It’s quite difficult to compare the Wilt to guys from more recent eras like Jordan. One issue is that, in comparison to more recent eras, the Wilt era just doesn’t have as much material available. For example, the stats are not as detailed. Real game footage is very difficult to get by. Another issue is that different regulations applied to the games; in Wilt’s day, for instance, there was no 3-point shot. The average height, number of teams, talent concentration, average number of shots made, and available rebounds are all significantly varied, as are the playing styles. Comparing apples to orangutans is analogous.
In my comparison, Jordan is superior to Chamberlain. The main benefits for Jordan are as follows:
More victories, 6 to 2.
Five to four MVPs more
played in a period when it was more harder to accumulate stats since opponents’ average height, weight, and athletic ability were all much higher than it was during Wilt’s time.
Wilt lost several of the playoff series that his team won with homecourt advantage, but otherwise perfect.
Wilt lost several of the playoff series that his team won with homecourt advantage, but otherwise perfect.
stronger scorer during the postseason
Wilt Chamberlain was one of the greatest players in history, but it seems that Jordan valued winning far more. He was the most athletic by far. Shaq’s bulk, Lebron’s quickness, and Jordan’s leaping ability. His rebounding statistics are unrivaled. I wish there was more video of his games and would love to have more and better data to compare.
