The two powerhouses faced off 28 times in the NBA, with 14 wins apiece. I used to dunk on that basket. 872,195 11. I would say its a safe bet to assume that Wilt had a much greater wingspan than that. In the Finals against the Knicks, Chamberlain battled a nagging hand injury to lead his team to victory in five games. But while 1970-71 was Milwaukee's season to shine, it didn't always have bragging rights over the Lakers and Chamberlain. Wilt's most impressive performances in his rookie season included a 41-40 . One Man's Quest To Prove He's Wilt Chamberlain's Son | Only A Game - WBUR Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. James has scored fewer than 10 points in two playoff games during the span, the last in 2014 when he scored seven points against the Indiana Pacers. Monday, December 3, 1956. Preferring the brighter lights of the Big Apple, Chamberlain had to make a two-hour commute from his home in Manhattan to games and practices in Philly. At his height that would still require a 40+ inch vertical jump, so we know that he is at least in the ballpark of the 48 inch claim. Such as playing semi-professional basketball as a child under the name George Marcus. - Bel Air, Los Angeles, 1999. oktber 12.) In his first season, he averaged 37.6 points and an absurd 27 rebounds per game, leading the league in both categories. 2) Wilt held the distinction of being the last Big 7 high jump champion in 1957, clearing 6-5 in that competition. It wasn't even supposed to be the final matchup with the Lakers that week, let alone the last Wilt-Kareem battle ever. This meant that he would play in the NBA Finals for the first time in his career, where Chamberlain would go up against his old team the Warriors (who had since moved to San Francisco). Wilt Chamberlain (13) in action vs. New York Knicks in the 1973 NBA Finals. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. While still in high school, Chamberlain played semi-professional basketball under the name George Marcus. He was nearly unstoppable at Philadelphia's Overbrook High School, scoring more than 2,200 total points, a Pennsylvania record. Can you imagine modern day centers being the fastest on the court? Wilt Chamberlain - Wikipedija Wilt Chamberlain could also run a 40 yard dash in 4.6 seconds and had a 45+ inch vertical. If I account for the available footage and combine it with the impressive displays of jumping ability that we know Wilt was capable of, I can confidently say that Wilt Chamberlain had between a 38 41 inch vertical jump. Wilt Chamberlain: Why the Big Dipper Would Dominate Today's NBA To prepare you for just how athletic this man was, check out this clip of Wilt Chamberlain blocking the impossible to guard sky-hook by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Wilt Chamberlain - Track and Field at the University of - EzineArticles I saw him play extensively from 1965-68, age 29-32. Wilt was 7-2, 280 pounds. Now lets get into the details and start to unpack the answer to whether or not Wilt Chamberlain had a 48 inch vertical jump. What is the world record for bench press? Collection of Wilt Chamberlain speed stories, Track and 40 - reddit He even appeared in a few games for the Seattle Smashers and was the MVP of one of the leagues All-Star games. To match Olajuwon, a player would need to play every game for 15 seasons and average 3.1 blocks a game. By the time he was 10, Chamberlain was six feet tall. He was one of the couples nine children. At 36 years old, Paul is averaging a league-leading 9.9 APG this season. Advertisement. Recommended Articles. "People say I tried harder tonight," Chamberlain said. Moses Malone's 6,731 offensive rebounds. There is some pretty compelling evidence that Wilt Chamberlain had a really high vertical jump, like all time high. During his time as a Laker, Chamberlain began to build his dream home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air. Wilt Chamberlain was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978. When I was a freshman, I fooled around with shooting free throws this way: For some reason, I thought you had to stay within the top half of that free-throw circle, so I would step back to just inside the top of the circle, take off from behind the line and dunk. (Getty Images) We all love underdogs. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. Whenever hes not in the gym attempting to maximize his bench press, hes online looking for the best ways to optimize his body, strength and overall results. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. Lets analyze that video since Dwight is somewhat comparable in size and jumping ability to Wilt. In his time with Overbook, Chamberlain led his team to two city championships and an overall win-loss record of 56-3. Throughout this process I have reviewed plenty of pictures and game footage of Wilt Chamberlain jumping through the air, and I can confidently say that I have yet to come across a single example of Wilt getting his head that high above the rim. I never did that before.". In 1970, Chamberlain returned to his track roots by establishing Wilts Athletic Club, a track and field club based in Southern California. Abdul-Jabbar, who finished with five NBA titles with the Lakers in addition to his Bucks crown, closed his career at 38,387 points, still No. It broke Russell's record of 51 rebounds set the previous season. Chamberlain was sidelined by a knee injury, played in only 12 games during the 1969-70 season, and wasn't available for any rematches with the Bucks. He appeared in a variety of television commercials for companies like TWA, American Express, Le Tigre Clothing, Drexel Burnham, Volkswagen, and Foot Locker. He was very fast running down the court. So an impressive athlete in his own right but not quite Wilt. Wilt Chamberlain | PSA AutographFacts At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website . His physical stature as well as his accolades are still talked about to this day. Chamberlain went so far as to get help from legendary trainer Cus dAmato, but he eventually pulled out of the fight at the last minute. Wilt Chamberlain: Sixers History | Philadelphia 76ers | NBA.com On April 16 Alcindor's 24th birthday he finished with 31 points and 20 rebounds and held Chamberlain to 15 and 16 in a 117-94 win. What we do know is Chamberlain stood about 7'1, while his wingspan is up for debate. His stellar play and fierce battles with Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics helped establish a national following for a relatively new-on-the-scene NBA. During high school Chamberlain was part of the Overbook Panthers and led his school team with a win-loss record of 56-3. The smallest report records it at 7'8, while the largest account has it at 8'4 inches. Chasing Dreams: The Wilt Chamberlain Story 5 out of 5 stars (232) $ FREE shipping Add to Favorites 1972 Topps Basketball Wilt Chamberlain #1 Reprint novelty basketball card.Lakers.Free shipping . Knicks-Celtics, 7:30 p.m. Warriors-Lakers, 3:30 p.m. (ABC) The Lakers sued to prevent Chamberlain from playing because he hadn't fulfilled his Lakers contract, and he wound up merely coaching for the season, then retiring from basketball. He eventually. Wilt himself confirmed that he was able to dunk on a 12 foot rim, saying: Whats unfortunate is that most people regard the great leapers as being only the short guys who could dunk, said the 7 1 & 1/8 Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain not only had to play all regular minutes, but also had to play deep into overtime many times to get that average. On this date: In 1861, the state of Texas, having seceded from the Union, was admitted to the Confederacy. Known as "Wilt the Stilt" (a nickname he hated) or "The Big Dipper," he is regarded as one of the greatest and most dominant basketball players of all time for the incredible statistical achievements he attained throughout his playing career. Wallace's relationship with officials went from bad to worse, and it played out the following season as he racked up a record 41 technicals on the way to 18 ejections. Wilt Chamberlains vertical jump height has been claimed to be an astounding 48 inches, but the exact details of this incredible leaping ability is very unclear. Wilt Chamberlian once performed 200 pushups in a row, fingertip style, in competition with Heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson who had maxed out with 158. The January battle, of course billed as a chance for fans to glimpse Wilt and Lew, never materialized. 16 pages of photos. Wilt Chamberlain to Score Two Stamps of Approval 12/5/14 - USPS That 48 inch mark is coveted across the league because it stands as the highest vertical jump in NBA history. The former Utah Jazz legend owns the four highest assist seasons in history and seven of the top 10. Sure the camera angles were terrible, mostly shot from the ground angled up at the players, but one would think that you could at least clearly tell if a guys neck was above the rim. There are many claims and stories surrounding his athletic prowess. [1] [2] [3] A Philadelphia/San . However, van Breda Kolff refused, allegedly telling Chamberlain to sit your big *** back downwe dont need you. The Lakers ended up losing by a score of 108-106. Create your own deals with ESPN's Trade Machine. Thats a full 13 feet up in the air! Center Of Attention - KU History But their last meeting was also a biggie, the final game of the Bucks season on March 27, 1973. Wilt Chamberlain - Basketball-Reference.com The unique home, which he named Ursa Major as a nod to his nickname The Big Dipper, was designed by architect David Tenneson Rich. Skiles, who averaged 8.4 assists per game that season and later had a 20-assist game, scored 22 points that night (and the Orlando Magic scored a team-record 155 points in a win over Denver). . That goes far beyond simply touching the top. Chamberlain had 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Abdul-Jabbar (who had changed his name months before) had 39 and 20 with five assists. This is actually preseason for the playoff, you know. The current active leader in offensive rebounds is Dwight Howard, who is still 2,600 behind Malone. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Los Angeleshanded Milwaukee a demoralizing 116-93 defeat on Feb. 5,but even that had a silver lining; it was the last time Milwaukee would taste defeat before rattling off an NBA-record 20 consecutive victories. Wilt retired from the NBA after the 1972-73 season with the . With plenty of clinical studies and research behind it, it's ideal for boosting: And more, especially when it comes to adding weight to your bench press, and it's also completely vegan. He is reported to have tossed a shot put over 53 feet in his youth. Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference finals lives in infamy in Portland because of controversial whistles. "I didn't, consciously at least. Wilt Chamberlain claimed that he slept with 20,000 women. 1. Sports medicine also made huge strides in the last 40 years between their careers. Wilt Chamberlain is part of many extraordinary tales and finding accurate data on the legendary big man is no small feat. He participated in high jump, long jump, and even broad jump, but excelled in the 100 yard-dash, and the 400 metre. Of all Chamberlain's statistical accomplishments -- the 100-point game, the 55-rebound game (against Bill Russell . Here's a baller spread. Heres some fast facts about the man himself to really put into perspective the absolute beast that he was: And theres a ton more out there. It shows you that basketball fans have come a long way, just like the players. Not to be outdone, he also averaged 25.7 rebounds per game and, perhaps most amazingly, he averaged 48.5 minutes per game. I could. Even in retirement, Chamberlain still played basketball recreationally and would field offers to return to the game. Scott Skiles' 30 assists. Thats right! Both his parents were no bigger than 5-9, but as a young boy he began a growth spurt which would eventually stop when he . This feat was finally matched in 2019 by Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook. But that snot all Wilt Chamberlain could do. "It was the 257th time a player other than Wilt had scored 50 or more, but all that did was tie the number of times Wilt did it," Brown said. [5] As an avid track and field athlete, Chamberlain high jumped 6 feet, 6 inches, ran the 440 yards in 49.0 seconds and the 880 yards in 1:58.3, put the shot 53 feet, 4 inches, and long jumped 22 feet. How much can Zion Williamson Bench Press? With a nickname like The Stilt in the world of basketball, where athletes are commonly a foot taller than the average man, it is no wonder why this guy was something special. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact.