Wilton Norman Chamberlain, a basketball player from Houston, was born on August 21, 1936 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Chamberlain was an accomplished track and field athlete from a young age. Chamberlain attended Overbrook High School and played basketball. Chamberlain averaged more than 31 points per game for the entire 1953 season. Chamberlain enrolled at the University of Kansas in 1955 and played basketball for the Jayhawks. A year later, Chamberlain made the varsity team and averaged more over 50 points per game.
Chamberlain joined the Harlem Globetrotters, a basketball team that mixes athleticism, theater, and comedy into their game. Chamberlain made his NBA debut with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959, scoring an average of 37 points per game. Chamberlain scored over 100 points against the New York Knicks while playing for the Warriors in 1962. Chamberlain was moved to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1965 and later signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1968. On February 16, 1972, Chamberlain became the first African American NBA player with 30,000 points in 940 games.
Chamberlain signed a player-coach contract with the San Diego Conquistadors in 1973. In 1974, Chamberlain announced his retirement from professional basketball. Following his retirement, Chamberlain entered the real estate market, purchasing Smalls Paradise, a Harlem nightclub. Chamberlain was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978 and considered one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time. Prior to his death, Chamberlain used his platform to help youngsters and adults stay health-conscious. Wilt’s Athletic Club, a track and field club in southern California, was sponsored and founded by Chamberlain.
Chamberlain died of congestive heart failure on October 12, 1999, in Bel-Air, California, at the age of 63. Chamberlain’s athletic motions and deft moves won him a reputation as one of the finest athletes of all time.
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