Were Wilt Chamberlain’s accomplishments (vertical, strength, etc.) exaggerated? Definitely. Obviously, Wilt was a fantastic athlete who was well before of his time, and the idea of him using modern technologies, sports training, and so on sounds absurd. I’m not purchasing the whole “he benched 600 lbs” , “he had sex with 20,000 women” , “he had a 50 inch vertical” , “he can lift Thor’s hammer” , “he can ragdoll Shaq” , “he can catch a bullet with his bare hands” . I mean, his coworkers overstate his athletic abilities so much that it’s almost laughable.
Can you dispel the idea that “Wilt Chamberlain played against weak competition”? Let me list the Hall of Fame players Wilt played against simply at the center position (not considering non-centers): Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Wesley Unseld, Nate Thurmond, Wayne Embry, Willis Reed, Walt Bellamy, Dave Cowens, Zelmo Beaty, and Bob Lanier. I’d like to know what type of inferior competition people are referring to when he was playing against ten different Hall of Famers all in the same position.
Why do many people believe it is difficult for Wilt Chamberlain to average fifty points per game for a whole season? I believe that many things are feasible here. First, Wilt’s great season occurred 60 years ago, and many people now are unconcerned because of how long ago it was. Even I (and presumably many others) don’t care that Bob Pettit averaged 31 points and 19 rebounds in 1962. It happened so long ago, and most present fans are interested in the current game.
Then there’s the argument about plumbers, firemen, and whatever other vocations you might think of for players back then. Some claim that Wilt played against 6’4″ White males (except Bill Russell) and that Bill was the only one who could “shut down” (shut down, really?) Wilt. This plumbers and firefighters stuff makes it appear as if they were the only way Wilt averaged 50, ignoring his athleticism, skill (for his time), IQ, and pretty much whatever else Wilt wanted to accomplish to average 50. Big Musty (yep, that’s his nickname) could easily score 20 points with finger rolls and fadeaways. He could dunk the ball whenever he wanted (but didn’t since he didn’t want to hurt anyone).
Finally, he scored an average of 50 points. Because no other player has even come close (Jordan is the lone non-Chamberlain with 37.1 points, a 13.3 difference). The Load (yep, another moniker) broke numerous records that year, as he always does. He broke more than five NBA records during his 100-point game. Hook and Ladder (sorry, last one) had more 50-point games in 1962 than any other player in their career combined. 50 points seems unfathomable, therefore some people will assume it never happened.
So, for all of these reasons, some present fans will assume it never happened, or they will disregard it simply because it occurred so long ago. Wilt’s 1962 season was the best statistical season of all time.
Leave a Reply