At first, Chamberlain was not interested in basketball because he thought it was "a game for sissies". Chamberlain feared he might lose his cool one day. William Charles Chamberlain - Wikipedia [12] In an April 1965 issue of Sports Illustrated, Chamberlain conducted an interview titled "My Life in a Bush League" where he criticized his fellow players, coaches, and NBA administrators. [111] In Game 7, the Lakers trailed 9176 after three quarters. [130] Chamberlain performed so well in the series that Time stated: "In the N.B.A. [111], After the game, many wondered why Chamberlain sat out the final six minutes. How Many Women Did Wilt Chamberlain Sleep With? | Mental Floss [69] Each team won their home games, so the series was split at three after six games. Parents should know that Legends of Chamberlain Heights is an animated series about three benchwarmers on a school basketball team, but it's definitely not for kids. [76] Cherry says not only Chamberlain but Hannum in particular deserved much credit because he had basically had taken the bad 3149 squad of last year, plus Thurmond, and made it into an NBA Finals contender. It was believed that he had multiple affairs with women. [10] According to Chamberlain, that was the time that people started calling him a loser. He happened to make a living playing basketball, but he was more than that. He was basketball's first player to earn at least $100,000 a year and earned an unprecedented $1.5 million during his Lakers years. In that series, they again succumbed to Russell's Boston Celtics, this time losing 41. Ex-soldier Hannum, who later entered the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach, was a crafty psychologist who emphasized defense and passing. In the first game, the Jayhawks played the all-white SMU Mustangs, and KU player John Parker later said: "The crowd was brutal. He corresponded with the girl for six months before she died. [201], In Chamberlain's second book, A View from Above, he claimed to have had sex with twenty thousand women. Not only was he athletic, but he was also skilled at both ends of the court. [109] Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke gave Chamberlain an unprecedented contract, paying him $250,000 after taxes, or about $1.9 million in real value; in comparison, previous Lakers top earner Jerry West was paid $100,000 before taxes (about $780,000 in real value). The estate went. When it comes down to the closing minutes of a tough game, an important game, he doesnt want the ball, he doesnt want any part of the pressure. He was born on August 21, 1936. If you lose, everybody says, 'How could he lose, a guy that size? [40] Because KU came second in the league and at the time only conference winners were invited to the NCAA tournament, the Jayhawks' season ended. [34] Offensive goaltending, or basket interference, was also introduced as a rule in 1956, after Bill Russell had exploited it at San Francisco and Chamberlain was soon to enter college play. Having lost lateral quickness due to his injury, Chamberlain was often too slow to block Reed's preferred high-post jump shots. He told teammate Joe Rucklik that he drove from Los Angeles to Philadelphia in 20 . Chamberlain scored 29 points, 36 rebounds, and 13 assists, and he was praised by the Celtics' Russell and K. C. Going ahead 32, the Sixers defeated the Knicks 11597 in Game 6 after Chamberlain scored 25 points and 27 rebounds; he had a successful series in which he led both teams in points (153), rebounds (145), and assists (38). He had a history of heart problems, and a fire department . [43] At that time, the NBA did not accept players until after their college graduating class had been completed; he decided to play for the Harlem Globetrotters in 1958 for a sum of $50,000,[10][12][g] The team enjoyed a sold-out tour of the Soviet Union in 1959. 's western division title series with Milwaukee, he (Chamberlain) decisively outplayed basketball's newest giant superstar, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, eleven years his junior. Cherry criticizes his performance, saying that if "Chamberlain had come up big and put up a normal 30 point scoring night", the Lakers would have probably won their first championship at Los Angeles. [86], In the playoffs, the Sixers again met the Boston Celtics and had home-court advantage for the first time. 5 in ESPN's list of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team,[180] and No. Former teammate Billy Cunningham remarked The NBA Guide reads like Wilt's personal diary. "[205] In a 1999 interview shortly before his death, he regretted not having explained the sexual climate at the time of his escapades and warned other men who admired him for it, with the closing words from the chapter of the same book: "With all of you men out there who think that having a thousand different ladies is pretty cool, I have learned in my life I've found out that having one woman a thousand different times is much more satisfying. He also never fouled out of a game; and is the only player in NBA history to average at least 30 points and 20 rebounds per game in a season, a feat he accomplished seven times. During his first championship season, his assists also increased, recording two back-to-back seasons with eight assists per game, and winning one assist title. [73] With both secondary scorers gone, Chamberlain continued his array of statistical feats, averaging 44.8 points and 24.3 rebounds per game that year. [41] By the time Chamberlain was 21, before he even turned professional, he had already been featured in Time, Life, Look, and Newsweek. [111] Playing through his problems, Chamberlain averaged 20.5 points and 21.1 rebounds a game that season. [38] Leading a talented squad of starters, including Maurice King, Gene Elstun, John Parker, Ron Lonesky, and Lew Johnson, the Jayhawks went 131 until they lost a game 5654 versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys, a team holding the ball the last three and a half minutes without any intention of scoring a basket, which was still possible in the days before the shot clock (introduced 1984 in the NCAA). "[12], Rick Barry wrote Ill say what most players feel, which is that Wilt is a loserHe is terrible in big games. Chamberlain was regarded as one of. With three minutes to go, the Lakers trailed 103102, but they committed costly turnovers and lost the game 108106, despite a triple-double from West, who had 42 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists, and became the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team. 13 in ESPN's list "Top North American Athletes of the Century" in 1999. [71] Much like later center Shaquille O'Neal, Chamberlain would be fouled intentionally, and was a target of criticism because of it. [62] Despite his individual success, the Warriors lost 49 of their 80 games and missed the playoffs. Death. The Inside Story of Wilt Chamberlain's Volleyball Career - InsideHook "[37], On December 3, 1956, Chamberlain made his varsity basketball debut as a center for the Kansas Jayhawks. Peterson had stated that she had blamed herself and was almost "convinced that I was a very bad person for letting that happen", until the Me Too movement made her rethink the experience. Chamberlain blocked Quigg's shot but was also called for the foul. [128] Chamberlain accepted his new roles and posted an all-time low 14.8 points per game but also won the rebound crown with 19.2 rebounds per game and led the league with a .649 field goal percentage. He was also once league president, and is enshrined in the IVA Hall of Fame for his contributions. He also twice made All-Defensive First Team. [10], The rookie Chamberlain then shocked Warriors' fans by saying he was thinking of retiring. [5][163] Chamberlain is most remembered for his 100-point game,[164][165] which is widely considered one of basketball's greatest records. Renowned for his strength, he appeared as the antagonist in the 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger film Conan the Destroyer. He stood 7 feet 1. In the Eastern Division Semifinals, they were pitted against the New York Knicks. Among the members of the team were Florence Griffith before she set the world records in the 100 meters and 200 meters, three-time world champion Greg Foster,[144] and future Olympic Gold medalists Andre Phillips, Alice Brown, and Jeanette Bolden. However, the team lost to their old and familiar rival, 'Boston Celtics.' . He personally preferred "The Big Dipper", which was inspired by his friends who saw him dip his head as he walked through doorways. In his first game, he scored 52 points and grabbed 31 rebounds, breaking both all-time Kansas records in an 8769 win against the Northwestern Wildcats, a team having Chamberlain's future NBA teammate Joe Ruklick. [106], The loss meant that Chamberlain was 16 in playoff series against the Celtics. After rupturing his Achilles tendon, perennial captain Baylor retired, leaving a void Chamberlain filled. After finding out what a huge fan of his she was, Wilt shocked the teenage girl with a telephone call. How old was Wilt Chamberlain when he died? Chamberlain also made history by becoming the only center in NBA history to finish the season as the leader in assists, his 702 beating runner-up point guard and future Hall-of-Famer Lenny Wilkens' total by 23. Longtime friend and lawyer Seymour Goldberg told reporters, "We suspect at this stage it may have been a heart attack but nobody knows for sure." [185] Chamberlain was named All-NBA First Team seven times to Russell's three, but Russell was named the NBA MVPthen selected by players and not the pressfive times against Chamberlain's four. For his part, Ali refused to be intimidated at this potentially formidable opponent and instead played psychological games to weaken Chamberlain's confidence with public boasts of "Timber!" #WiltChamberlain Owing to his strong start, he still managed to put up a season-average 27.3 points, 18.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. [43][110] Erickson commented that "Butch catered to Elgin and Jerry and that is not a good way to get on Wilt's side that relationship was doomed from the start. On Jan. 9, 1972, the Bucks beat the Lakers, 120-104, snapping Los Angeles' historic 33-game winning streak that blew Milwaukee's record of 20 games (set in 1971) out of the water. Wilt didn't come from a race of giants as many thought. [108], On July 9, 1968, the trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sixers was completed, making it the first time a reigning NBA MVP was traded the next season. [62] On March 18, 1968, in a 158128 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers,[97] Chamberlain reportedly had a quintuple-double with 53 points, 32 rebounds, 14 assists, 24 blocks, and 11 steals. His presence gave the IVA full legitimacy. [141], Volleyball became Chamberlain's new athletic passion. In Game 2, which the Lakers won 10692, Chamberlain put Lucas into foul trouble, and the Knicks lost defensive power forward Dave DeBusschere to injury. It was a small consolation that he was again named an All-American, along with future NBA Hall-of-Famers Elgin Baylor of Seattle University and Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati, plus Chamberlain's old rival Guy Rodgers, now playing for Temple University.