March 2, 1962, saw the greatest single performance in NBA history, if not in all of professional sports, take place in a drafty ice hockey arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania. In a game involving his Philadelphia Warriors and the New York Knicks, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points using a variety of moves, including fadeaway jumpers, finger rolls, and “Dipper dunks.”
More than just a stunning statistical accomplishment, Chamberlain’s 100-point performance brought renewed attention to the NBA, which was previously a marginal draw that was having trouble drawing in fans. Oscar Robertson claimed that the game, along with Chamberlain’s season-long 50.4 point scoring average, attracted enough attention to keep the league from going extinct.
Additionally, the game served as a sort of turning point in the league’s history. With the league still moving away from the set shot era and unspoken quotas limiting African American players, Chamberlain’s 100 effectively heralded a new era for the league.
