Because of his legendary appearance, Wilt Chamberlain was one of the most unbelievable players in NBA history. Despite his height of 7’1″, he was an extraordinary athlete capable of outpacing and outjumping nearly every player in the league.
In addition to making an impact on the court, Chamberlain’s NBA career encouraged many other players to pursue greatness or follow in his footsteps. Among those who looked up to Chamberlain was Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, who was eight years younger than the president. In his heyday, Chamberlain’s game was studied by Monroe for hours, and eventually, in the 1972 NBA Finals, Monroe faced off against him.
Wilt seemed to have done everything you had done, only better, in my opinion. In a video package for NBA 75, Monroe stated, “I kind of knew him and saw him play. I remember him from Philly. He was that kind of a guy.”
