Even though I had a strong bias in favor of Bill before watching, I still think it’s a fantastic resource for anyone interested in learning more about the topic. I think this film does a better job than any other at contextualizing Wilt’s ridiculous scoring totals throughout his prime years in terms of what it truly meant to his teams. It also discusses how Wilt changed his style of play to become more Russell-like, emphasizing defense to open up opportunities for easy points during transitions, which led to his championship seasons.
For those of a particular age, the narrator’s voice is instantly recognizable in 1972. Over renowned Bel Air, we can view a specially constructed residence from above. Let Jim McKay, anchor of ABC’s “Wide World of Sports,” handle it from there.
You are not looking at a resort hotel or an airport terminal, according to McKay. This is not a public house. Perched atop one of the tallest hills in the opulent Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. It’s a home as extravagant as Disneyland, and its owner, a gigantic man, is even bigger than it.
This place has 21 rooms, an 8 1/2-foot-long bed, and a 15-foot-deep swimming pool. It is said to be America’s deepest private pool. Its height surpasses the new world pole vault record set by Kjell Isaksson by two and a half times. This is the front door, which is one ton in weight and fourteen feet high. Who is the home’s owner? Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, a well-known 7-foot basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers, is the owner.
Then, we show a picture of Chamberlain sitting on his specially made couch, wearing a flowing red shirt and light blue pants, as he goes into great detail about how he built the triangle-shaped house, which he called “Ursa Major,” which was once an anti-aircraft missile station during the Cold War. One author compared the compound to Darth Vader’s helmet when viewed from above.
