If Wilt was so strong

[stanlove1111]

If Wilt was so strong as the legend goes then why didn't he ever break a backboard? Dawkins broke 2 of them. Lane broke one is college yet Wilt as far as I know never broke one.

[CelticBaller]

Because he wasn't

Who here really believes all that bs? They even said the dude fought a mountain lion :oldlol:

[sd3035]

Wilt was a scrawny wimp in his prime with a durantesque physique

When he got older he put on some muscle but still wasn't very impressive

[tontoz]

Wilt's big flaw is that he paid too much attention to what people said about him. He wanted to show that he was more than just a big guy who could dunk so he would put up a lot of finesse shots.

When Shaq came along Wilt admitted that he admired Shaq for doing the opposit. Shaq went up for a strong dunk every chance he got, something Wilt admitted he didn't do.

[stanlove1111]

Because he wasn't

Who here really believes all that bs? They even said the dude fought a mountain lion :oldlol:

I think the Wilt legends come from the fact that he was a big weight lifting guy who played in a league basically full of smaller guys who didn't lift weights. You can't compare that to todays players.

[alenleomessi]

Wilt was a scrawny wimp in his prime with a durantesque physique

When he got older he put on some muscle but still wasn't very impressive
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G7SXV-Uommk/UG4ReTY1TbI/AAAAAAAAI_o/-Mb1nMmjyrU/s1600/andre+arnold+wilt.jpg

[Biggums]

i could beat up wilt, niggah got nuffin!

[SuperCereal]

Whats the point? Wilt was all about stats, breaking backboard was never official stat so Wilt never cared.

[deja vu]

It seems that the older the era you lived in, the more spectacular your feats were. :confusedshrug:

[rhowen4]

wilt was a cerebral player

[Demitri98]

Because hanging from the rim wasn't really a thing back then. The Shaq-like-rim pull-power-slam wasn't really very stylish.

[Dro]

I'm not even sure if this thread is serious...So strength = breaking backboards? By the way, Shaq didn't break it either (in an NBA game), I know he broke it fooling around on other footage but he pulled the goal down in an actual game.

And how do you not know that dunking was frowned upon in Wilt's day? You don't see anyone throwing down monstrous jams because it was looked at as disrespectful to the opponent. That is why you always see Wilt AND Kareem laying it in when they could have easily dunked it. I expect the OP to know this stuff....

Dr. J, Connie Hawkins and others actually made the dunk acceptable....

[stanlove1111]

I'm not even sure if this thread is serious...So strength = breaking backboards? By the way, Shaq didn't break it either (in an NBA game), I know he broke it fooling around on other footage but he pulled the goal down in an actual game.

And how do you not know that dunking was frowned upon in Wilt's day? You don't see anyone throwing down monstrous jams because it was looked at as disrespectful to the opponent. That is why you always see Wilt AND Kareem laying it in when they could have easily dunked it. I expect the OP to know this stuff....

Dr. J, Connie Hawkins and others actually made the dunk acceptable....


Dunking was frowned upon? What rubbish..I would expect you to know that.

[mr.big35]

why is there so many wilt threads more than lebron or kobe

[deja vu]

why is there so many wilt threads more than lebron or kobe
They are baits to coax a certain poster (or two) in here. :roll:

[PHILA]

On 2/12/67, Wilt Chamberlain tore the rim down in Boston Garden on what presumably was his (one handed) Dipper Dunk.



Season of the 76ers: The Story of Wilt Chamberlain and the 1967 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers - Wayne Lynch

http://i.imgur.com/LGsoxcZ.jpg

[CavaliersFTW]

Because hanging from the rim wasn't really a thing back then. The Shaq-like-rim pull-power-slam wasn't really very stylish.
Actually it wasn't even possible, it was a VIOLATION. For the very reason mentioned in the OP. If OP was an "old fan" like he says he was he'd have known this. The break-away style rim was designed after Darryl Dawkins broke his 2nd or 3rd backboard in short succession, what this is is a rim that is disconnected from the backboard and is sprung at a horizontal position with 220lbs of force. If a force greater than 220lbs is put on it it will "break" tension at a hinge and drop more than half a foot to avoid shattering the glass.

Prior to this like in the 1950's, 60's, and 70's rims were just a one-piece steel ring bolted to a thick piece of sheet glass. It changes the entire way players approach dunking, because you can't hang on it. So dunks on those style rims involved nothing but a quick flush, no hanging on the rim whatsoever. Gus Johnson tore down 3 backboards in the 1960's and early 70's, Darryl Dawkins tore down 3 in the late 1970's to early 1980's, and Wilt did in fact tear down one backboard at Boston in 1966 or 67. In each case save for Dawkins it was not a deliberate effort to tear down the backboard. When Dawkins started deliberately trying to tear down rims that's when the NBA took action to design the break-away system to solve the problem while still allowing such crowd-pleasingly forceful dunks. From there on out everybody was free to hang on the rim and add copius amounds of wind-up and power to a dunk and the break away rim really changed dunking forever.

[CavaliersFTW]

why is there so many wilt threads more than lebron or kobe
Cause GOAT gonna GOAT :pimp:

[fpliii]

On 2/12/67, Wilt Chamberlain tore the rim down in Boston Garden on what presumably was his (one handed) Dipper Dunk.



Season of the 76ers: The Story of Wilt Chamberlain and the 1967 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers - Wayne Lynch

http://i.imgur.com/LGsoxcZ.jpg
/thread

[Pointguard]

Wilt did break a rim once, Phila, recounted that. But Wilt didn't want to be seen as a bully and rarely wanted the reckless label attached to him. He would on occasion lose it:

Wilt also broke Johnny Kerr's toe on a dunk.

Wilt also dislocated the very strong Gus Johnson's shoulder when he tried to dunk on him.

[Kblaze8855]

I was wondering how deep in here I would get before someone pointed out that he broke at least one and I believe two backboards.

[MavsSuperFan]

why is there so many wilt threads more than lebron or kobe
some people on ISH are part of a cult that believes the 1960s was the peak of the NBA in terms of talent and quality play.

[KirbyPls]

Actually it wasn't even possible, it was a VIOLATION. For the very reason mentioned in the OP. If OP was an "old fan" like he says he was he'd have known this. The break-away style rim was designed after Darryl Dawkins broke his 2nd or 3rd backboard in short succession, what this is is a rim that is disconnected from the backboard and is sprung at a horizontal position with 220lbs of force. If a force greater than 220lbs is put on it it will "break" tension at a hinge and drop more than half a foot to avoid shattering the glass.

Prior to this like in the 1950's, 60's, and 70's rims were just a one-piece steel ring bolted to a thick piece of sheet glass. It changes the entire way players approach dunking, because you can't hang on it. So dunks on those style rims involved nothing but a quick flush, no hanging on the rim whatsoever. Gus Johnson tore down 3 backboards in the 1960's and early 70's, Darryl Dawkins tore down 3 in the late 1970's to early 1980's, and Wilt did in fact tear down one backboard at Boston in 1966 or 67. In each case save for Dawkins it was not a deliberate effort to tear down the backboard. When Dawkins started deliberately trying to tear down rims that's when the NBA took action to design the break-away system to solve the problem while still allowing such crowd-pleasingly forceful dunks. From there on out everybody was free to hang on the rim and add copius amounds of wind-up and power to a dunk and the break away rim really changed dunking forever.


Hook, line and sinker. :lol

[Dro]

Actually it wasn't even possible, it was a VIOLATION. For the very reason mentioned in the OP. If OP was an "old fan" like he says he was he'd have known this. The break-away style rim was designed after Darryl Dawkins broke his 2nd or 3rd backboard in short succession, what this is is a rim that is disconnected from the backboard and is sprung at a horizontal position with 220lbs of force. If a force greater than 220lbs is put on it it will "break" tension at a hinge and drop more than half a foot to avoid shattering the glass.

Prior to this like in the 1950's, 60's, and 70's rims were just a one-piece steel ring bolted to a thick piece of sheet glass. It changes the entire way players approach dunking, because you can't hang on it. So dunks on those style rims involved nothing but a quick flush, no hanging on the rim whatsoever. Gus Johnson tore down 3 backboards in the 1960's and early 70's, Darryl Dawkins tore down 3 in the late 1970's to early 1980's, and Wilt did in fact tear down one backboard at Boston in 1966 or 67. In each case save for Dawkins it was not a deliberate effort to tear down the backboard. When Dawkins started deliberately trying to tear down rims that's when the NBA took action to design the break-away system to solve the problem while still allowing such crowd-pleasingly forceful dunks. From there on out everybody was free to hang on the rim and add copius amounds of wind-up and power to a dunk and the break away rim really changed dunking forever.
/thread...

Hopefully posters will actually do some research before making threads like this...

[Dro]

Dunking was frowned upon? What rubbish..I would expect you to know that.
Like I said, do your research next time...CavsFTW just told you about the rims and I told you about the respect issue, which IS EXACTLY CORRECT....

[swagga]

some people on ISH are part of a cult that believes the 1960s was the peak of the NBA in terms of talent and quality play.


sterling gotta be one of them if they think white 6'6 white boys is talent and quality of play. kobe woulda averaged 80 ffs, and I'm not even a fan of his game. lebron would of went 60, 18 and 15.

[robert de niro]

he was a merciful Being

[rhowen4]

absolutely a weak era for rims though

[jlip]

On 2/12/67, Wilt Chamberlain tore the rim down in Boston Garden on what presumably was his (one handed) Dipper Dunk.



Season of the 76ers: The Story of Wilt Chamberlain and the 1967 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers - Wayne Lynch

http://i.imgur.com/LGsoxcZ.jpg

:applause:

[BoutPractice]

Everyone but OP knew this thread was going to backfire.

[Jameerthefear]

Wait people believe the Wilt tall tales? :roll:

[Rake2204]

Regarding the original topic, it seems most bases have already been covered. Dunking has evolved a ton over the years, even from 1958 to, say, 1977.

I think the slam was more about function in the beginning. That is, what's the best way to get the ball to go into the hoop? To jump up there and fling it down in from point blank range.

Wilt did seem to dunk with force, but with his giant hands and ability to palm a rock like a grapefruit, it looks like a lot of his dunks were hand actions (palming then flicking the wrist down) as opposed to committing himself to punish the rim with two hands after bringing the ball back behind his head (like Dawkins). I think the idea of dunking being a form of expression was still in its earlier developmental stages when Wilt was primed out.

Regarding Jerome Lane, though, 'twas a great dunk, but it's not as if he tapped into the power of a god on that jam. Until around the mid-90's (after Shaq was Shaqqing things up), there was a lot of variety in breakaway rims and basket stanchions throughout the NBA and college ranks. All were not created equal. Some still contained soft spots and with Lane's jam, that's always hit me as a soft spot dunk. Great to watch though.

Fun fact, there's still some breakable baskets out there, most often in high schools or neutral college sights. If the rim is not directly bolted to a support pole, it's breakable. That's what happened at the neutral site Gonzaga-Oklahoma game a few years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDDJ2-9h7EY

Wilt did break a rim once, Phila, recounted that. But Wilt didn't want to be seen as a bully and rarely wanted the reckless label attached to him. He would on occasion lose it:

Wilt also broke Johnny Kerr's toe on a dunk.

Wilt also dislocated the very strong Gus Johnson's shoulder when he tried to dunk on him.I must say, the Johnny Kerr story is tough to believe. If somehow it were proven true, great. But it feels far-fetched and if it's not true, then it bums me out, for those exaggerated stories make it very tough to decipher what is factual and what is not.

But honestly, I feel like a major league pitcher could wind up and throw a basketball at someone's bare foot from four feet away and there'd be a good chance it'd bounce off and away with no issue. To assume Wilt was able to throw the ball downward with such force, for such a sustained amount of distance, despite being slowed by a net, that he could break an opponent's toe... that's a tough pill to swallow.

To hear Johnny tell it, it sounds like a fun story, but it doesn't help the good fight for folks who seek the truth.

[CavaliersFTW]

I must say, the Johnny Kerr story is tough to believe. If somehow it were proven true, great. But it feels far-fetched and if it's not true, then it bums me out, for those exaggerated stories make it very tough to decipher what is factual and what is not.

But honestly, I feel like a major league pitcher could wind up and throw a basketball at someone's bare foot from four feet away and there'd be a good chance it'd bounce off and away with no issue. To assume Wilt was able to throw the ball downward with such force, for such a sustained amount of distance, despite being slowed by a net, that he could break an opponent's toe... that's a tough pill to swallow.

To hear Johnny tell it, it sounds like a fun story, but it doesn't help the good fight for folks who seek the truth.
It's a first hand eyewitness account, it would hold up in a court of law therefore it holds up in my book. Footage of Wilt dunking with force cleanly through the ring is out there, there's clips where he dunked so clean/strong the ball bounces back up over the backboard. It's not like the dunks you see today where a player wastes their momentum on throwing their bodyweight horizontally into the rim (if you watch such dunks, the ball itself rarely has much force behind it as the players energy was focused on the rim not the ball) where as Wilt just threw the ball down hard, many of his one handed dunks when I play them back in slow motion I see he doesn't even grab the rim he literally just throws the ball straight down the ring.

Heres Elvin Hayes description:
Hayes began to laugh. "That dunk shot of Wilt's, it's inhuman. Not a man in the world can stop that, and I'd sure hate to be the one that had to try. One time I was under the basket when he dunked a shot. The force was unbelievable, unreal. I remember Nate Thurmond telling me—he said, 'Elvin, don't go in there and get yourself hurt.' "

This is one such example of him throwing the ball through the ring: http://youtu.be/pOBX9ikNzEk?t=30m41s

[PHILA]

Wilt also broke Johnny Kerr's toe on a dunk.


JOHNNY KERR:[I] Once Wilt got upset with me and dunked the ball so hard that it went through the rim with such force. that it broke my toe as it hit the floor.

BILLY CUNNINGHAM: Johnny was embarrassed to let everyone know that be got a broken toe from one of Wilt

[Marchesk]

This is one such example of him throwing the ball through the ring: http://youtu.be/pOBX9ikNzEk?t=30m41s

That ball really is thrown down with some force on that one.

[Rake2204]

It's a first hand eyewitness account, it would hold up well in a court of law therefore it holds up well in my book. Footage of Wilt dunking with force cleanly through the ring is out there, there's clips where he dunked so clean/strong the ball bounces back up over the backboard. It's not like the dunks you see today where a player wastes their momentum on throwing their bodyweight horizontally into the rim (if you watch such dunks, the ball itself rarely has much force behind it as the players energy was focused on the rim not the ball) where as Wilt just threw the ball down hard, many of his one handed dunks when I play them back in slow motion I see he doesn't even grab the rim he literally just throws the ball straight down the ring.

Hear's Elvin Hayes description:
Hayes began to laugh. "That dunk shot of Wilt's, it's inhuman. Not a man in the world can stop that, and I'd sure hate to be the one that had to try. One time I was under the basket when he dunked a shot. The force was unbelievable, unreal. I remember Nate Thurmond telling me—he said, 'Elvin, don't go in there and get yourself hurt.' "

This is one such example of him throwing the ball through the ring: http://youtu.be/pOBX9ikNzEk?t=30m41sI feel you. I do not doubt that Chamberlain dunked with force. Instead, I'm doubting the physical ability for a basketball to be solid enough to deliver such an injury when thrown from such a distance and angle.

A very large part of me feels like if a former major league second baseman can throw a ball at full force and hit an opponent at point blank range in the head, only for that opponent to immediately shrug it off (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN1gfT2IUuo), it's tough for me to envision a basketball containing the capabilities of breaking someone's toe after someone first throws it down through a 10 foot ring without the benefit of winding up like a pitcher.

From the account, the story feels like it has the potential of being a stretch, with Billy Cunningham stating how Kerr didn't go down until the next trip down the floor (because, in Billy's words, he was embarrassed to let it be known that Wilt's dunk had done the deed).

Stranger things have happened, but if I were a betting man, this feels like one of those stories that was developed to be just that - a story. I'd bet Kerr did get jammed on, and he did break his toe, but the connection created was just an entertaining way of illustrating how strong Chamberlain was (and how bad Kerr got dunked on).

[oarabbus]

I feel you. I do not doubt that Chamberlain dunked with force. Instead, I'm doubting the physical ability for a basketball to be solid enough to deliver such an injury when thrown from such a distance and angle.

A very large part of me feels like if a former major league second baseman can throw a ball at full force and hit an opponent at point blank range in the head, only for that opponent to immediately shrug it off (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN1gfT2IUuo), it's tough for me to envision a basketball containing the capabilities of breaking someone's toe after someone first throws it down through a 10 foot ring without the benefit of winding up like a pitcher.

From the account, the story feels like it has the potential of being a stretch, with Billy Cunningham stating how Kerr didn't go down until the next trip down the floor (because, in Billy's words, he was embarrassed to let it be known that Wilt's dunk had done the deed).

Stranger things have happened, but if I were a betting man, this feels like one of those stories that was developed to be just that - a story. I'd bet Kerr did get jammed on, and he did break his toe, but the connection created was just an entertaining way of illustrating how strong Chamberlain was (and how bad Kerr got dunked on).


Agreed absolutely. I'm not here to dispute Wilt's strength, I'm sure he was the strongest players to have ever played. Physically, I find the claim of a dunked ball to break a toe quite dubious, perhaps impossible.

[stanlove1111]

On 2/12/67, Wilt Chamberlain tore the rim down in Boston Garden on what presumably was his (one handed) Dipper Dunk.



Season of the 76ers: The Story of Wilt Chamberlain and the 1967 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers - Wayne Lynch

http://i.imgur.com/LGsoxcZ.jpg


Can you tell me where the author got this from? Was he at the game? If not then this is nothing but a rumor. If it mentions it in the newspaper accounts from the time I might believe it. if not then I don't right off hand.

[stanlove1111]

That ball really is thrown down with some force on that one.


If a dunk like that could break a toe then there would be tons of broken toes through the years..

[jstern]

Whether Wilt was the strongest NBA player ever or not you have to slam it hard to break the backboard, and that just wasn't the style back in Wilt's day.

What kind of a question is this? It's almost as if you have this image of touching a ceramic coffee mug with a finger and it breaking on the spot strong. Like, "If Wilt was so strong then things should break by simply touching them."

[Psileas]

Can you tell me where the author got this from? Was he at the game? If not then this is nothing but a rumor. If it mentions it in the newspaper accounts from the time I might believe it. if not then I don't right off hand.

When Google Archives existed, I had read this account at a newspaper. I've also read the book, but what it mentioned there isn't something I hadn't already read before.

[Calabis]

If Wilt was so strong as the legend goes then why didn't he ever break a backboard? Dawkins broke 2 of them. Lane broke one is college yet Wilt as far as I know never broke one.

:facepalm

[CavaliersFTW]

Remember guys, this stanlove poster also claims Wilt never exceeded 275lbs, no matter how much cited evidence you throw at him that indicates Wilt was 290+lbs in his prime and 300+ as a Laker (heck, even cited at 320lbs showing up to training camp in 1963) he denies it all. Not surprising that when evidence is provided that Wilt did in fact break a backboard he writes it off as a "rumor" :oldlol:

[oarabbus]

Remember guys, this stanlove poster also claims Wilt never exceeded 275lbs, no matter how much cited evidence you throw at him that indicates Wilt was 290+lbs in his prime and 300+ as a Laker (heck, even cited at 320lbs showing up to training camp in 1963) he denies it all. Not surprising that when evidence is provided that Wilt did in fact break a backboard he writes it off as a "rumor" :oldlol:


Yeah, massive thread backfire on OP. But Cavs, do you HONESTLY believe a Basketball can break a toe via a dunk? It's much more likely the guy had a stress fracture in his toe, or fractured it some other way than the ball hitting it.

[CavaliersFTW]

Yeah, massive thread backfire on OP. But Cavs, do you HONESTLY believe a Basketball can break a toe via a dunk? It's much more likely the guy had a stress fracture in his toe, or fractured it some other way than the ball hitting it.
Having owned a pair of Converse all-star shoes (basically a canvas cloth sock with laces - no protection whatsoever) and having fractured my fingers and toes several times from anything sports related to shit as simple as brushing my toe against the leg of my dining room table, yes. I think it's highly unlikely that such a thing would happen but I don't think it's something I would call impossible. Maybe his toe got stepped on and he only recalls the incident as the ball hitting his toe, or maybe it was already developing stress fractures and the ball hitting it just turned a minor fracture into a major one, or maybe it happened just like he told it, w/e I'm not going to concern myself with details. I'm just saying I have no reason to object Red Kerr's first-hand account.