The time has come for me to shatter the Myths of Wilt Chamberlain

[eliteballer]

First off, let me say I respect Wilt. I believe he was a great athlete. Great player. Arguably the GOAT. Top 5 All-Time etc. Yet, these persistent tall tales that have turned him into a Paul Bunyan like figure need to stop.

What better way to demonstrate than using Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A guy who anyone over the age of 30 holds in the same regard as Chamberlain or any of the other top 5-6 all-time players. Yet is chronically underrated on forums dominated by young bucks who have fed on the stories and numbers of Chamberlain.

Yes. I know Wilt was past his prime. I know he blocked the skyhook and held his own. Yet consider: Some of these tall tales Say Wilt could have played in the NBA in his 50's. That was considering comebacks in the 80's. Outplaying current All-Stars a decade into his retirement.

Yet...here we are. A fresh skinny Jabbar blocking Chamberlain dunks at point blank range when Chamberlain was the strongest and heaviest in his career. A man who supposedly broke feet just with the force of the ball going through the rim. Posterizing Wilt, a man who supposedly didnt let ANYONE posterize him without some tough payback.

Just watch the clips. Look with your own eyes. Chamberlain was human:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lysfZ_fo9k8

58 seconds - Massive point blank rejection of Wilt.

2:03 - Blocks a monster Wilt dunk attempt at point blank range. Off balance and with his back to Wilt no less.

3:35 blocks Wilt twice down low.

3:50. Gigantic posterization on Wilt.

Regular game angle of same dunk in this video at 1:15 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRkcqiuqKxQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDf99qM6Q6Y&feature=related

2:11 Another massive facial on Wilt. Followed by another huge dunk he is helpless to stop.

Now...there's a clip out there where Wilt blocks the skyhook TWICE on one play back to back. Which is really all you need to know that he would hold his own in any era. He was able to hold his own past his prime against a modern legend like Jabbar.

However, did Kareems hand break when he blocked Wilt's dunk? Did Wilt send him flying halfway across the court instead of getting posterized? Heaven forbid, someone physically holding their own against Wilt. The point here is that these clips show that he wasn't some being chiseled from stone, and not to believe everything you read.

[6thManOfTheYear]

i heard wilt once slam dunked a ball so hard they had to postpone the game because it went through the floor and came back on the other side of the world.

[Cyclone112]

While I agree with you in that some of the tales of Wilt have gotten out of control, your videos don't really prove anything anyone with commen sense didn't already know. Anyone who actually believed Wilt was never dunked on or never had his shot blocked is completely retarded and that is exactly what jlauber and others will say when they come in and target your OP.

Unfortunately while there is no video evidence to prove Wilt's ridiculous tales, there is also no video evidence to disprove it and that is something people will ALWAYS hold on to when they defend Wilt.

[jlauber]

First off, let me say I respect Wilt. I believe he was a great athlete. Great player. Arguably the GOAT. Top 5 All-Time etc. Yet, these persistent tall tales that have turned him into a Paul Bunyan like figure need to stop.

What better way to demonstrate than using Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A guy who anyone over the age of 30 holds in the same regard as Chamberlain or any of the other top 5-6 all-time players. Yet is chronically underrated on forums dominated by young bucks who have fed on the stories and numbers of Chamberlain.

Yes. I know Wilt was past his prime. I know he blocked the skyhook and held his own. Yet consider: Some of these tall tales Say Wilt could have played in the NBA in his 50's. That was considering comebacks in the 80's. Outplaying current All-Stars a decade into his retirement.

Yet...here we are. A fresh skinny Jabbar blocking Chamberlain dunks at point blank range when Chamberlain was the strongest and heaviest in his career. A man who supposedly broke feet just with the force of the ball going through the rim. Posterizing Wilt, a man who supposedly didnt let ANYONE posterize him without some tough payback.

Just watch the clips. Look with your own eyes. Chamberlain was human:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lysfZ_fo9k8

58 seconds - Massive point blank rejection of Wilt.

2:03 - Blocks a monster Wilt dunk attempt at point blank range. Off balance and with his back to Wilt no less.

3:35 blocks Wilt twice down low.

3:50. Gigantic posterization on Wilt.

Regular game angle of same dunk in this video at 1:15 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRkcqiuqKxQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDf99qM6Q6Y&feature=related

2:11 Another massive facial on Wilt. Followed by another huge dunk he is helpless to stop.

Now...there's a clip out there where Wilt blocks the skyhook TWICE on one play back to back. Which is really all you need to know that he would hold his own in any era. He was able to hold his own past his prime against a modern legend like Jabbar.

However, the point here is that these clips show that he wasn't some being chiseled from stone, and not to believe everything you read.

First of all, Kareem was outplaying HAKEEM in the late 80's. For him to block a few of Wilt's dunks, and to dunk on Chamberlain, is a testament to the greatness of Kareem...but it certainly does NOT diminish the greatness of Chamberlain.

As for Wilt playing at age 50...not sure...although he was offered a LEGITIMATE contract to play (by the Nets I believe.)

How about at age 40? Before I begin, think about this...at age 36 (Wilt's final season), Chamberlain led the NBA in rebounding, was voted 1st All-Defense (over Kareem, Thurmond, and other's BTW), and set a FG% mark of .727, that will probably never be broken.

Back to Wilt in his 40's...

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlain

"Of all his memories of Wilt Chamberlain, the one that stood out for Larry Brown happened long after Chamberlain's professional career had ended. On a summer day in the early 1980s, when Brown was coaching at UCLA, Chamberlain showed up at Pauley Pavilion to take part in one of the high-octane pickup games that the arena constantly attracted. "Magic Johnson used to run the games," Brown recalled Tuesday after hearing that Chamberlain, his friend, had died at 63, "and he called a couple of chintzy fouls and a goaltending on Wilt. "So Wilt said: 'There will be no more layups in this gym,' and he blocked every shot after that. That's the truth, I saw it. He didn't let one [of Johnson's] shots get to the rim." Chamberlain would have been in his mid-40s at the time, and he remained in top physical shape until recently[1"

Or how about this video clip...

In it, Kiki Van de Wege describes Wilt, well into his 40's, taking over a game, and slamming on 7-4 Mark Eaton, in a game played in the mid-80's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Qw1-ssViw&feature=related

Back to Kareem and Wilt...

http://www.amazon.com/Wilt-Larger-Robert-Allen-Cherry/dp/1572436727

"Abdul Jabbar played 20 seasons to Wilts 13, and yet Chamberlain has several thousand more lifetime rebounds. In the twilight of his career, a 35 year old Wilt led the Lakers to victory over the Bucks and a 25 year old Jabbar during the 1972 playoffs. Even more astounding, was wilt blocked 20 shots in two consecutive games in that series, and 11 of those blocked shots were on Kareem. Who the heck ever did that to Jabbar. Makes you wonder what Wilt would have done in his prime. As great as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson were, none of them had the impact or dominance of Wilt Chamberlain. The rules of the game were altered upon Wilts arrival into the league. Modern day fans talk of Shaq being the greatest center of all-time. Does anyone out there think Shaq could have blocked 11 Kareem shots in two games? "

AND, I already posted in another thread, but, there was an eye-witness account of Chamberlain bench-pressing 465 lbs...at age 59!

[eliteballer]

I figured this is as good a place as any to post this rare pic of Shaq, Jabbar, Chamberlain, Russell, Walton, and coach Woodson

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii174/Bigshow79_album/Giants/Shaquille%20O%20Neal/Shaq_Attaq_The_Real_Shaquille_Oneal.jpg

[jlauber]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4ve46vquxo

Take a look at an angry Chamberlain going right thru a helpless Kareem at the 1:57 mark.

[Abraham Lincoln]

A fresh skinny Jabbar blocking Chamberlain dunks at point blank range when Chamberlain was the strongest and heaviest in his career
Jabbar is one of the top defensive men in league history and that was an old Chamberlain who had lost a great deal of leap and explosiveness after his knee surgery. Just look at Shaq today. He is still the strongest man in the league by a staggering margin, yet is not close to his old dominant self.


You can see here Wilt can't even get off the ground when Kareem fronts the entry pass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37cciGqUikM#t=9m10s




Just a few years prior in Philly that would have been an easy extension catch and slam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJjBDUhbBcs#t=4m42s



I don't know what exactly you are trying to prove as nobody is immune to getting a shot blocked or getting dunked on and most knowledgable fans will rank Jabbar next to Russell & Wilt among the top 3 big men to ever play.


That unlike the majority of this board who despise Chamberlain with a passion (even LA fans) and believe he would be unable to compete with today's high school basketball athletes.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Another rare pic of Shaq and Wilt, Ewing is also in it.
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/277/patwiltshaqhe1.jpg

[dough]

I figured this is as good a place as any to post this rare pic of Shaq, Jabbar, Chamberlain, Russell, Walton, and coach Woodson

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii174/Bigshow79_album/Giants/Shaquille%20O%20Neal/Shaq_Attaq_The_Real_Shaquille_Oneal.jpg
Look at how small the best center ever is, compared to those others.

[jlauber]

Regul8r posted an article awhile back, regarding what Chamberlain might have accomplished had he continued to play...

I'm going to bed now, but perhaps, if he is reading this, he can repost it...or maybe someone here can take the time to find it. I believe it was by an APBR member.

[eliteballer]

Google image Shaquille O'neal Bill Walton. Shaqs clearly bigger than Walton which that pic wouldn't indicate. Hell Russell doesnt look much smaller than him but Shaq dwarfes Zo who is about the same size. Clearly angles playing a factor.

[dough]

You guys really need to read EVERYTHING I wrote.

[jlauber]

Look at how small the best center ever is, compared to those others.

The little guy in the middle was one of the average white centers that Wilt faced in the 60's...John Wooden, I believe. That is why he set all those records. And, as Abe mentioned...you put Wilt, at his peak, on an average high school team today, and he would be riding the bench.

[eliteballer]

Everyone has known my two screenames on the different sites for a long time:pimp:

[dough]

The little guy in the middle was one of the average white centers that Wilt faced in the 60's...John Wooden, I believe. That is why he set all those records. And, as Abe mentioned...you put Wilt, at his peak, on an average high school team today, and he would be riding the bench.
John Wooden did not play in the 60's. He was not a center. And I was talking about Russell. BTW Woodson looked a lot whiter back when that pic was taken. :oldlol:

[Toizumi]

The little guy in the middle was one of the average white centers that Wilt faced in the 60's...John Wooden, I believe. That is why he set all those records. And, as Abe mentioned...you put Wilt, at his peak, on an average high school team today, and he would be riding the bench.

horrible post all around :lol


Pretty obvious he was referring to Russell.

Footage and stories prove that Wilt was great in his day and should be regarded as one of the greatest players/centers of all time. Some footage (couldnt watch btw, Im at work) of him getting his shots blocked, getting dunked on, or missing free throws doesnt change much.

Wilt was never an invincible, perfect basketball player. Nobody is, was, ever will be.

[dough]

horrible post all around :lol



He'll claim he was joking. :oldlol:

[Rake2204]

i heard wilt once slam dunked a ball so hard they had to postpone the game because it went through the floor and came back on the other side of the world.
Source?

[julizaver]

First off, let me say I respect Wilt. I believe he was a great athlete. Great player. Arguably the GOAT. Top 5 All-Time etc. Yet, these persistent tall tales that have turned him into a Paul Bunyan like figure need to stop.

What better way to demonstrate than using Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A guy who anyone over the age of 30 holds in the same regard as Chamberlain or any of the other top 5-6 all-time players. Yet is chronically underrated on forums dominated by young bucks who have fed on the stories and numbers of Chamberlain.

Yes. I know Wilt was past his prime. I know he blocked the skyhook and held his own. Yet consider: Some of these tall tales Say Wilt could have played in the NBA in his 50's. That was considering comebacks in the 80's. Outplaying current All-Stars a decade into his retirement.

Yet...here we are. A fresh skinny Jabbar blocking Chamberlain dunks at point blank range when Chamberlain was the strongest and heaviest in his career. A man who supposedly broke feet just with the force of the ball going through the rim. Posterizing Wilt, a man who supposedly didnt let ANYONE posterize him without some tough payback.

Just watch the clips. Look with your own eyes. Chamberlain was human:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lysfZ_fo9k8

58 seconds - Massive point blank rejection of Wilt.

2:03 - Blocks a monster Wilt dunk attempt at point blank range. Off balance and with his back to Wilt no less.

3:35 blocks Wilt twice down low.

3:50. Gigantic posterization on Wilt.

Regular game angle of same dunk in this video at 1:15 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRkcqiuqKxQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDf99qM6Q6Y&feature=related

2:11 Another massive facial on Wilt. Followed by another huge dunk he is helpless to stop.

Now...there's a clip out there where Wilt blocks the skyhook TWICE on one play back to back. Which is really all you need to know that he would hold his own in any era. He was able to hold his own past his prime against a modern legend like Jabbar.

However, did Kareems hand break when he blocked Wilt's dunk? Did Wilt send him flying halfway across the court instead of getting posterized? Heaven forbid, someone physically holding their own against Wilt. The point here is that these clips show that he wasn't some being chiseled from stone, and not to believe everything you read.

Man, what myths you actually shatter :)?
- First myth - If someone try to dunk on Wilt will have his hand necessary broken? first time I hear something like that.
- Second myth - No one dunked ever on Wilt !!! - Kareem was not the first player to dunk over Wilt - if you read carefully you will find articles that it happens to Wilt before Kareem arrival.
- Third myth - Wilt was some kind of stone man (immortal) - it was only expression - Wilt was human and he passed away as all living creatures do.
Not one of those myths ever existed, to be shattered.

[TennesseeFan]

Wait? Wilt Chamberlain wasn't real??

[SEEBASS1234]

Wilt Chamberlain played russian roulette with a fully loaded gun and won

Wilt Chamberlain can divide by zero

[Abraham Lincoln]

- Second myth - No one dunked ever on Wilt !!! - Kareem was not the first player to dunk over Wilt - if you read carefully you will find articles that it happens to Wilt before Kareem arrival.

Indeed, in his own words Elgin dunked over him one time and he was still losing sleep over it a couple decades later.

Of course quite a few have heard what happened to Gus Johnson following his attempt of a second dunk on the big man. 1:34 mark below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlVbOUxQ_og

[ILLsmak]

horrible post all around :lol


Pretty obvious he was referring to Russell.

Footage and stories prove that Wilt was great in his day and should be regarded as one of the greatest players/centers of all time. Some footage (couldnt watch btw, Im at work) of him getting his shots blocked, getting dunked on, or missing free throws doesnt change much.

Wilt was never an invincible, perfect basketball player. Nobody is, was, ever will be.

He WAS joking. Trying to make a joke about people saying the reason wilt was good was because it was against short white people.

-Smak

[Jasper]

.

Just watch the clips. Look with your own eyes. Chamberlain was human:

.
Not when I saw him :D


I figured this is as good a place as any to post this rare pic of Shaq, Jabbar, Chamberlain, Russell, Walton, and coach Woodson

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii174/Bigshow79_album/Giants/Shaquille%20O%20Neal/Shaq_Attaq_The_Real_Shaquille_Oneal.jpg

I have this pic signed by all of them :oldlol:

** Great pic of the greats , that is for sure :rockon:

[L.Kizzle]

Another rare pic of Shaq and Wilt, Ewing is also in it.
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/277/patwiltshaqhe1.jpg
Damn, it's Patrick Ewing not Jamal Magloiree.

[Lebron23]

Wilt Chamberlain beat Prime Chuck Norris.

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[Jasper]

Ewing / Shaq shorts ----- > Jordan era :applause:

[NumberSix]

Wilt laughs at the idea of Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris agrees with Wilt.

[CavaliersFTW]

First off, let me say I respect Wilt. I believe he was a great athlete. Great player. Arguably the GOAT. Top 5 All-Time etc. Yet, these persistent tall tales that have turned him into a Paul Bunyan like figure need to stop.

What better way to demonstrate than using Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A guy who anyone over the age of 30 holds in the same regard as Chamberlain or any of the other top 5-6 all-time players. Yet is chronically underrated on forums dominated by young bucks who have fed on the stories and numbers of Chamberlain.

Yes. I know Wilt was past his prime. I know he blocked the skyhook and held his own. Yet consider: Some of these tall tales Say Wilt could have played in the NBA in his 50's. That was considering comebacks in the 80's. Outplaying current All-Stars a decade into his retirement.

Yet...here we are. A fresh skinny Jabbar blocking Chamberlain dunks at point blank range when Chamberlain was the strongest and heaviest in his career. A man who supposedly broke feet just with the force of the ball going through the rim. Posterizing Wilt, a man who supposedly didnt let ANYONE posterize him without some tough payback.

Just watch the clips. Look with your own eyes. Chamberlain was human:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lysfZ_fo9k8

58 seconds - Massive point blank rejection of Wilt.

2:03 - Blocks a monster Wilt dunk attempt at point blank range. Off balance and with his back to Wilt no less.

3:35 blocks Wilt twice down low.

3:50. Gigantic posterization on Wilt.

Regular game angle of same dunk in this video at 1:15 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRkcqiuqKxQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDf99qM6Q6Y&feature=related

2:11 Another massive facial on Wilt. Followed by another huge dunk he is helpless to stop.

Now...there's a clip out there where Wilt blocks the skyhook TWICE on one play back to back. Which is really all you need to know that he would hold his own in any era. He was able to hold his own past his prime against a modern legend like Jabbar.

However, did Kareems hand break when he blocked Wilt's dunk? Did Wilt send him flying halfway across the court instead of getting posterized? Heaven forbid, someone physically holding their own against Wilt. The point here is that these clips show that he wasn't some being chiseled from stone, and not to believe everything you read.

:facepalm

NBA scouts for about half a dozen teams throughout the 1980's were the ones who wanted Chamberlain to play again. Not Wilt Chamberlain's fanboys, nor even Wilt Chamberlain himself (because obviously... he didn't take them up on the offers). Off the top of my head I know the Cavaliers, and the Nets were offering him contracts - Cavs in the early 80's and the Nets as late as 1988.

It isn't a myth. And everyone get's dunked on, and FYI that is MVP Kareem, and Kareem is a ****ing legend of course he can dunk on anyone and of course he got dunked on too. So could/did Wilt. So could/did Shaq. So could/did Jordan etc.

The myths are when people over-exaggerate or don't get the stories straight. Think of the game of telephone as a kid - where you pass one piece of information through to the next person and after enough passes the last person to say the information is going to have something word-for-word that is different than the original story.

[dunksby]

Wilt is himself a myth, there is no evidence supporting his existence other than Illuminati fabricated legends.

[CavaliersFTW]

Wilt is himself a myth, there is no evidence supporting his existence other than Illuminati fabricated legends.

:lol

...they should do a history channel documentary on this - sounds like a conspiracy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUsXt2-0QrM

[CavaliersFTW]

Wilt laughs at the idea of Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris agrees with Wilt.

:lol I posted a Wilt/Chuck story in another thread:


I had good seats to one of the LA regular season games in the early 70's.

From my vantage point there was a slew of celebrities that had come to watch the game, I had been to other games before and we always tried to identify and count the celebrities at half-time. Anyways, believe it or not Chuck Norris attended this particular game.

A time out was called about 4 minutes into the 3rd quarter by a FUMING Sharmen because Wilt flat-out stopped playing basketball. He was just standing there blankly starring into the stands. I knew what was going on immediately and It sent chills down my spine. For the next 10 minutes I was very afraid....

Wilt had locked eyes with Chuck Norris and neither one of them was about to back down. Normally time out's are 30 seconds and play must resume but all it took was 15 seconds for everyone in the entire arena to realize the titanic personal battle that had begun. Wilt wasn't moving and Norris.. well you know.


http://www.blackfive.net/photos/uncategorized/chuck_will_kick_your_ass.jpg

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2011/0310/nba_g_wilt11_576.jpg


The auditorium fell into complete silence - fans just collectively knew any disturbance responsible for either Wilt or Norris's loss of concentration would be met with sudden death. Nearly 10 minutes pass before a universal paradox happened that to this day I can not fathom.

Norris blinked first.

Whispers and shocked faces in the crowd instantly erupted but Chuck was just as quick to flash a panoramic gaze that seemed to envelop the entire arena in fear. The ref's, in their shared state of panic, blew their whistle's and continued the game to re-focus everyone's attention. Wilt and the Lakers resumed play - and with a smirk on his face Wilt scored Two-Hundred points in the final 8 minutes of the 3rd quarter and sat the rest of the game out to sleep with 17 women and take a seat next to a confused Norris to explain to him how to cope with losing. To this day no-one dare acknowledge that game. Everyone pretends it never happened because no one wants to acknowledge Chuck's defe.....