Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain was a legendary, Hall of Fame figure who rose to fame through his jaw-dropping exploits on the NBA hardwood.
The 7-footer is responsible for the highest-scoring game in NBA history (100) and etched his name in the record books on a number of occasions while winning MVP four times and earning two championship trophies. He even averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds during the 1961-62 season, which he spent with the Philadelphia Warriors just before the franchise relocated to San Francisco.
Over 14 NBA seasons following his stellar Kansas career and some time spent with the Harlem Globetrotters, Chamberlain created a larger-than-life reputation as one of the greatest athletic marvels in sporting history. He died at 63 years old of congestive heart failure on Oct. 12, 1999.
- Birthday: Aug. 21, 1936
- Died: Oct. 12, 1999
- Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Listed height: 7-foot-1
- Listed weight: 275 pounds
- High school: Overbrook High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- College: Kansas (1956-58)
- NBA draft: Round 1, Pick No. 3 in the 1959 NBA Draft (territorial selection)
- NBA teams: Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers
- NBA position: Center
- NBA number: No. 13
- NBA playing career: 1958-73
The number 13 jersey wasn’t unlucky for these legends.
There is no NBA player, past or present, more disrespected than Wilt Chamberlain.
Wilt Chamberlain’s one year as a head coach in the ABA didn’t come close to the success level he had as a player in the NBA.
Is the Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson rivalry bigger than Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell?
Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game is a classic that many remember, but what about his outing on Feb. 24, 1967?
Wilt Chamberlain was hit with a record-setting fine after going public with his frustrations as a 29-year-old NBA star.
Wilt Chamberlain experimented with coaching after his NBA days, and let’s just say it wasn’t his thing.
Some say Wilt Chamberlain was a selfish basketball player. Bill Russell weighed in after his Boston Celtics defeated Chamberlain’s 76ers in the 1966 playoffs.
Wilt Chamberlain led the LA Lakers to a championship in 1972, playing the series-clinching Game 5 with a broken wrist.
There will always be a debate about which center, Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain, was better.
