In order to pass the time until the start of the upcoming NBA season, Duel of Generation brings you rivalries between basketball legends. Two heroes who defined their era via their dominance and charisma—Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal—open this series.
There are two non-standard pivots on the ring. Un ring dont les dimensions ont été agrandies pour l’occasion. 36 years have separated them, but despite this, they have so many similarities in both their strengths and weaknesses that parting ways with them will undoubtedly be difficult. Sylvain will take care of the legendary Wilt Chamberlain’s mojo while David responds to him with a Shaquille O’Neal who is more handsome than ever.
First Round: Report Offenses
Sylvain: Certain body types do not overlap: 1m84 to 10 years, 2m08 to 15 years, and 2m16 to 18 years. Wilt Chamberlain quickly realizes that this natural gift will propel him to the forefront of the scene and he selects the basket as the tremplin. He diverts all observers from the university. After his first game against the Kansas Jayhawks, Wilt sets the record with 52 points and 31 rebounds. The start of an offensive career with numbers that are unthinkable in the modern era.
After playing in the NCAA for two seasons and losing in the 1957 Final Four, Wilt became bored with the game. Too young to play in the NBA, he joins the Harlem Globetrotters to pass the time as he plays man, of course, with his collosseum body.
The NBA gains popularity in the early 1960s thanks to NBC, which airs games on weekends, and Wilt quickly establishes himself as the ambassador of the orange ball. In 1959, he sets sail for Philadelphia with the Warriors and makes his Major League debut against New York. Madison Square Garden finds a mechanical athletic and physical aberration that causes the parquet to sag with 43 points and 28 rebounds.
Additionally, Chamberlain is fifth among all-time great scorers, four places ahead of Shaq with as many rated players as he has, and has the best average of all time in points per game (30.1), just like Michael Jordan.
Round 2: Leadership and Polyvalence
Sylvain: Never before has an NBA player dominated the league in both points and rebounds. Chamberlain holds almost 70 records overall: highest number of points in a game (100), highest average point total (50.4), greatest rebonder in history (23.924), highest average point total (27.2 prises)… One looks over the records pertaining to attempted takes, franc launches, or efficiency ratings.
Not only did the giant achieve heart-stopping numbers, but it also made waves in another area that is frequently overlooked: decisive passes. Known for his positional play that seldom results in a championship, Wilt set out to become the best passer in the league. Just picture Andre Drummond or DeAndre Jordan fixing such a situation! However, Chamberlain is a bit player. From the 1966 season onward, he contributes to the team, reaching 7.8 passes the next year and 8.6 assists in 1968. Here, he wins his share as the player with the highest overall number of passes made this season. In the passage, he puts on a historically unprecedented performance that may even surpass his 100 points in a single game. En février 1968, en opposition.
His intimidating demeanor was enough to deter most attackers, and his counterattacks at that point calmed the most fearless. Shaq has been a magnet throughout his entire career. If he only managed two triple-doubles, he would have accounted for 869 double-doubles!
Wilt’s score was 2-0. Shaq is a versatile player, but not as much as Wilt was. Aside from his double-triple-double, Wilt was a terrific passer in a position where Shaq wasn’t particularly good but wasn’t close to become one of the league’s best players.
