Wilt Chamberlain: The Big Dipper
On August 21st, 1936, Wilt Chamberlain was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He went on to be a 2x Champion, 4x MVP and the most dominant player in NBA history.
Chamberlain went to Kansas for 3 years (1956-58). He was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1959 NBA Draft. But, since he was a junior when he left college, and the NBA only accepted players who had fully graduated from college, Wilt played with the Harlem Globetrotters for 1 season (1958-59). In October of 1959, Wilt finally made his debut.
After his 1st NBA season, Chamberlain was averaging 37.6 points and 27 rebounds. It took him only 56 games for him to score 2,000+ points. It took Hall of Famer Bob Pettit 72 games to score 2,000+ points. He broke 8 NBA records and was named MVP and Rookie of the Year in his his 1st season. He capped off his rookie season by winning the 1960 All Star Game MVP. The Warriors lost to the defending champion Boston Celtics in the 2nd round of the playoffs 4-2.
The next season, Wilt averaged 38.4 points and 27.2 rebounds. He became the first player to break the 3,000+ point barrier and the first and only player to record 2,000+ rebounds in 1 season. He also set the NBA record for rebounds in a game with 55. Chamberlain was so dominant that he scored almost 32% of his teams points and 34% of his team’s rebounds. Like Lebron would do everything for the sucky Cavaliers teams. They lost to the Syracuse Nationals in a 3-0 sweep in the 1st round.
In the 1962 season, Wilt averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds per game. On March 2, 1962, on a game that was not televised, and in only his 3rd season in the NBA, Wilt did the impossible. He scored 100 points, shot 36/63 from the field, and made 28/32 free throws against the New York Knicks. That is insane and even though they did not have a 3-point line, he still did. Kobe Bryant scored 81 against the Raptors in 2006, and that is the closest somebody has ever come to the record. Chamberlain also scored 4,000+ points that season, making him the 1st and only player to do so. The only other player to score 3,000+ points was Michael Jordan in the 1986-87 season. He once again broke the 2,000+ rebound barrier. Chamberlain played in every single minute except for 8 minutes when he was ejected for getting his 2nd technical. In 1962, he scored 42 points in the All-Star Game, a record that was not broken until 2017 when Anthony Davis scored 52 points. They again met the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. They split the first 6 games and it was Game 7. It was a closely contested game, and with 16 seconds left, Chamberlain tied the game at 107. Sam Jones came right back and hit the jumper to give Boston a 109-107 lead with 2 seconds left. Boston would eventually win the series and the NBA title.
In the 1962-63 season, the team was sold by owner Eddie Gottlieb to San Francisco, and the team became the San Francisco Warriors. Wilt averaged 44.8 points and 24.3 rebounds that year. Despite his success, the Warriors missed the playoffs.
In the 1963-64 season, the Warriors got a new coach in Alex Hannum and a promising young rookie in Nate Thurmond, a future Hall of Famer. Wilt averaged 36.9 points and 22.3 rebounds that season. The Warriors went all the way to the Finals before losing to the Boston Celtics in 5 games.
In the 1964-65 season, the Warriors got off to a poor start and ran into financial trouble. At the 1965 All Star Break, Chamberlain was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, formerly the Syracuse Nationals. Chamberlain found himself in a good spot with the 76ers, with players like Chet Walker and Hal Greer, he had a chance to do some good things with the team. For the 2nd half of the season, Chamberlain averaged 34.7 points and 22.9 rebounds. After beating Oscar Robertson and the Cincinnati Royals in the 1st round, they were again faced by the Boston Celtics. Again it was tied 3-3 after 6 games and Game 7 was in Boston. In the final minute, Chamberlain scored 4 points to cut the Boston lead to 1, 110-109. Russell threw the in-bounds pass away and the 76ers had a chance to win the game. Instead of giving it to Chamberlain, who they would foul and put him on the line, they decided to give it to Hal Greer. John Havlicek stole the in-bounds pass and helped Boston win the game.
In the 1965-66 season, the 76ers were 55-25 during the regular season, with Chamberlain averaging 33.5 points and 24.6 rebounds. He won his 2nd MVP award. In one particular game, he blocked Gus Johnson so hard that he dislocated Johnson’s shoulder. They were again met by the Celtics in the playoffs, but this time the 76ers had the home court. But, the Celtics took both games on the road pretty easily. They eventually won the series in 5 games.
Prior to the 1966-67 season, the 76ers hired Alex Hannum for the coaching spot. Hannum had a new approach for Chamberlain. For him to pass the ball more and rely on his teammates such as Hal Greer, Chet Walker, and Billy Cunningham. He averaged a career-low 24.1 points, 24.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists, a career high and 3rd highest in the league. Wilt earned his 3rd MVP award. The 76ers went 68-13, a record at the time, including starting off the season 46-4. The 76ers entered the 1967 NBA Playoffs facing off against the Boston Celtics again in the Eastern Conference Finals. But this time, the 76ers had the upper hand, winning the series easily in 5 games. They reached the NBA Finals and were met by Wilt’s former team, the San Francisco Warriors, led by Nate Thurmond and Rick Barry. Philly was up 3-2 entering Game 6. After being closely contested down the stretch, Rick Barry missed the jumper that would have forced game 7. This was Wilt’s first NBA Championship.
In the 1967-68 season, Chamberlain averaged 24.3 points and 23.8 rebounds. The 76ers had the best record in the NBA for the 3rd straight season. He would also win his 4th and final MVP award. He scored his 25,000th point that season, making him the first player ever to do so. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Billy Cunningham broke his hand and Hal Greer, Chet Walker and Wilt Chamberlain were also dealing with injuries. They eventually won the series in 6 games. They were again met by the Boston Celtics, but they were older. Dr. Martin Luther King was shot and killed before the series started and there were talks of postponing the series. The 76ers went up 3-1 and no team had ever came back from 3-1. But the Celtics did it and advanced to the NBA Finals. This meant that Chamberlain was 1-6 against the Celtics in the playoffs.
After this defeat, Alex Hannum left the team and Chamberlain demanded a trade. The 76ers front office shipped him to the west coast to the Los Angeles Lakers with Jerry West and a very old Elgin Baylor. But the season was not like the others. Sometimes, Chamberlain was benched by the coach, something that had never happened to him before. He averaged 20.5 points and 21.1 rebounds that season. Going into the 1969 playoffs, the Lakers beat the San Francisco Warriors in 6 games and then beat the Atlanta Hawks to advance to the NBA Finals. And wouldn’t you know it, they were met by the Boston Celtics. The Lakers won the first 2 games, but then lost the next 2. In Game 5, Chamberlain scored 13 points and 31 rebounds and led the Lakers to the win. But, Chamberlain only scored 8 points in Game 6 and the Celtics won. Game 7 was very weird. Confident that the Lakers would win at home for Game 7, Lakers owner Kent Cooke put up thousands of balloons in the rafters of the Forum. This display lit a fire under the Celtics. In the 4th quarter, Chamberlain sprained his knee and was forced to be taken out. With 3 minutes left, the Lakers were down 103-102. But the Lakers were not able to control the game and lost 108-106. Despite the loss, Jerry West won Finals MVP, the only time a losing team player has won the honor.
In the 1969-70 season, Chamberlain seriously injured his knee. He played the first 9 games of the season before totally rupturing his pateller tendon at the base of his right knee cap. He missed almost the entire season before returning for the final 3 games of the regular season. He averaged 27.3 points and 18.1 rebounds per game. The Lakers went easily through the Western playoffs and were facing the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. The series was tied 3-3 going into Game 7, but the Knicks were going to be without Willis Reed, the Knicks were doomed. But a miracle happened. Willis Reed hobbled out to play and scored the first 4 points, inspiring the Knicks to get one of the greatest playoff upsets of all time. The Knicks led by 27 at he half and cruised to a win and a NBA title.
In the 1970-71 season, the Lakers signed Gail Goodrich back from the Phoenix Suns. Chamberlain averaged 20.7 points and 18.2 rebounds. They lost Elgin Baylor to a ruptured Achilles that effectively ended his season and his career. Jerry West also injured his knee and the Lakers were considered underdogs against the Milwaukee Bucks and newly crowned MVP Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). The Bucks handled the Lakers and won the series in 5 games.
In the 1971-72 season, Wilt averaged a new career low 14.9 points and 19.8 rebounds, but after Elgin Baylor retired because of injuries, the Lakers thrived. They went on a 33 game winning streak, a streak that has still not been beaten to this day. They also won a then record 69 games. They swept the Chicago Bulls in the first round and were met by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks (formerly Lew Alcindor). But, Chamberlain controlled the match-up and the Lakers won the series in 6 games. In the 1972 NBA Finals, the Lakers were again met by the Knicks, but they were shorthanded because Willis Reed got injured, and 6’8″ Jerry Lucas would have to guard Chamberlain. But the Knicks won game 1 behind Lucas’s amazing shooting. The Lakers bounced back and won Game 2, and the Knicks lost defensive PF Dave DeBusschere to a injury. The Lakers again won game 3, and Game 4 was close but the Lakers pulled through. Chamberlain did break his hand in the game and would have to play with a football like cast in Game 5. He still played well and the Lakers won the series in 5 games. He was also won Finals MVP.
The 1972-72 season would be Chamberlain’s last season in the NBA. Chamberlain averaged 13.2 points and 18.6 rebounds that season. The Lakers won 60 games during the regular season and reached the 1973 NBA Finals against the Knicks once again. But this time the Knicks were healthy and the Lakers were crippled by injuries. The Lakers won Game 1, but then lost the rest and lost in 5 games.
In 1973, the San Diego Conquistadors from the rival ABA league signed Wilt as a player/coach. But Chamberlain did not like coaching and lots of other stuff happened and the team was bad. After this, he retired from pro basketball.
On October 12, 1999, after a long history with heart problems, Wilt Chamberlain died in California.
In 1961-62, his best season, Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds. Beastly. Overall, Chamberlain was a 2x NBA Champion, Finals MVP (1972), 4x MVP, 13x All Star, All Star Game MVP (1960), 7x All NBA 1st Team, 3x All NBA 2nd Team, 2x All Defensive First Team, Rookie of the Year (1960), 7x Scoring Champion, 11x Rebounding Champion, NBA Assists Leader (1968).
Chamberlain was one of the greatest centers of all time, and the most dominant player of all time during his prime.
I hope you enjoyed this edition of This Day In History, please leave a comment on which player I should do next and on which day.
