allowing the people guarding Wilt to get away with dozens of fouls each game and giving Wilt no lenience on the other end. Despite this, he still shot an NBA record 12 free throws a game for his career and never fouled out of a game. Shaq was the king of the superstar treatment. He could get away with whatever offensive fouls he wanted and get away with a lot of defensive fouls too, despite this he still fouled out of 64 games in his career. Let's just ignore the fact that Wilt also holds the single season FG% record. And it wasn't from being some useless old guy who took a couple shots a game, he was still one of the best players in the league in his last year (when he set the record). Despite the fact that Wilt was relied upon for so much more offensively, Shaq shot merely 4% better from the field and less than 2% better from the FT line. Another thing was that Wilt was a prolific mid range shooter Shaq couldn't shoot a jumper to save his life. 3. Shaq averaged more turnovers than assists for his career. He is the only HOFer to ever do that. 4. What's scary is that Wilt was way better than Shaq despite the fact that he wasn't exposed to training methods nearly as advanced as the ones in Shaq's era. If he played later on and those training methods were available I think there would be no question of Wilt's GOAT status
shaqpopcorn34 Why do you think that is? Because he took more shots and the defense was tougher. Defensive schemes in Shaq's era were more complex, but Shaq would never have been able to shoot that efficiently if he were the only offensive option and got double and triple teamed every time he got the ball. Shaq always had great shooters surrounding him (Dennis Scott, Nick Anderson, Penny Hardaway, and Jeff Turner all consistently shot above 35% from 3 in Orlando, Derek Fisher, Mike Penberthy, Kobe, Robert Horry, Isaiah Rider, Rick Fox in LA) so the team had to also focus on the shooters which let Shaq go 1 on 1. Not to mention, Wilt was far more versatile. He could actually shoot jump shots, made Shaq look like a couch potato in terms of athleticism, had outstanding post footwork and moves as opposed to solely relying on brute strength, was one of the pioneers of the one man fast break, showed later in his career that he was the best passing big man in league history and one of the most dominant defenders to play the game, making an All Defensive Team in each of the first 5 years it was introduced (1969-73), including the first team in '72 and '73 when Bill Russell, the greatest defender of all time, really hit his decline. Shaq made 3 all defensive second teams and no first teams for his entire career. Also, the thing about the training methods is that the main group of people it helped was the guards, as when guards became more and more explosive, they were fully able to do everything on the court, it also helped that the NBA loosened up its carrying rules, that made it much more possible for guards to penetrate defenses and create shots off the dribble. The big man game didn't evolve really, if anything it devolved. The great centers from Wilt's era would have succeeded in any era. Wilt definitely would. Bill Russell would be like Anthony Davis but substitute a jump shot for some more athleticism and unmatched Basketball IQ. Bill Walton, Wes Unseld (imagine a beefed up Dennis Rodman with a sniper rifle arm on outlet passes), Walt Bellamy, Kareem, Bob Lanier, these guys were more than good enough to dominate in any era. The thing that has improved in the NBA throughout its history is guard play. After George Mikan established the dominance of the big man, over time teams started trying to make guards more effective
My heroes wear dog tags, but I do love comic books & Stan Lee surely is a genius of the medium. He has brought me hours & hours of reading pleasure. Wow, I never heard that that Bulls team was that good. I don't know about better than the Knicks, though. Don't get me started on team play, lol. They were a sight to see; they just dug up out of the archives Game 5 of the 73 Finals. Amazing. Wilt scores the last shot of the game, an uncontested dunk; was the last shot of his career. And I see...
Jordan played in a more watered down expansion filled era than Wilt. MJ would have had a tougher time playing in 1962. No easy layups or dunks with Wilt, Bellamy, Lanier, Russell and Thurmond under the basket. They also let Jordan get away with traveling as they did James who walks nearly every single time.
+Larry Blong Thanks for some FACTS. And those are the facts. Tired of that crap "Wilt only had Russell to challenge him, he played against a bunch of 6'6 guys." What? What a crock is more like it.
+Larry Blong Wilt played in a super low skilled league where hall of famers could only dribble with one hand and a player could get 50 rebounds. Do you know how bad the shooting skills are if you can get 50 rebounds a game? Jordan on the other hand, is considered by hall of famers, coaches, top 50 of all time players, as the Greatest of All Time. I am pretty sure their experience trumps any youtube poster.
+MrFraiche It was not a "low skilled league", players back then had to play under much stricter rules. Try telling Jordan to dominate the game under 60s rules, like only being allowed to touch the top of the ball while dribbling. There is a reason why many players back then stuck with one hand most of the time. They loosened up a lot of rules when Jordan played to make the game look more exciting.
+MrFraiche Back in the early 60's, players were generally encouraged to take the first available decent shot, as opposed to working the shot clock down as has been the case the past 20-30 yrs. So, there were more shots taken (made and missed) per minutes played, more rebounds as well.
Wilt was so strong that once when God was once asked if he make a stone so large that he couldn't lift it he replied, "No, but Wilt Chamberlain could."
By pure observation, he was the best athlete in the history, and is not even close, that kind of coordination and agility for a man of his size is hard to believe
"What MJ fans hate is when folks try to defame him with BS." Exactly what is this "BS" you speak of? That he was literally invincible on the basketball court and could do whatever he wanted? That he had the best stats across the board than anyone ever? That he could turn any ordinary group of guys into winners and better players? That he had the greatest will to win and was the best athlete in any sport of the century? Because these are things MJ fans themselves say with no substantial backing.
***** i would take wilt next-> your argument is flawed. I have the greatest perimeter scorer and the greatest post scorer of all time, while having two dominant defensive players of all time. Magic/lebron would be solid, but the lack of defense, scoring, mental toughness wouldn't compare to the 2 greatest players of all time.
***** Bird, Jordan and Robertson are all great shooters. I have a feeling Bird would make Durant cry. Just a feeling. Barkley would be powerfull and talented enough to present all kinds of problems for James. Barkley was a great rebounder and a very very efficient scorer. Robertson was actually a big point guard and he was very strong and well rounded. When Jabbar says someone is the greatest I tend to think that he was at least very very good. Jordan does everything better than Kobe except for shooting 3s a bit worse. And he is the second greatest leader of all time. Only behind Magic. Wilt was isnanely powerful, atletic, skilled and had way more stamina than Shaq. Many are telling stories about Wilt's strenght and you still doubt it? Schwarzi said Wilt was the strongest guy in the gym FFS. Wilt was also using skills a lot more than Shaq. Against Shaq he wouldn't even need to worry, that he'd kill him, if he went hard. No one was more dominant than Wilt and he faced great centers a looooooooooooooooooooooooot more often than Shaq did. At 29 alone Wilt played 44 games against great centers (14 vs Russell, 9 vs Thurmond, 11 vs Bellamy and 10 vs Beaty). He dominated them all. Shaq didn't play nearly as many games against Olajuwon, Ewing, D. Robinson and Mourning. Not even in the same universe. Wilt is basically ÜberShaq + a shitload of stamina and a bit more skills. Even, if we pretend they are equally skilled. There is no denying that Wilt had a loooooooot bigger gas tank.
Wilt is better than Jordan is vague. Wilt was a better basketball player that Jordan: disagree Wilt was a better athlete than Jordan: Agree Wilt was a more dominate player than Jordan: Agree When you are talking about basketball, one thing weights more than others: wins and don't give me other players on the team crap, because great players like Jordan, and Russell make the other players on their team better. Also Wilt played on the Lakers with Jerry West and a few more who were considered some of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Don't go there, to say Jordan made the players on his team better is insulting to the greats he played with. If you knew anything about Jordan you would know he treated most of his teammates like complete and utter shit. Russell made his teammates better because he was a player coach, Jordan was an asshole plain and simple. Pippen made himself a great player and Rodman was a great rebounder with no thanks to MJ, Steve Kerr was a great shooter with no thanks to MJ. The only notable players on Wilt's Lakers are Elgin Baylor who was washed up due to injury and only scored 20 total points during the 1970 season and had terrible scoring averages every year on the Lakers after 1970, Jerry West who was probably the only other superstar, and Gail Goodrich who wasn't even a superstar player. Jordan had 2 hall of famers who were playing at their very best, he didn't make anyone better.
Jordan was only better at dribbling and shooting free throws and from far. His smaller size allowed him that. Wilt was better at rebounding, blocking, assisting and in the paint. Wilt led the league in scoring for 7 sraight years until coaches asked him to play a more defensive role. He led the league in rebounds per game for 11 years. He led the league in minutes per game for 9 years, he led the league in FG% for 9 years, he was even 2. and 3. in assists per game for 2 years. Had they counted blocks only god knows how many times he would lead in that. When you consider everything, Jordan was only better in FT%. Which made him a bit more efficient scorer. But Wilt was way more important in all segments of the game. I rank Jordan at nr. 1 alongside Wilt only because Jordan was the greatest in the playoffs and finals. Wilt was great in the playoffs too, but people lack knowledge on the matter.
kiikiikhan I consider Bill Russell to be the greatest individual playoff performer of all time. He played in 10 deciding Game 7s and was victorious in all of them. He averaged 18.6 points and 29.3 rebounds in those 10 games, way above his averages. In the playoffs Russell also increased his assists and FT%. Unlike Russell, Jordan never finished top 10 in points, rebounds, and assists in a single post season. People talk of Russell's low FG%, but he was the opposite in the playoffs when it mattered. Everyone forgets that Russell has the record for the highest FG% in NBA Finals history with 70.2% from the field, along with a record 40 rebounds in a single Finals game, which he accomplished twice. People remember Jordan scoring over Craig Ehlo, Gerald Wilkins, Kevin Johnson, and Bryon Russell. Okay, well Bill had to defend the interior and grab boards over Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry Lucas, and Willis Reed. He also protected the rim against perimeter guys like Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, and Walt Frazier. He accomplished everything he did while facing better competitors on a more frequent basis. Jordan doesn't come anywhere close to Russell's individual achievements in the post season, and I can recount multiple instances where Jordan was costing his team. Jordan's own coach Phil Jackson even picked Russell over him in an all-time draft. No player showed up more for his team in the playoffs than Bill Russell did, and there's a reason why the Finals MVP award is named after him.
gerizzyYMcrew Not hard to have 6 chips (could've been 8 or 9) when there are 29 teams, 25 of which don't matter and the best teams had only one or two great players. Jordan never faced a team in the Finals that had a dominant center and he frequently faced weak matchups on the perimeter. Russell was battling Hall of Famers while Jordan was battling scrub talents and weaker rosters. 90s = diluted era.
Alright people don't know basketball. When wilt played he didn't have any competition besides bill Russell who kicked his butt more often than not. Shaq had the most aggressive back down in NBA HISTORY PEOPLE !!!!!! HAKEEMS FOOTWORK WOULD HAVE MADE WILT DIZZY DO YOU UNDERSTAND. Shaq was the most dominant center of all time. He did what he did against the best class of nba centers in the 90s. He played in the hardest period possible to be successful as a big man and is sixth all time I. Scoring. Only one spot behind wilt. Wilt went against fairly soft competition outside of Russell. Shaq had to go through the best. Shaq thrown like a rag doll? Please. If shaq went against those guys bullying people like he did he would've done the same thing if not more. Let's not be Blind. They must not know that shaq was 300+ and aggressive. He truly dominated the best. I wish we could see them square off against each other.
In the several photos of them together, it is obvious that Shaq is quite a bit smaller than Wilt, due to the difference in how players were measured then vs. now. Wilt was almost 2 inches taller than Shaq, over 2 inches wider at the shoulder, 4 inches wider wingspan, and had more than 12 inches more vertical, not to mention being drastically faster. Shaq was fatter to be sure, though undersized and way too slow to handle Wilt otherwise. Also, Hakeem and Bill Russel were the same actual barefoot height, 6-9.5
Shaquille O'neal's highest recorded bench press was 450 pounds. Wilt Chamberlain's highest recorded bench press was 550 pounds. Overall, Wilt Chamberlain is an echelon above Shaq as an overall dominant ATHLETE. Wilt could jump higher, run faster, and really he was stronger. Shaq just has more junk in his trunk. Wilt was a track star in college, and he was able to average 48.5 minutes in the insane pace of the 60's. All while drinking 7up during timeouts! Shaq would not last in the 60's, he would be too fatigued. I dont see him averaging 40 min a game. He has little work ethic as well. Wilt faced Russell, Bellamy, Reed, Thurmond(a 7 footer who Kareem says is his toughest defensive matchup ever.), Hayes, all of these players Wilt saw 8-10 times a season EACH. Shaq dominated horrible centers on a nightly basis, because he would only see the best centers 2-3 times a season each.
Hakeem Olajuwon used to do Shaq in all the time. Hakeem used to get done in all the time by Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Kareem came in on Wilt's decline...now what does that tell you? It's the food chain....and Shaq is on the bottom of that food chain. :DD
He had 55 boards one game against Russell, Russell couldn't stop him, he just had better teammates. Wilt had Shaq's ability to back people down, Alojuwon's turnaround and fadeaway, he was the best rebounder ever, best shot blocker ever, and, oh by the way, he was a good enough passer to lead the league in assists. Someone clearly doesn't know basketball and that would be you.
NBA is total garbage. I would bet the the 9-73 Sixers team of 1973 could win the NBA championship today. The league is watered down with 30 teams. They can't drive to the basket without walking. James walks almost every time he gets the ball. No hand checking like in Wilt's day. You can't triple team a guy like they did Wilt until the player gets the ball. that's a huge difference so easier for fat Shaq and the others lousy centers. Also these games today are also put on games. That's right fixed. Vegas gets the word and the public gets ripped off. They bet HTN in game 3 and they lose by 35. Then on Monday they bet GS and HTN wins by 20. Then they bet HTN with 10 in game 5 and GS wins by 14. All crooked and in cahoots with Vegas.
Al Attles said the exact opposite of what you said about double-teams. He said it wasn't common back in the days... only the Celtics did, but it wasn't organized. espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-120302-03/weekend-dime-half-century-later-wilt-100-stands-tallest
+Larry Blong Double-team and triple-team were almost rarely used by teams (except by Boston). Zone defense became legal after the Lakers three peats. www.nba.com/analysis/rules_history.html
You were ALLOWED to put multiple guys on Wilt BEFORE he got the ball and they did it all the time. They changed that rule so Shaq would only have 1 guy on him until he got the ball. That rule change would have made it SOOOOOO much easier for Wilt with one man on him.
+Larry Belong Primo, teams rarely triple-team today because it is a very bad defensive scheme in the first place. A triple-team is always opening large shooting spaces. Segundo, are you saying Al Attles and the NBA site is lying? Tersio, I can give you thousands of players who praised today's defensive schemes... but loathed the zone era or the nonexistence of the toughness : Jordan (on his good days), McGrady, AI, Duncan, Garnett... References : (resquested video)NBA defenses - Changing the game -- available on UA-cam Doug Moe's thoughts on the old NBA (before the merger) were acerbic. He always said the ABA was head and shoulder above the NBA. He was right, because many rules and strategies were adopted by the NBA after the merger... only the blue-red-white ball was left. Everything else were brought into the new league. There are many books written on the subject.
It adds to what I was kind of saying. We never saw Jordan control games without taking a lot of shots although we know it's not his fault, but we didn't see him play any other role effectively otherwise. Not even Oscar chucked as many shots as Jordan. When Worthy sat out against the Sixers Magic took over his scoring load and dropped 34 points with 62% shooting. When Kareem sat out against the Rockets Magic replaced him at center and dropped 38 points with 61% shooting. That's versatility.
I agree. Many of the bench players today are more concerned with jumping up and clowning on the sidelines than preparing themselves for the coach's call. Jack Haley started the constant sideline celebration. You may remember him, he was Rodman's best buddy. He couldn't play a lick but had a 9 year career cheering his ass off. Other marginal players picked up on Haley's formula for staying in the league. Bench cheering also became a way to get noticed. I wish they'd all sit their asses down!
Have you watched Wilt Chamberlain play? His combination of strength, athleticism and large hands to secure rebound was unlike any other. There is no one single player that could out-rebound him.
Once a reporter said in 1970 that Wilt's scoring days were over. Wilt heard about this, and accepted the challenge. The next game he scored 68. After he retired, he said that if he had wanted to set the NBA all time scoring record he would have destroyed it.
The thing about Wilt was that he didn't abuse his strength. He was actually a nice guy and didn't hurt other players like he easily could have. I think he was such a great athlete with such a high level of skill that he didn't have too abuse his strength. It didn't pay to piss him off though. lol
I saw Wilt when he was with the Lakers, past his prime. But he was still a real presence. He would set the meanest picks. His teammates would get wide open shots. The problem today is that everybody just looks at stats. Fantasy leagues are more important than the actual game. Well, sorry, there is no stat for setting screens so your teammates can get open looks. Nobody, but nobody, could set a screen like Wilt. And nobody ever will. He was one of a kind.
When the same story comes from multiple sources, the chance of it being true gets higher and higher. Especially when it's coming from players who played with and against him.
You're welcome, because I usually don't allow opinions. BTW I've loved basketball since about 1967 or 68. It was about that time that the Bulls were introduced to Chicago. I went to a few games every year. I saw Wilt, Kareem, DR.J. When MJ arrived, my childhood friend was hired as the Bulls accountant. She gave me VIP seats in the 7th roll behind the Bulls' bench whenever I wanted them. I took in 10-15 games a year during the Jordan era. My boys and I had a blast.
No one could intercept the passes because when you throw it that high the only player tall and athletic enough to get it was Wilt Chamberlain. The same things would happen today.
You mean no Jackson? Hate to disagree but bo wasn't in the same class, wilt could lift him one hand Easley, I doubt bo could lift wilt no I know he couldn't
corneil Madison assuming that pure strength is the only factor for athleticism, that would be true, but there are other factors, right? Besides, I said they were the two greatest. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are on an equal playing field.
He didn't outscore Wilt, that guy made that up. If u look at the box scores Wilt was out scoring Nate Thurmond when he was with Philly,64-65,65-66,66-67,67-68, When Wilt went to the Lakers, West and Baylor were doing a bulk of the scoring and then Gail Goodrich came aboard and Wilt wasn't scoring as much because those guys were taking all the shots and plus his coach asked him to score less to help the team. Wilt shot a much higher percentage than Thurmond. Thurmond as great as he was shot in the early 40's from the field during his career, whereas Wilt was shooting between 54%-73% from the field
All stories get better when told. I remember when the ABA had its 1st dunk contest. I missed it. The next day all the fellas were going on about how Dr.J dunked from 2 ft behind the FT line. "OMG", I said, "I hate I missed it." When I finally saw the dunk, years later, I noticed that he was 1 foot INSIDE the line. The fellas didn't lie, per se, they made the story worth listening to. Thats what these guys do when it comes to Wilt. They don't lie, they just make the story worth listening to
You are correct, those fellows ushered in a revolution all right. And all those men you are listing are extraordinary athletes, would be great in any era...s'why they're awesome.
He really could've played at a high level until he was 50. The world missed out. Let greatness flourish, stop trying to get in on their act. That messed uo Wilt's head cause he held back because some selfish nothing couldn't develoo skills like him but didn't want to feel bad because Wilt dominated so absolutely when he tried his hardest
MJ was an unreal scorer. 10 scoring titles, 33 ppg in the playoffs. He holds the most 20+, 30+, 40+, and 50+ point playoff games in history. Remember that season when he averaged 37 ppg at a very efficient rate. That is UNHEARD of by a perimeter player. Don't forget he did all of this during the best perimeter defensive era ever.
I think Russell pulled some of those mind games on a lot of fans, too. I have always said that because Russell was such an introspective man, the players' perception of him and not necessarily his basketball skills, is what they feared most. Russell still has that something special that seems to intimidate's everyone. I told you about the time he glared at me when I disagreed with Doug Moe. I was scared to say anthing else. And I rarely back down. No player today has that affect on people.
"[Alex] Hannum & some of his other coaches wanted him to pass & play defense, so he did that, & he played 48 minutes a night. Those who criticized Wilt -- first for his scoring, then for not scoring more -- really should have criticized his employer." --Leonard Koppett, Tall Tales (by Terry Pluto) You guys (you & the RiggedBA) are doing a great job holding up your end of these arguments too, btw. Keep up the great work!
No, assists went up because the league started relaxing the rules governing assists. In the 60s and 70s an assist was only rewarded if your man did not take a single dribble. They changed this in the 80s. It also helped that they also relaxed dribbling rules.
People have analyzed his defense and gone over his play, game-by-game Before blocked shots was a stat, he was blocking 8-9 shots every game, on average Not only was he the greatest offensive player, but was the greatest defensive player
Metrics were created to have some form of comparison, they hardly show how much more valuable one player is over another. While it is my opinion that they shouldn't be taken seriously, it is still a fact that Hollinger's PER is largely unreliable. If it is unreliable then why should it be even used in anyone's argument in the first place? Even Hollinger himself acknowledged this. And I'm not the only person who thinks it shouldn't be taken seriously either.
I heard Sloan was tough; Phil Jackson was too. My brother & I called him The Hacker, lol. And that last comment was really funny, whether you meant it to be or not! Excellent.
Don't mention it. The first hoops I remember watching w/was the 73 Knicks team, went to a few games (never caught the Lakers though). Those guys are all awesome. Ah, I see. And now you're making me feel horrible for running down your hero, lol. Nice job. That sort of thing is very special, & I'm sure you appreciate it more now as the years pass.
Never in my 11 year volunteer service did I tell my kids not to smile. A woman came to ME with that comment. I then told her that we try to stay focus before the game, goofing off was OK AFTER the game. Most of my kids stayed with baseball, soccer, football. Many of them played in HS and college. A few made it to the pros. I will be willing to bet that some of the kids that we crushed that day may have given up on the game too soon. When kids are young, success influences participation.
the people who say Wilt was overrated only speculate.
they don't realize that he was stronger than shaq and a track and field athlete
And FAR more versatile.
Mick A good time.
I wanna have proofs not just cheap talking. where exactly is wilt stronger than shaq or someone else?
Imozep4Live Shaq was fat. Wilt was slightly taller, and lean and agile. Shaq was never in as good shape as wilt
TupacolypseNow in his magic season he was Quick and lean
If Arnold talks about someone's strength. I have to believe him.
When Wilt showed him up on the bench press, Arnold would no longer hit the gym with him lmao
For real
I have to laugh at all the Wilt detractors and people who say Wilt was not strong. My father player football for Kansas when Wilt played basketball there. My dad remembers Wilt coming into the weight room to work out. The first time they saw him some of the players were laughing at this tall, skinny black kid--he weighted maybe 230-240 then at age 19 or 20. Well, Wilt would work out and get people's attention. Once he was attempting to reach a new max press. My dad already saw him pump a 6-rep set at 405 pounds! Wilt did a max bench of 475---freaking 475 pounds at his age and size. According to others who knew him later, like Arnold, he reached 495-500 on a singe max bench press. Wilt was just a freak of nature.
Dang that's crazy..
Great story! Wilt was not only the greatest Basketball player ever,but one of the greatest men who ever lived.
One thing I can't figure out is how he was so strong without being really bulky
Bilal Khares roids?
Wouldn't that make him bulky?
If Wilt had Russell's meanness, there would have been about 5 homicides on the court during Wilt's career.
amazing competitors and consummate professionals
hello im from 7 years in the future what do you do for a living now?
Wilt the stilt with the big sledgehammer
@@BeaverGuidry im from a year later what do YOU do for a living?
Imagine Wilt and Larry Bird on the same team. The scoring would have been next level but I think the passing would have been special.
he drank SODA during games, and still destroyed everyone. that makes him the best in my book
Drank 7 Up his whole NBA career...Saw his whole NBA career, Wilt's the best by far!
@TarantulaTears You are doing something. Wilt could only do it because he was superhuman.
Benji Pesci and he wore fuckin converse shoes 😂😂
Its like babe ruth eating hotdogs before at bats.
@TarantulaTears 600 actually
Shaq: Who are you
Wilt: I’m you but stronger
And much more skilled and atletic in general. This is why I can't understand when peopl say Wilt was only good 'cause of his era. He was taller, stronger, faster, more skilled than Shaq, so if Shaq could put up 27 and 12, Wilt could've put up at the very least 35 and 15.
Only ignorant people say that about Wilt. Unfortunately, there are a lot of ignorant people out there.
@@perezfinichames he is stronger than shaq though
@@perezfinichames wen wilt was really old he could still bench more than shaq ever could
No he's far from him
Most of the footage we have of wilt is after his athletic prime
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dang...Wilt had cartoon strength. When Bob Lanier and Arnold Schwarzenegger are telling you he’s the strongest person they’ve ever seen, enough said.
Don't forget Chamberlain was 300 pounds.
But, Chamberlain couldn't hold a candle to Doug Hepburn.
In an interview, Arnold Schwarzenegger mentioned Chamberlain's weight... it was great for a non lifter, but mediocre for a lifter :
* 170 lbs triceps pull-down on the cable (Doug Hepburn was pushing over 300!).
Chamberlain's biceps & wrists curls were okay ; his cable row (back) was his weakest point.
He was strong for a NBA player, but compare to strongman... not really. But, he was doing those incredible things on a 7'1 frame.
It is impressive if you asked me.
God I can’t get enough of Wilt’s stories
Wilt was truly a phenom. There has never been anyone like him. His all-around athleticism is truly incredible. He was a middle-distance runner, high-jumper, etc... Amazing guy. He was also a really savvy guy. Smart and good-natured.
True!
im pretty sure he was amazing at short distance also supposedly under 11 sec 100 yrd
Ferenc Toth Russell was a comparable athlete but Wilt dominates in scoring and strength
@@catherinelynnfraser2001 honestly no
13 Stories that Prove Wilt Chamberlain was not Human:
1. Scored 100 points in a game against a 6-10 center (same size as Dwight Howard).
2. Recorded an NBA record 55 rebounds against BILL RUSSELL.
3. Blocked 26 shots in a game against the Detroit Pistons.
4. Recorded an "unofficial" quintuple-double (blocks and steals were not yet officially recorded) - 53 points, 32 rebounds, 24 blocks, 13 assists and 11 steals on March 18, 1968 against the Los Angeles Lakers with 7-0 Mel Counts at center.
5. 122 games (regular season and playoffs) with 50 or more points (Michael Jordan is the next closest with 39).
6. 32 games (regular season and playoffs) with 60 or more points (The next closest players are Kobe Bryant - 6, Michael Jordan - 5, and Elgin Baylor - 4).
7. Wilt recorded the ONLY official double triple-double in NBA history, 22 points, 25 rebounds, 21 assists on February 2, 1968 against a Detroit Pistons team that had two Hall-of-Famers and two All-Stars not in the Hall (as well as a player who averaged a double-double over his career but never made an All-Star game).
8. Wilt is the ONLY player in NBA history to record a quadruple double-double (40+ in two different categories). HE DID THIS 8 TIMES.
9. Wilt once went 18 for 18 from the field on February 24, 1967 against the Baltimore Bullets.
10. Wilt is the ONLY center to ever lead the league in assists for a season (1968).
11. Wilt averaged 45.8 minutes a game over his career and never once fouled out.
12. Wilt has 78 total OFFICIAL triple-doubles. The next closest center is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 21.
13. Wilt recorded a 30-30 (30+ points and rebounds in a game) 103 times. All other NBA players COMBINED have done this a total of 28 times throughout the history of the league.
I picked 13 stories to commemorate the jersey number he wore throughout his NBA career. There are so many more stories that could be used, not only in the NBA, but in college and high school as well. Not to mention his time with the Harlem Globetrotters. There are also many off-the-court stories (Google "Lynda Huey + Wilt + boat" for one amazing example). I grew up in the Jordan era, but after doing thorough research I've come to realize Wilt's greatness. A real-life Paul Bunyan. Picture a man with the strength of Shaquille O'Neal and the agility of Hakeem Olajuwon. That's Wilt Chamberlain.
Excellent. Where did you get no. 4 i can't believe that! Of course where there's a Wilt there's a way. Problem is-there's no Wilt anymore.
I read it in an interview with Harvey Pollack, the famous sports statistician who followed Wilt's career, which I am having trouble finding. Here is a recent article about James Harden's 50-point triple double that mentions Wilt's official stats in that game:
www.nytimes.com/2017/01/01/sports/basketball/james-harden-wilt-chamberlain-houston-rockets-keeping-score.html?_r=0
Thanks. Now that is truly superhuman.
Well, Oscar has the record for most triple-doubles with 181 (not sure anyone will catch that). Wilt has the most out of any center... But remember, they didn't count blocks or steals during Wilt's career. Had they, Wilt would have more than Oscar (as Harvey Pollack recorded many games where Wilt had 10+ blocks). That's what's amazing about number 12 though; Wilt, a center, had 78 games with 10 or more assists! Wilt does have the most career double-doubles of any player.
twrambo he also hit 35 consecutive shots without a miss,and in the same season had two other streaks of 32.
Shaq is blubber Wilt is muscle. Wilt was faster, leaner, taller and stronger and more agile than Shaq or anyone. Wilt would foul Shaq out in the first quarter. Look what Wilt did to 7 foot Walt Bellamy. Jordan is a little boy next to Wilt. Wilt grabbed 55 rebounds in a playoff game vs Boston and Bill Russell. Unheard of today.
+Larry Blong Not taller, they were the same height
+bruce randall Shaq was 7'1" in some giant ass shoes, Wilt was 7'1" barefoot
TheBDHShow Shaw was 7ft and 7ft 1 with shoes wilt was 7ft1-2 without shoes and 7ft2-3 with shoes but from vids he looks 7ft3
to grab 55 rbs off bill russell wow...shaq thought yao was a force you cant compare anyone to wilt shaqs only hope would be to start a fight with him and hope wilt doesnt break him up to get him the technical and booted out the game lol shaq was held by rodman lol mind you dennis was a beast but omg 600 lb bench and the agility of a ninja lol i wish i could have seen him play live so bad
Larry Blong keep living in the 60’s ...
When I was a kid watching Wilt, I knew he was a great great player who fans didn't appreciate!! Way,Way better than Shaq!!! RIP The greatest center ever!!
athanasia columbus actually Kareem Abdul Jabari is the greatest center ever
But no doubt wilt is the strongest NBA player EVER and you know you don't mess with Wilt if Arnold tells you
That Wilt is amazingly strong
I Like Tacos imagine fighting wilt I would commit suicide
@@iliketacos886 i know this is old but wilt had a way higher vert than kaj
@@iliketacos886 wilt accomplished more than kareem and still challenged him wen he was old kareem struggled against an old man
@@iliketacos886 Yeah, old comment, but just have to mention - Kareem never had Wilt's stamina. "The Greatest" is a subjective measurement, but one-on-one, both in their prime, I would have to go with Wilt over any other NBA player I've ever seen.
picking up a basketball with a man(sam jones) still attached to it... now that is Power!!!
Yes I'm hearing all these stories and I'm like geeze dude was a gifted athlete period
Sam said his legs were still shaking from that tie-up when he was at the free-throw line afterward lol
I think Wilt would have done fine after he healed up. He was playing volleyball professionally with world class players after his NBA career was over. He was offered NBA contracts at ages 45 and 50, did a lot of training in the 80s and said in 1986 that he felt in better shape than he had in 20 years. He even ran the Honolulu marathon and finished the 50-mile Canadian race in the 90s.
Wilt is better than Jordan.... Wilt was a better scorer, blocker, and wilt had pretty man assists... Wilt himself changed basketball with goaltending and all that. He would dominate any era hands down
But still only managed to win 'just' two championships in an ERA where scoring is as easy as eating a piece of pie, well yeah really better than Jordan.
Simon Guillen
If scoring was that easy in Wilt's era then the league's FG% would have been significantly higher than it is today, which it isn't.
Simon Guillen Really? You cant even hand check a guy today??
I didn't say you can't hand check a guy today Mr. Daniel. And if, Wilt is that good, he should have focused on team success rather than personal achievement. Wilt never had half of Jordan's success as a team player, just individual success and individuality is never the essence of a player; and how much more a GOAT.
Simon Guillen Jordan's success as a team player?? Wilt was the team. Was it his fault? Wilt was double,triple and even quadruple teamed, and hacked every time he got the ball. Jordan played 17 years, Wilt played 14 and could have played another 5-10 years if he wanted too. It took Jordan 8 years before he won his first title. You win as a team and you lose as a team. "We will never see a player like Wilt Chamberlain ever again" Michael Jordan quote after Wilts death.
Everyone hated Wilt Chamberlain. If he won, everybody said "well look at him". If he lost, they would crucify him. No player in NBA history had the amount of pressure on them the way he did and no player ever will.
love the full version of that first story, how wilt and andre the giant kept tossing arnold around like a baby lol
Wilt Chamberlain is the Chuck Norris of basketball.
"Wilt Chamberlain is the Chuck Norris of basketball." "... except all the stories are true!"
Wilt was the man. He was going easy too. If he played like Shaq and not worry, that he would hurt someone, he would have been even more unstoppable. The greatest ever along with Jordan. Can't decide. Both are just to great to put them lower than the number 1 spot. I can decide Wilt is GOAT by himself. Jabbar is nr. 2 and MJ is number 3.
Hey I like how you placed those 3 I'm coming up on 60 years old I him when did he start before I was born I heard he was fouled a must have been good with patients he could have hurt a lot of people great athlete
Greatest athlete to ever live in any sport.
My Alltime Greatest Player
wilt chamberlain is hands down the greatest center to play the game ever.
GREATEST B-BALL PLAYER OFALL TIME!!!!!! ALSO WORLD CLASS ATHLETE, PLUS HE HAD A GOOD HEART!!!
Wilt led the league in scoring 7 times, rebounding 11 and assists once. He has the record for most points averaged, most points in one game, most rebounds in one game, regular season and playoffs, most consecutive field goals made(18) highest field goal percentage, most 50 point games in a season, most 40 point games in a season, most field goals made in a season. Wilt Chamberlain had 45 50+ point games in a season, more than Jordan had in his career. He holds 62 NBA records.
Because Wilt was that amazing. The things he did were considered myths by those who did not know him. Anyone who met him became believers.
Wilt is what you would call giant.
45.8 minutes per game CAREER!! Just amazing endurance. Former teammates and coaches said that Wilt drank 7-Ups before and during games.
People say that Wilt could bench press 500#. That's not what Chamberlain said. He claimed he could b.p. 600# and for some reason, I believe him.
Wilt chamberlain never,failed out of a game.
That's right. So the players took advantage of Wilt when he had 5 fouls. They drove to the lane. Wilt, so conscious of his record, would not challenge the shots.
People that say Wilt wouldn’t be dominant in this era forget that he would be guarded by Karl Anthony Towns on a nightly basis... he’d average over 5 blocks a game even now, probably could average 30/15/5/5 in today’s game if not better
He will dominate todays NBA Big men.. A 50 year old washed up Wilt can destroy Giannis like a bebi. Then Giannis will cry like a bebi
@@elchichosantana6410 giannis is the only player i think that could match him as a big man, still not close wilt destroys him in every way
Wilt only averaged 17 points in his 5 years with the Lakers.
Thank you, Jaranarm. I am still a student of the game. In my opinion, the best players were from the parks in the old era. They had their own beautiful styles like Gervin and the Dr. They were tough as coffin nails. I knew Chamberlain was strong. I just never knew he was this strong.
Today's game is different. It's full of showboats that don't really know how to win. It's still fun to watch. I just can't stand it when youngings flap their mouth about Kobe this or Shaq that. These people don't have a clue.
weareallanimals 4
weareallanimals
The Greatest Basketball Player who ever lived.
And he never fouled out in a single game. Look it up.
Take into account that he played every minute of every game one year averaging more minutes per game than anyone in history and he did that in a 80 game season. He also never had a season where he averaged less than 42 minutes per game. Possibly the best endurance for any athlete his size in history.
Probably cause he didnt play defense.
Mack and Conner Wilt is one of the greatest shot blockers of all time. Some guys looked at 110 of wilts games in his later career and in those games he averaged 8.8 blocks a game. Rebounding is also a large part of defense and he was the best there is.
@@krlllx Russel was better than wilt
Mack and Conner Defensively yeah i agree but not by much. Theyre some of the best interior defenders in nba history. And in terms of who blocked more, it was wilt. Bill i think was a better blocker though because a lot of the time the block went back to his teammates whereas wilt just swatted them away mostly.
Russell is actually UNDERRATED.
i miss the man,,strongest man ive ever seen in basketball. I watched him all i could growing up,even though i didnt root for his teams..he was truely something to watch...look at video when he was 50 years old,incredible human specimen.I think if he were playing now, he would have scored alot more .,probably lead in scoring ,rebounding,shooting percentage,assists,and blocked shots and thats no joke..You never knew what feats he might do, MJ was like that , never knew from minute to minute if you might see something youve never seen done before..
+danny Last Exactly. Nice to see someone who appreciates the greatness of both stars. Doesn't have to be either or.
That's actually really nice of you to say, not being sarcastic at all. He seemed like a pretty nice guy, & I think we all enjoy seeing guys like that on the winning side once in a while.
Jordan is just a perimeter player. Jordan was not posting big men. Wilt was catching the shots of all of the top scorers inside or outside
+Frosty The Snow Thug
All of which were named after 11-time champion Bill Russell.
+Hamza Mohammed Both were extremely versatile. MJ's old man game was fun to watch, he had a deadly post fadeaway to go along with some post moves and ball fakes that would make Hakeem proud. At the same time, Wilt, despite his physical dominance, was almost more of a finesse player, with his speed, ball handling, passing, footwork, and shooting touch
Basically
Russell is The Man. Individual play along w/team success, I'm rolling w/Kareem.
Let's not forget the only HOFer in two sports
wich other sport?
+dimmacommunication Volleyball
+dimmacommunication He also tried out for the Kansas City Chiefs once when he considered quitting basketball after his rookie year due to an officiating bias where he would get hacked and not get anything called and was projected to be a starting tight end before he went back to the NBA. He also scheduled multiple fights with Muhammad Ali (all of which Ali's trainer cancelled)
+TheBDHShow he would have been beastly as TE
+dimmacommunication Yeah. His size, athleticism, strength, length, and intelligence in addition to having some of the biggest hands in the history of pro sports would have made him unstoppable
It's a shame how modern day media disrespect Chamberlain saying he didn't play against good players and if he played today he would be an average player and I say bulls"#t !!
Mike: "I thought of myself first, the team second. I always wanted my teams to be successful. BUT I WANTED TO BE THE MAIN CAUSE." (emphasis mine) HE wanted to be the center of the spotlight; he was selfish to the core. He only wanted to win if it brought praise TO HIM. In his mind, HE had the best shot most of the times down the floor.
Wilt was so strong, one day I saw him get mad, pick up the Earth will all of it's life still attached to it, and slam it through the rings of Saturn. Pluto is still shaking.
wilt chamberlain and michael jordan are the only two players who can dominate any eras
+Derrick Rose I think, from the George Mikan era on, any player that's been truly dominant in their era of the NBA could dominate any era. Steph Curry could still succeed with his vision, handling, speed, and finishing on the fast break (that dominated Wilt's era) or in the half court (that dominated the 90's and still sometimes dominates today). Wilt and MJ of course could. Pretty much any HOFer and/or MVP from the time of Mikan and after could dominate any era
Well they certainly would. I'm sure there are at least a few others who would too.
agree on that.... 😊😊😊
*cough* Kareem *cough*
kobe in his prime probably could as well
Wilt was so fed bruh he would slay everybody out here today
The greatest athletes to ever play basketball are Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan and Vince Carter
@ whos mans is this ? lmao
Wilt "Bil Brasky" Chamberlain ladies and gentlemen!
"Wilt Chamberlain is the most underrated basketball player in NBA history."
- Anyone who ever played with Chamberlain
They said the opposite actually. They said he wasn’t a winning basketball player because he was a ball hog.
@@Andandand25 who has said that and not retracted their statement?
Wilt was probably one of the most all around players. He could pass, rebound play defense, block shots, and best of all, score. He averaged 50 points in a season, he scored 100 in one game, he averaged 9.0 assists in a playoff series, he led the league in assists during a regular season. He has the all-time record in career rebounds, rebounds in one game, rebounds in one season ,rebounds per game in one season, and rebounds per game career. He was average over 6 blocks for his career.
Funny story from Alex Hannum : 'Wilt was really concerned with Swede [Halbrook]... Wilt never had to look anyone in the eye and would get more involved in trying to outplay Swede than he would in trying to win the game'. Also KAJ outscored Wilt (even if the Stilt was out of his prime and Wilt's role wasn't the same at that point). Wilt was great but he has flaws in his game; everybody had/has.
+Nathalie Leduc No flaws in his game, but sometimes in his mentality. MJ had the same thing. That's why the great coaches are great. Because they can refocus a player's mind on what needs to happen to win the game. Bill Sharman did it for Wilt, Phil Jackson did it for MJ
+TheBDHShow There is some truth to that.
shaqpopcorn34 Wilt had flaws with his free throw shooting, but Shaq was nearly as bad. Also, your name almost disqualifies you from this argument because it shows your definite bias.
1. Wilt was the only offensive option on his team and the game was played at a breakneck speed, of course he's gonna set some records for bricks.
2. You know why those percentages are lower? Because Wilt was double and triple teamed every time he caught the ball when playing for the Warriors. Shaq always had some great weapons around him. In addition, several refs from his era have admitted to allowing the people guarding Wilt to get away with dozens of fouls each game and giving Wilt no lenience on the other end. Despite this, he still shot an NBA record 12 free throws a game for his career and never fouled out of a game. Shaq was the king of the superstar treatment. He could get away with whatever offensive fouls he wanted and get away with a lot of defensive fouls too, despite this he still fouled out of 64 games in his career. Let's just ignore the fact that Wilt also holds the single season FG% record. And it wasn't from being some useless old guy who took a couple shots a game, he was still one of the best players in the league in his last year (when he set the record). Despite the fact that Wilt was relied upon for so much more offensively, Shaq shot merely 4% better from the field and less than 2% better from the FT line. Another thing was that Wilt was a prolific mid range shooter Shaq couldn't shoot a jumper to save his life.
3. Shaq averaged more turnovers than assists for his career. He is the only HOFer to ever do that.
4. What's scary is that Wilt was way better than Shaq despite the fact that he wasn't exposed to training methods nearly as advanced as the ones in Shaq's era. If he played later on and those training methods were available I think there would be no question of Wilt's GOAT status
shaqpopcorn34 Why do you think that is? Because he took more shots and the defense was tougher. Defensive schemes in Shaq's era were more complex, but Shaq would never have been able to shoot that efficiently if he were the only offensive option and got double and triple teamed every time he got the ball. Shaq always had great shooters surrounding him (Dennis Scott, Nick Anderson, Penny Hardaway, and Jeff Turner all consistently shot above 35% from 3 in Orlando, Derek Fisher, Mike Penberthy, Kobe, Robert Horry, Isaiah Rider, Rick Fox in LA) so the team had to also focus on the shooters which let Shaq go 1 on 1. Not to mention, Wilt was far more versatile. He could actually shoot jump shots, made Shaq look like a couch potato in terms of athleticism, had outstanding post footwork and moves as opposed to solely relying on brute strength, was one of the pioneers of the one man fast break, showed later in his career that he was the best passing big man in league history and one of the most dominant defenders to play the game, making an All Defensive Team in each of the first 5 years it was introduced (1969-73), including the first team in '72 and '73 when Bill Russell, the greatest defender of all time, really hit his decline. Shaq made 3 all defensive second teams and no first teams for his entire career. Also, the thing about the training methods is that the main group of people it helped was the guards, as when guards became more and more explosive, they were fully able to do everything on the court, it also helped that the NBA loosened up its carrying rules, that made it much more possible for guards to penetrate defenses and create shots off the dribble. The big man game didn't evolve really, if anything it devolved. The great centers from Wilt's era would have succeeded in any era. Wilt definitely would. Bill Russell would be like Anthony Davis but substitute a jump shot for some more athleticism and unmatched Basketball IQ. Bill Walton, Wes Unseld (imagine a beefed up Dennis Rodman with a sniper rifle arm on outlet passes), Walt Bellamy, Kareem, Bob Lanier, these guys were more than good enough to dominate in any era. The thing that has improved in the NBA throughout its history is guard play. After George Mikan established the dominance of the big man, over time teams started trying to make guards more effective
shaqpopcorn34 LMAO HE DIDNT PLAY FOR 76ERS THEN BITCH
My heroes wear dog tags, but I do love comic books & Stan Lee surely is a genius of the medium. He has brought me hours & hours of reading pleasure. Wow, I never heard that that Bulls team was that good. I don't know about better than the Knicks, though. Don't get me started on team play, lol. They were a sight to see; they just dug up out of the archives Game 5 of the 73 Finals. Amazing. Wilt scores the last shot of the game, an uncontested dunk; was the last shot of his career. And I see...
Jordan played in a more watered down expansion filled era than Wilt. MJ would have had a tougher time playing in 1962. No easy layups or dunks with Wilt, Bellamy, Lanier, Russell and Thurmond under the basket. They also let Jordan get away with traveling as they did James who walks nearly every single time.
+Larry Blong Thanks for some FACTS. And those are the facts. Tired of that crap "Wilt only had Russell to challenge him, he played against a bunch of 6'6 guys." What? What a crock is more like it.
+Larry Blong Wilt played in a super low skilled league where hall of famers could only dribble with one hand and a player could get 50 rebounds. Do you know how bad the shooting skills are if you can get 50 rebounds a game?
Jordan on the other hand, is considered by hall of famers, coaches, top 50 of all time players, as the Greatest of All Time. I am pretty sure their experience trumps any youtube poster.
+MrFraiche
It was not a "low skilled league", players back then had to play under much stricter rules. Try telling Jordan to dominate the game under 60s rules, like only being allowed to touch the top of the ball while dribbling. There is a reason why many players back then stuck with one hand most of the time. They loosened up a lot of rules when Jordan played to make the game look more exciting.
+MrFraiche Back in the early 60's, players were generally encouraged to take the first available decent shot, as opposed to working the shot clock down as has been the case the past 20-30 yrs. So, there were more shots taken (made and missed) per minutes played, more rebounds as well.
There was 12 teams in the league the last time wilt won MVP
Bill Russell raised his game in the postseason too. By your criterion, that makes Russell the GOAT until further notice.
Wilt was so strong that once when God was once asked if he make a stone so large that he couldn't lift it he replied, "No, but Wilt Chamberlain could."
God created wilt so!
By pure observation, he was the best athlete in the history, and is not even close, that kind of coordination and agility for a man of his size is hard to believe
"What MJ fans hate is when folks try to defame him with BS." Exactly what is this "BS" you speak of? That he was literally invincible on the basketball court and could do whatever he wanted? That he had the best stats across the board than anyone ever? That he could turn any ordinary group of guys into winners and better players? That he had the greatest will to win and was the best athlete in any sport of the century? Because these are things MJ fans themselves say with no substantial backing.
the true king of the game.............
"The paint wasn't even an option." Tell that to Wilt, he averaged 28.7 points and 28.7 boards against him.
AGAINST ARGUABLY THE BEST DEFENSIVE P;AYER IN NBA HISTORY
"Better & more creative," like beauty, is all in the eyes of the beholder, my friend.
THE MAIN QUESTION IS:
If you were an NBA GM, who would be your number 1 pick??
***** have fun with magic, while my team would have jordan and would be winning championships while you would be winning nice guy awards
***** i would take wilt next-> your argument is flawed. I have the greatest perimeter scorer and the greatest post scorer of all time, while having two dominant defensive players of all time.
Magic/lebron would be solid, but the lack of defense, scoring, mental toughness wouldn't compare to the 2 greatest players of all time.
Wilt for me please:)
***** Bird, Jordan and Robertson are all great shooters. I have a feeling Bird would make Durant cry. Just a feeling.
Barkley would be powerfull and talented enough to present all kinds of problems for James. Barkley was a great rebounder and a very very efficient scorer.
Robertson was actually a big point guard and he was very strong and well rounded. When Jabbar says someone is the greatest I tend to think that he was at least very very good.
Jordan does everything better than Kobe except for shooting 3s a bit worse. And he is the second greatest leader of all time. Only behind Magic.
Wilt was isnanely powerful, atletic, skilled and had way more stamina than Shaq. Many are telling stories about Wilt's strenght and you still doubt it? Schwarzi said Wilt was the strongest guy in the gym FFS. Wilt was also using skills a lot more than Shaq. Against Shaq he wouldn't even need to worry, that he'd kill him, if he went hard. No one was more dominant than Wilt and he faced great centers a looooooooooooooooooooooooot more often than Shaq did. At 29 alone Wilt played 44 games against great centers (14 vs Russell, 9 vs Thurmond, 11 vs Bellamy and 10 vs Beaty). He dominated them all. Shaq didn't play nearly as many games against Olajuwon, Ewing, D. Robinson and Mourning. Not even in the same universe. Wilt is basically ÜberShaq + a shitload of stamina and a bit more skills. Even, if we pretend they are equally skilled. There is no denying that Wilt had a loooooooot bigger gas tank.
kiikiikhan I meant to say that Jordan is only behind Russell as a leader and not Magic.
Bill Russell was a phenomenal player, and either the 3rd or 4th best player of all time, but he also had the best teammates in the history of the game
Wilt is better than Jordan is vague.
Wilt was a better basketball player that Jordan: disagree
Wilt was a better athlete than Jordan: Agree
Wilt was a more dominate player than Jordan: Agree
When you are talking about basketball, one thing weights more than others: wins
and don't give me other players on the team crap, because great players like Jordan, and Russell make the other players on their team better.
Also Wilt played on the Lakers with Jerry West and a few more who were considered some of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Don't go there, to say Jordan made the players on his team better is insulting to the greats he played with. If you knew anything about Jordan you would know he treated most of his teammates like complete and utter shit. Russell made his teammates better because he was a player coach, Jordan was an asshole plain and simple. Pippen made himself a great player and Rodman was a great rebounder with no thanks to MJ, Steve Kerr was a great shooter with no thanks to MJ. The only notable players on Wilt's Lakers are Elgin Baylor who was washed up due to injury and only scored 20 total points during the 1970 season and had terrible scoring averages every year on the Lakers after 1970, Jerry West who was probably the only other superstar, and Gail Goodrich who wasn't even a superstar player. Jordan had 2 hall of famers who were playing at their very best, he didn't make anyone better.
Flysenberg G lol'd. pure bullshit though
Jordan was only better at dribbling and shooting free throws and from far. His smaller size allowed him that. Wilt was better at rebounding, blocking, assisting and in the paint. Wilt led the league in scoring for 7 sraight years until coaches asked him to play a more defensive role. He led the league in rebounds per game for 11 years. He led the league in minutes per game for 9 years, he led the league in FG% for 9 years, he was even 2. and 3. in assists per game for 2 years. Had they counted blocks only god knows how many times he would lead in that. When you consider everything, Jordan was only better in FT%. Which made him a bit more efficient scorer. But Wilt was way more important in all segments of the game. I rank Jordan at nr. 1 alongside Wilt only because Jordan was the greatest in the playoffs and finals. Wilt was great in the playoffs too, but people lack knowledge on the matter.
kiikiikhan
I consider Bill Russell to be the greatest individual playoff performer of all time. He played in 10 deciding Game 7s and was victorious in all of them. He averaged 18.6 points and 29.3 rebounds in those 10 games, way above his averages. In the playoffs Russell also increased his assists and FT%. Unlike Russell, Jordan never finished top 10 in points, rebounds, and assists in a single post season.
People talk of Russell's low FG%, but he was the opposite in the playoffs when it mattered. Everyone forgets that Russell has the record for the highest FG% in NBA Finals history with 70.2% from the field, along with a record 40 rebounds in a single Finals game, which he accomplished twice.
People remember Jordan scoring over Craig Ehlo, Gerald Wilkins, Kevin Johnson, and Bryon Russell. Okay, well Bill had to defend the interior and grab boards over Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry Lucas, and Willis Reed. He also protected the rim against perimeter guys like Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, and Walt Frazier. He accomplished everything he did while facing better competitors on a more frequent basis.
Jordan doesn't come anywhere close to Russell's individual achievements in the post season, and I can recount multiple instances where Jordan was costing his team. Jordan's own coach Phil Jackson even picked Russell over him in an all-time draft. No player showed up more for his team in the playoffs than Bill Russell did, and there's a reason why the Finals MVP award is named after him.
gerizzyYMcrew
Not hard to have 6 chips (could've been 8 or 9) when there are 29 teams, 25 of which don't matter and the best teams had only one or two great players. Jordan never faced a team in the Finals that had a dominant center and he frequently faced weak matchups on the perimeter. Russell was battling Hall of Famers while Jordan was battling scrub talents and weaker rosters. 90s = diluted era.
Wilt was a super soldier
Alright people don't know basketball. When wilt played he didn't have any competition besides bill Russell who kicked his butt more often than not. Shaq had the most aggressive back down in NBA HISTORY PEOPLE !!!!!! HAKEEMS FOOTWORK WOULD HAVE MADE WILT DIZZY DO YOU UNDERSTAND. Shaq was the most dominant center of all time. He did what he did against the best class of nba centers in the 90s. He played in the hardest period possible to be successful as a big man and is sixth all time I. Scoring. Only one spot behind wilt. Wilt went against fairly soft competition outside of Russell. Shaq had to go through the best. Shaq thrown like a rag doll? Please. If shaq went against those guys bullying people like he did he would've done the same thing if not more. Let's not be Blind. They must not know that shaq was 300+ and aggressive. He truly dominated the best. I wish we could see them square off against each other.
In the several photos of them together, it is obvious that Shaq is quite a bit smaller than Wilt, due to the difference in how players were measured then vs. now.
Wilt was almost 2 inches taller than Shaq, over 2 inches wider at the shoulder, 4 inches wider wingspan, and had more than 12 inches more vertical, not to mention being drastically faster.
Shaq was fatter to be sure, though undersized and way too slow to handle Wilt otherwise.
Also, Hakeem and Bill Russel were the same actual barefoot height, 6-9.5
Shaquille O'neal's highest recorded bench press was 450 pounds.
Wilt Chamberlain's highest recorded bench press was 550 pounds.
Overall, Wilt Chamberlain is an echelon above Shaq as an overall dominant ATHLETE. Wilt could jump higher, run faster, and really he was stronger. Shaq just has more junk in his trunk. Wilt was a track star in college, and he was able to average 48.5 minutes in the insane pace of the 60's. All while drinking 7up during timeouts!
Shaq would not last in the 60's, he would be too fatigued. I dont see him averaging 40 min a game. He has little work ethic as well.
Wilt faced Russell, Bellamy, Reed, Thurmond(a 7 footer who Kareem says is his toughest defensive matchup ever.), Hayes, all of these players Wilt saw 8-10 times a season EACH. Shaq dominated horrible centers on a nightly basis, because he would only see the best centers 2-3 times a season each.
Hakeem Olajuwon used to do Shaq in all the time. Hakeem used to get done in all the time by Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Kareem came in on Wilt's decline...now what does that tell you? It's the food chain....and Shaq is on the bottom of that food chain. :DD
He had 55 boards one game against Russell, Russell couldn't stop him, he just had better teammates. Wilt had Shaq's ability to back people down, Alojuwon's turnaround and fadeaway, he was the best rebounder ever, best shot blocker ever, and, oh by the way, he was a good enough passer to lead the league in assists. Someone clearly doesn't know basketball and that would be you.
Shaq missed about 20 games per season. Cost his teams higher seeds. Wilt and Russell (Kareem, too) were durable and didn't miss much time.
Amen brother.
NBA is total garbage. I would bet the the 9-73 Sixers team of 1973 could win the NBA championship today. The league is watered down with 30 teams. They can't drive to the basket without walking. James walks almost every time he gets the ball. No hand checking like in Wilt's day. You can't triple team a guy like they did Wilt until the player gets the ball. that's a huge difference so easier for fat Shaq and the others lousy centers. Also these games today are also put on games. That's right fixed. Vegas gets the word and the public gets ripped off. They bet HTN in game 3 and they lose by 35. Then on Monday they bet GS and HTN wins by 20. Then they bet HTN with 10 in game 5 and GS wins by 14. All crooked and in cahoots with Vegas.
Al Attles said the exact opposite of what you said about double-teams. He said it wasn't common back in the days... only the Celtics did, but it wasn't organized.
espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-120302-03/weekend-dime-half-century-later-wilt-100-stands-tallest
I'm talking about triple teaming Wilt which they couldn't do today because they changed the rules today to make it easier for the offense.
+Larry Blong
Double-team and triple-team were almost rarely used by teams (except by Boston).
Zone defense became legal after the Lakers three peats.
www.nba.com/analysis/rules_history.html
You were ALLOWED to put multiple guys on Wilt BEFORE he got the ball and they did it all the time. They changed that rule so Shaq would only have 1 guy on him until he got the ball. That rule change would have made it SOOOOOO much easier for Wilt with one man on him.
+Larry Belong
Primo, teams rarely triple-team today because it is a very bad defensive scheme in the first place. A triple-team is always opening large shooting spaces.
Segundo, are you saying Al Attles and the NBA site is lying?
Tersio, I can give you thousands of players who praised today's defensive schemes... but loathed the zone era or the nonexistence of the toughness : Jordan (on his good days), McGrady, AI, Duncan, Garnett...
References : (resquested video)NBA defenses - Changing the game
-- available on UA-cam
Doug Moe's thoughts on the old NBA (before the merger) were acerbic. He always said the ABA was head and shoulder above the NBA. He was right, because many rules and strategies were adopted by the NBA after the merger... only the blue-red-white ball was left. Everything else were brought into the new league. There are many books written on the subject.
It adds to what I was kind of saying. We never saw Jordan control games without taking a lot of shots although we know it's not his fault, but we didn't see him play any other role effectively otherwise. Not even Oscar chucked as many shots as Jordan. When Worthy sat out against the Sixers Magic took over his scoring load and dropped 34 points with 62% shooting. When Kareem sat out against the Rockets Magic replaced him at center and dropped 38 points with 61% shooting. That's versatility.
I agree. Many of the bench players today are more concerned with jumping up and clowning on the sidelines than preparing themselves for the coach's call. Jack Haley started the constant sideline celebration. You may remember him, he was Rodman's best buddy. He couldn't play a lick but had a 9 year career cheering his ass off. Other marginal players picked up on Haley's formula for staying in the league. Bench cheering also became a way to get noticed. I wish they'd all sit their asses down!
Russell stepped it up in the playoffs, too. Like Jordan and West.
Have you watched Wilt Chamberlain play? His combination of strength, athleticism and large hands to secure rebound was unlike any other. There is no one single player that could out-rebound him.
one of the greatest. he would be in the top 3 best
When people hacked Wilt, a lot of them would be flagrants today. He did a good job of not screaming out at the ref. He was a gentle giant.
The man, the myth, the legend: the one, the only, the great: WILT CHAMBERLAIN!
Once a reporter said in 1970 that Wilt's scoring days were over. Wilt heard about this, and accepted the challenge. The next game he scored 68. After he retired, he said that if he had wanted to set the NBA all time scoring record he would have destroyed it.
The thing about Wilt was that he didn't abuse his strength. He was actually a nice guy and didn't hurt other players like he easily could have. I think he was such a great athlete with such a high level of skill that he didn't have too abuse his strength. It didn't pay to piss him off though. lol
He was both strong and fast
I saw Wilt when he was with the Lakers, past his prime. But he was still a real presence. He would set the meanest picks. His teammates would get wide open shots.
The problem today is that everybody just looks at stats. Fantasy leagues are more important than the actual game. Well, sorry, there is no stat for setting screens so your teammates can get open looks.
Nobody, but nobody, could set a screen like Wilt. And nobody ever will. He was one of a kind.
Thos Robert completely agree man
Fair enough. Love the icon & screenname too. No need to ask who your favorite is, lol. Absolutely fantastic player.
When the same story comes from multiple sources, the chance of it being true gets higher and higher. Especially when it's coming from players who played with and against him.
You're welcome, because I usually don't allow opinions. BTW I've loved basketball since about 1967 or 68. It was about that time that the Bulls were introduced to Chicago. I went to a few games every year. I saw Wilt, Kareem, DR.J. When MJ arrived, my childhood friend was hired as the Bulls accountant. She gave me VIP seats in the 7th roll behind the Bulls' bench whenever I wanted them. I took in 10-15 games a year during the Jordan era. My boys and I had a blast.
No one could intercept the passes because when you throw it that high the only player tall and athletic enough to get it was Wilt Chamberlain. The same things would happen today.
I think Wilt and Bo are probably the two greatest athletes of all time.
You mean no Jackson? Hate to disagree but bo wasn't in the same class, wilt could lift him one hand Easley, I doubt bo could lift wilt no I know he couldn't
corneil Madison assuming that pure strength is the only factor for athleticism, that would be true, but there are other factors, right? Besides, I said they were the two greatest. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are on an equal playing field.
I don't know about Nate outscoring Wilt head to head. I do KNOW Nate is terribly underrated and often overlooked.
He didn't outscore Wilt, that guy made that up. If u look at the box scores Wilt was out scoring Nate Thurmond when he was with Philly,64-65,65-66,66-67,67-68, When Wilt went to the Lakers, West and Baylor were doing a bulk of the scoring and then Gail Goodrich came aboard and Wilt wasn't scoring as much because those guys were taking all the shots and plus his coach asked him to score less to help the team. Wilt shot a much higher percentage than Thurmond. Thurmond as great as he was shot in the early 40's from the field during his career, whereas Wilt was shooting between 54%-73% from the field
All stories get better when told. I remember when the ABA had its 1st dunk contest. I missed it. The next day all the fellas were going on about how Dr.J dunked from 2 ft behind the FT line. "OMG", I said, "I hate I missed it." When I finally saw the dunk, years later, I noticed that he was 1 foot INSIDE the line. The fellas didn't lie, per se, they made the story worth listening to. Thats what these guys do when it comes to Wilt. They don't lie, they just make the story worth listening to
You are correct, those fellows ushered in a revolution all right. And all those men you are listing are extraordinary athletes, would be great in any era...s'why they're awesome.
He really could've played at a high level until he was 50. The world missed out. Let greatness flourish, stop trying to get in on their act. That messed uo Wilt's head cause he held back because some selfish nothing couldn't develoo skills like him but didn't want to feel bad because Wilt dominated so absolutely when he tried his hardest
MJ was an unreal scorer. 10 scoring titles, 33 ppg in the playoffs. He holds the most 20+, 30+, 40+, and 50+ point playoff games in history. Remember that season when he averaged 37 ppg at a very efficient rate. That is UNHEARD of by a perimeter player. Don't forget he did all of this during the best perimeter defensive era ever.
You have to remember that In Wilt’s day, there was one playoff series. East vs. West.
First, years before Shacquille was even born there was Wilt the Stilt!
And he never in his entire career get ejected of a game... the GOAT!
Wilt was ejected from NBA games on technicals. He never fouled out of a game.
Arley Antes Played 1,045 games and never fouled out.One season averaged 48.5 minutes....A full game is 48 minutes!!!
I think Russell pulled some of those mind games on a lot of fans, too. I have always said that because Russell was such an introspective man, the players' perception of him and not necessarily his basketball skills, is what they feared most. Russell still has that something special that seems to intimidate's everyone. I told you about the time he glared at me when I disagreed with Doug Moe. I was scared to say anthing else. And I rarely back down. No player today has that affect on people.
"[Alex] Hannum & some of his other coaches wanted him to pass & play defense, so he did that, & he played 48 minutes a night. Those who criticized Wilt -- first for his scoring, then for not scoring more -- really should have criticized his employer."
--Leonard Koppett, Tall Tales (by Terry Pluto)
You guys (you & the RiggedBA) are doing a great job holding up your end of these arguments too, btw. Keep up the great work!
Excellent. Is Herbolzheim more in the northern or the southern part of Germany?
No, assists went up because the league started relaxing the rules governing assists. In the 60s and 70s an assist was only rewarded if your man did not take a single dribble. They changed this in the 80s. It also helped that they also relaxed dribbling rules.
Wilt could run the break just as well as a guard.
he was a force to be reckoned with. but not trifled with.
People have analyzed his defense and gone over his play, game-by-game
Before blocked shots was a stat, he was blocking 8-9 shots every game, on average
Not only was he the greatest offensive player, but was the greatest defensive player
Metrics were created to have some form of comparison, they hardly show how much more valuable one player is over another. While it is my opinion that they shouldn't be taken seriously, it is still a fact that Hollinger's PER is largely unreliable. If it is unreliable then why should it be even used in anyone's argument in the first place? Even Hollinger himself acknowledged this. And I'm not the only person who thinks it shouldn't be taken seriously either.
Godamn wilt was a bad brother shit
I heard Sloan was tough; Phil Jackson was too. My brother & I called him The Hacker, lol. And that last comment was really funny, whether you meant it to be or not! Excellent.
Don't mention it. The first hoops I remember watching w/was the 73 Knicks team, went to a few games (never caught the Lakers though). Those guys are all awesome. Ah, I see. And now you're making me feel horrible for running down your hero, lol. Nice job. That sort of thing is very special, & I'm sure you appreciate it more now as the years pass.
Never in my 11 year volunteer service did I tell my kids not to smile. A woman came to ME with that comment. I then told her that we try to stay focus before the game, goofing off was OK AFTER the game. Most of my kids stayed with baseball, soccer, football. Many of them played in HS and college. A few made it to the pros. I will be willing to bet that some of the kids that we crushed that day may have given up on the game too soon. When kids are young, success influences participation.