Wilt Chamberlain was afraid of only one guy, and Julius Erving said, “He would hurt you and not even blink”

Dr. J disclosed that Wes Unseld was the NBA player that intimidated Wilt Chamberlain.

Few players in NBA history have been as commanding and intimidating on the court as Wilt Chamberlain. Even “The Big Dipper” wasn’t fearless on the court, either, despite his size.

 

When asked about his all-time favorite dunk, Julius Erving answered during his interview on the Knuckleheads Podcast. Following his impressive victory over the illustrious Elvin Hayes, Dr. J. dropped an intriguing theory that Big E’s colleague Wes Unseld was the only player Chamberlain feared on the floor.

“I’m heading down the lane, and Elvin Hayes and that fucking Wes Unseld were back there helping.” I was certain Unseld would harm you without even blinking. The other players on your team wouldn’t even venture outside to save you; instead, he would steal their bravery. They might decide not to even come collect you because they will also likely be hit by him. Erving stated, “I always heard that before I came over to the league, so he was the only guy Wilt was scared of in the league.”

Unseld vs. Chamberlain

As one of the greatest players of all time, Chamberlain is etched in NBA history by breaking a number of statistical milestones that are unlikely to be surpassed. He was an athletic giant ahead of his time, standing at 7’1″. The league was terrified of Wilt because of his psychical size, skill, confidence, and aura. But in 19 games when Unseld played on the opposing side of the court, that wasn’t the case

 

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Throughout his career, Chamberlain averaged 22.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 30.1 points. In head-to-head games versus the Baltimore Bullets big man, his stats decreased to 18.2 points and 20.6 rebounds.

 

Throughout his 13-year NBA career, Unseld averaged 10.8 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. When facing Chamberlain, though, “The Oak Tree” was more productive, averaging 13.1 points and 17.1 rebounds per game.