Wilt Chamberlain Claimed Michael Jordan Had It Easier in the NBA Than He Did
Michael Jordan is involved in essentially every NBA GOAT discussion these days. And LeBron James is typically his adversary in these conversations. Iāve said it before, and Iāll say it again: I find the NBA GOAT debate to be a pointless exercise. But many people seem to enjoy them, and I will say that this type of chatter is an entertaining enough way to pass the time, even if thereās no correct answer.
Before LeBron came along, however, Jordanās nemesis in the debate was typically Wilt Chamberlain. Like LeBron, this comparison makes no sense as Wilt, a 7ā1ā³ center, was a completely different type of player than was His Airness.
But as the two have the highest scoring averages in NBA history ā Jordan at 30.12 and Chamberlain at 30.07, itās easy to see why this debate took place. And itās not that it doesnāt anymore, but MJ vs. LeBron is so hot right now.
We all know how Jordan feels about himself. Just watch The Last Dance for that. But how did Chamberlain, who died in October 1999, feel about being compared to the six-time NBA champ?
Wilt Chamberlain said Michael Jordan had it easier than he did
lf you scour the internet, youāll find plenty of instances in which Chamberlain discusses the comparison between himself and Michael Jordan. And, trust me, it would take quite a while to get through all the fun quotes. But the consensus is this: Chamberlain undoubtedly respected Jordan.
But Wilt made no secret that he thought he was better.
And I think my favorite quote from Chamberlain on why Jordan couldnāt be the NBA goat was this one.
āThe difference between you and me is that they had to change the rules for me so I couldnāt dominate. They changed the rules so that you could.ā
Wilt Chamberlain on Michael Jordan
Chamberlain certainly has a case as it pertains to his own career. In 1961-62, Wilt averaged an NBA record 50.4 points per game. The following year, he averaged 44.8 points per night, still the second-highest average of all time. The two-time champ owns the top four spots on the list and five of the top six (Jordan sits at No. 5).
Wilt was clearly a dominating force in the league, so dominant that the NBA widened the lane from 12 to 16 feet in 1964 as he was simply unstoppable down low. He averaged a measly 34.7 points in 1964-65. Yes, thatās a joke for those who take the internet too seriously.
As for how the NBA changed the rules to make things easier for Jordan, thatās not entirely accurate. In 1987, after Jordan averaged a career-high 37.1 points per game (thatās the No. 5 spot), the league instituted the āillegal offenseā rule.
That rule banned teams from positioning three or more players who clearly had no intention of being involved in a play beyond the three-point line. Hereās how the Washington Post described it in 1987: āThere has been a growing propensity among coaches to move three men above the top of the key, thus clearing the way for two-man games or individual forays like those of Chicagoās Michael Jordan.ā
And there were, of course, the āJordan Rulesā set by the Detroit Pistons, which were essentially designed to beat the hell out of him. Okay, maybe thatās a bit harsh, but am I really that off base there?
Sure, MJ got a lot of calls back in the day and didnāt have a lot of fouls called on him, but itās not as if he never had it tough. And, believe me, Iām not a Jordan apologist, so this isnāt me sticking up for him in any way. Just sticking to facts, folks.
The truth is that both Chamberlain and Jordan dealt with obstacles in their day, and both obviously overcame them to become all-time greats. So while we should all just leave it at that, something tells me some of you wonāt (he says as he stirs the metaphorical pot).
Stats courtesy ofĀ Basketball Reference, Contract info courtesy ofĀ Spotrac
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