His career average was only two fouls per game despite having averaged 45.8 minutes per game over his career. [40] Teammate Bob Billings commented: "It was not fun basketball we were just out chasing people throwing the basketball back and forth. By 197172, at age 35 and running less, his game had transformed to averaging only nine shots per game compared to the 40 in his record-setting 196162 season. Several players and publications have argued that Chamberlain is the greatest of all time. They were greeted by General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev prior to the start of a game at Moscow's Lenin Central Stadium. Chamberlain's most famous season, however, came in 1962. Sixers forward Walker testified that on several occasions, players had to pull Chamberlain and Hannum apart to prevent a fistfight. He published his autobiography, Wilt: Just Like Any Other 7-Foot Black Millionaire Who Lives Next Door, in 1973. [114], In the 197071 NBA season, the Lakers made a notable move by signing future Hall-of-Fame guard Gail Goodrich, who came back from the Suns after playing for the Lakers until 1968. [174] [175][176] He was voted the second best center of all time by ESPN behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 2007,[177] and was ranked No. "[9] It was also in this period of his life when his three lifelong nicknames "Wilt the Stilt", "Goliath", and his favorite, "The Big Dipper", were born. [83], In the final minute, Chamberlain hit two clutch free throws and slam dunked on Russell, bringing Boston's lead down to 110109 with five seconds left. 32 retired by the Nets, and his no. Russell botched the inbounds pass, hitting a guy-wire supporting the backboard, and giving the ball back to the Sixers. His ability to leap from the foul line led to the rule that a free throw shooter must keep his feet behind the line. . . This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Why did Wilt Chamberlain retire from the NBA? [111] In Game 7, the Lakers trailed 9176 after three quarters. [48][h] Chamberlain became the NBA's highest paid player when he signed for $30,000, in his rookie contract. [1] He was a frail child, nearly dying of pneumonia in his early years and missing a whole year of school as a result. That's the reason why I was single. With no sleep and a hangover, he boarded the train to Philadelphia at 8 AM. All rights reserved. [12] Specifically, according to the 2 year contract that Chamberlain had signed prior to the 1971-72 season, if he failed to sign and mail back his next contract his contract with the Lakers would be deemed to be renewed. [191] Chamberlain later said that he was too embarrassed by the underhand technique to continue using it, even though it consistently gave him better results. [125], In the 197172 NBA season, the Lakers hired former Celtics star guard Bill Sharman as head coach. [62] In one particular game, Chamberlain blocked a dunk attempt by Baltimore Bullets player Gus Johnson so hard that he dislocated Johnson's shoulder. Former teammate Billy Cunningham remarked The NBA Guide reads like Wilt's personal diary. [130] West called it "the greatest ball-busting performance I have ever seen". Among the members of the team were Florence Griffith before she set the world records in the 100 meters and 200 meters, three-time world champion Greg Foster,[144] and future Olympic Gold medalists Andre Phillips, Alice Brown, and Jeanette Bolden. Irv Kosloff, who owned the Sixers alone after Richman's death, pleaded with Wilt to move to Philadelphia during the season, but was turned down. In a fiercely battled Game 4, Chamberlain was playing with five fouls late in the game. [12] In an April 1965 issue of Sports Illustrated, Chamberlain conducted an interview titled "My Life in a Bush League" where he criticized his fellow players, coaches, and NBA administrators. [147] A result of this resentment was the 1997 book Who's Running the Asylum? [35], Chamberlain's prospects of playing under Allen ended when the coach turned 70 shortly after and retired in accordance with KU regulations. [86], Off the court, Chamberlain's commitment to the team was doubted, as Chamberlain was a late sleeper, lived in New York City, preferring to commute to Philadelphia rather than live there, and he was only available during the afternoon for training. Chamberlain scored 29 points, 36 rebounds, and 13 assists, and he was praised by the Celtics' Russell and K. C. [4], Chamberlain was 6ft 11in (2.11m) when he entered Philadelphia's Overbrook High School. For Game 5, Chamberlain's hands were packed into thick pads normally destined for defensive linesmen in football; he was offered a painkilling shot but refused because he feared he would lose his shooting touch if his hands became numb. [185] Chamberlain was named All-NBA First Team seven times to Russell's three, but Russell was named the NBA MVPthen selected by players and not the pressfive times against Chamberlain's four. Why did Wilt Chamberlain retire from the NBA? With 10 seconds remaining, Tar Heels' center Joe Quigg pump faked then drove to the basket. [61], Chamberlain surpassed his rookie season statistics, as he averaged 38.4 points and 27.2 rebounds per game. He led the NBA in scoring seven times, field goal percentage nine times, minutes played eight times, rebounding eleven times, and assists once. He tried coaching for a time, and was a popular pitchman for commercials. Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain entered the league in 1959 at the age of 21 years old. [196] Designed according to his preferences, the house was constructed with no right angles, and had an X-rated room with mirrored walls and a fur-covered waterbed. For his part, Ali refused to be intimidated at this potentially formidable opponent and instead played psychological games to weaken Chamberlain's confidence with public boasts of "Timber!" Wilt Chamberlain retired in 1973. [6], Chamberlain was the catalyst for several 1956 NCAA basketball rule changes, including the rule which requires that a shooter maintain both feet behind the line during a free-throw attempt. Wilt Chamberlain was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The man was 6-foot-8 and weighed 220 pounds. By the time he retired in 1973, Chamberlain had amassed an amazing array of career statistics. He died in Bel-Air, California, in 1999. As of 2019, he is the first and the only player in NBA history to record 50 points and 35 rebounds in an NBA playoff game. By conventional wisdom, Chamberlain now should have dominated against little-used Knicks backup centers Nate Bowman and Bill Hosket Jr., or forwards Bradley and DeBusschere, who gave up more than half a foot against him. Milwaukee closed out the series at home with a 11698 victory in Game 5. [106] On April 4, national tragedy struck with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. With eight of the ten starting players on the Sixers and Celtics being African-American, both teams were in deep shock, and there were calls to cancel the series. Standing at 6'11" tall at the time, Chamberlain physically dominated other players. He was writing a screenplay about his life. When did Wilt Chamberlain stop playing basketball? [106], In Game 7, 15,202 stunned Philadelphia fans witnessed a 10096 defeat for the Sixers, making it the first time in NBA history that a team lost a series after leading 31. Wilt Chamberlain was a mythical figure. Winning the regular season with 66 wins, the Bucks were seen as favorites against the depleted Lakers; still, many pundits were looking forward to the matchup between the 34-year-old Chamberlain and the 24-year-old Alcindor. [5], Chamberlain's game evolved over the years. One night, they got up to 25. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Owing to his strong start, he still managed to put up a season-average 27.3 points, 18.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. In the third overtime, the Tar Heels scored two consecutive baskets, but Chamberlain executed a three-point play, leaving KU trailing 5251. [184] As the championship count became increasingly lopsided, the relationship got strained and turned hostile after Russell accused Chamberlain of "copping out" in the notorious Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals. According to sportswriter Roland Lazenby, a journalist close to the Lakers, Chamberlain was angry at Kosloff for breaking the alleged ChamberlainRichman deal. He ran the 100-yard dash in 10.9 seconds, shot-putted 56 feet, triple jumped more than 50 feet, and won the high jump in the Big Eight Conference track and field championships three straight years. Coach Schayes called timeout and decided it would be unwise to pass the ball to Chamberlain, because he feared the Celtics would intentionally foul him. Ex-soldier Hannum, who later entered the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach, was a crafty psychologist who emphasized defense and passing. [5] Among others, UCLA offered Chamberlain the opportunity to become a movie star, the University of Pennsylvania wanted to buy him diamonds, and Chamberlain's coach at Overbrook, Cecil Mosenson, was even offered a coaching position if he could persuade him. 6 in a similar list by The Athletic. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. During his retirement, Wilt pursued various business ventures, such as a well-known chain of sports bars. [124] In 1967, retired NFL star Jim Brown acted as Chamberlain's manager; Ali's manager Jabir Herbert Muhammad backed out of the AliChamberlain match, which was slated to take place at Madison Square Garden. It was North Carolina's first of six NCAA national titles. Unlike Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry never switched back to overhand free throws. [62] Cooke was pleased because ticket sales went up by 11% since acquiring Chamberlain. [163], The comparison between the two is often simplified to a great player (Chamberlain) versus a player who makes his team great (Russell), an individualist against a team player. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? In retrospect, Gottlieb remarked: "My mistake was not getting a strong-handed coach. [197] Chamberlain lived alone,[198] relying on a great deal of automated gadgets, with two cats named Zip and Zap and several Great Dane dogs as company. [19] Overbrook won the Public League a third time, beating West Philadelphia 7860; in the city championship game, they met West Catholic once again. The Sixers charged their way to a then-record 6813 season, including a record 464 start. In high school and college, he was Mr. Basketball USA, NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1957, and twice consensus first-team All-American in 1957 and 1958. "[110], Chamberlain experienced an often-frustrating season. [38] With 10 minutes to go, North Carolina led 4037 and stalled the game, as they passed the ball around without any intention of scoring a basket. The NBA did not formally track blocks and thefts until 1972, thus while these quadruple doubles may have occurred, they are not official. [132] Chamberlain was named the NBA Finals MVP,[62] and he was admired for dominating the Knicks in Game 5 while playing injured. [106], The loss meant that Chamberlain was 16 in playoff series against the Celtics. [38], Twenty-three teams were selected to play in the 1957 NCAA basketball tournament. The matchup between Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar was hailed by Life as the greatest matchup in all of sports. [a] Chamberlain had a natural advantage against his peers; he soon was renowned for his scoring talent, his physical strength, and his shot-blocking abilities. [142] As a testament to his importance, the IVA All-Star game was televised only because Chamberlain also played in it; he rose to the challenge and was named the game's MVP. [207], Cherry says that although Chamberlain was an egotist, he had good relationships with many contemporaries and enjoyed a great deal of respect. Join our linker program. [54] His 58 points were a then-career-high for him, and he later tied that on February 21, as he recorded 58 points to go along with 24 rebounds in a 131121 over the visiting Knicks.[55]. [38] Leading a talented squad of starters, including Maurice King, Gene Elstun, John Parker, Ron Lonesky, and Lew Johnson, the Jayhawks went 131 until they lost a game 5654 versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys, a team holding the ball the last three and a half minutes without any intention of scoring a basket, which was still possible in the days before the shot clock (introduced 1984 in the NCAA). Chamberlain was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, where he was the president of his pledge class. If Chamberlain started having sex at the age of 15, from then up to the age of 55 (when the book was published) he would have had 40 years to sleep with 20,000 women, or 500 different women a year . He was 50 years old at the time, and the New Jersey Nets were actually going to offer him a contract for the last few games of their season and postseason. When he became a Laker, Chamberlain built a million-dollar mansion in Bel-Air named after Ursa Major, as a play on his nickname "The Big Dipper". Julius Erving had his no. [117], After the playoffs, Chamberlain challenged heavyweight boxing legend Muhammad Ali to a fight. Many of those moments were in Philly, where he spent four seasons (1964-68), won regular season MVP three out of those four seasons and led the team . Two months later, Mileti hired Stan Albeck as the team's second head coach.. Clyde Drexler had his no. After his retirement, Chamberlain's records were kept intact by Hakeem Olajuwon . That Would Be An NBA Record By A Margin of 3.3 Blocks", "Wilt Chamberlain on Sidelines as Conquistadors win 121-106", "Until his dying day, Wilt was invincible", "Chamberlain biopic has Canuck coproducer", "Chamberlain Was Seeing Heart Specialist, Taking Medication", "STD's, Cardiomyopathy and Wilt Chamberlain", "The day Wilt Chamberlain, NBA legend, died at 63 in 1999", "Agent says Chamberlain had congestive heart failure", "Reaction to a basketball legend's death", "The NBA's true greatest player of all time, Wilt Chamberlain", "The Greatest NBA Player of All-Time: Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain? Chamberlain retired from the NBA after the 1973 season however he still remained very close to basketball. [47] On March 9, 2000, his No. [199], Following his death in 1999, Chamberlain's estate was valued at $25 million. We present them here for purely educational purposes. [41] Another landmark was his 25,000th point, making him the first-ever player to score that many points; he gave the ball to his team physician Stan Lorber. At the time, he stated he had only been beaten in the high jump once, by Olympic champion Charles Dumas, and that he had never been beaten in the shot put, including beating Olympic legend Al Oerter. [88] Off the court, Chamberlain invited the team to restaurants and paid the entire bill, knowing he earned ten times more than all the others. Chamberlain was regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time as the first NBA player to score more than 30,000 points during his professional career. At the time of his final substitution, he had scored 18 points (hitting seven of his eight shots) and grabbed 27 rebounds, significantly better than the 10 points of Counts on 4-of-13 shooting. Then with our great Laker team in 1972, he concentrated on the defensive end." [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. Wilt Chamberlain " To Bill, every game-every championship game-was a challenge, a test to his manhood. Joe Ruklick got the assist for Wilt's 100th point. [74], In the 196364 NBA season, Chamberlain got yet another new coach in Alex Hannum and was joined by promising rookie center Nate Thurmond, who eventually entered the Hall of Fame. [14], During summer vacations, Chamberlain worked as a bellhop at Kutsher's Hotel. [45], On October 24, 1959, Chamberlain made his NBA debut, starting for the Philadelphia Warriors. Wilt Chamberlain, while still considered by most to be the most dominant offensive force in history, only won two NBA titles in his career, one with the Philadelphia 76ers in . He hated being called "Wilt the Stilt," or "the Stilt," which came from a local reporter covering high school athletics. [45] One particular Globetrotter skit involved captain Meadowlark Lemon collapsing to the ground, and instead of helping him up, Chamberlain threw him several feet high up in the air and caught him like a doll. [126], Jazz composer Thad Jones named the music composition "Big Dipper" after Chamberlain.