Wilt vs. Mountain Lion

[QUOTE=jlauber]It just fascinates me that so many attempt to disparage Chamberlain in any way possible. The "mountain lion" story was never directly attributed to Wilt. Nor was the breaking of Johnny Kerr's toe, which, was in fact, claimed by Kerr himself.

When I first joined this forum a few years ago, virtually any incredible physical feat that Wilt supposedly accomplished was just laughed off as pure folly. There was no way Wilt was benching anywhere near 500 lbs. They was no way Wilt had a 40" inch vertical (I even read a poster claiming that it was 24".) No way Wilt was dunking his FT's. No way Wilt was dunking on a 12 ft. rim. No way Wilt was touching the top of the backboard.

However, in the past year, or so, (and some before that), more-and-more evidence, including VIDEO footage, has surfaced that substantiates many of those so-called "myths."

An eye-witness account of a 59 year old Chamberlain benching 465 lbs. An SI article in 1964 claiming that Wilt was easily benching 400 lbs. A first hand account in Robert Cherry's book, by a 6-5 250 lbs weight-lifter who was known to have benched 500 lbs, claiming that Wilt was the strongest men he ever met. In fact, the internet is plastered with accounts of Wilt benching 500 lbs.

An article by Philly sportswriter George Kiseda, who claims to have witnessed Wilt touching the ceiling in a hospital, and measuring the leap at 42". Or VIDEO footage of a young Wilt, with no time to react, and going straight up (without benefit of a running start), and blocking a shot, with his fingertips only a couple of inches from the top of the backboard. Or Philly sports icon Sonny Hill claiming to have witnessed Wilt touching the top of the backboard. Or longtime Sixer trainer, Al Domenico, claiming to have witnessed the same thing.

Or a VIDEO interview with none other than TEX WINTER, claiming that he witnessed a high school Wilt, taking three steps, and dunking the ball with a leap from behind the FT line. In fact, he was so stunned by that, that he formed a committee to ban such "freakish" activity.

Or Wilt's college coach rolling out a 12 ft. rim while Wilt was there, and some articles from the KU newspaper claiming that Wilt was dunking on it.

Or none other than Hank Stram, clocking a 27 year old Chamberlain, at 290 lbs, running a 4.6 40. (Wilt himself claimed to have run a 4.4 in college...which doesn't seem so unbelievable now, does it?)

But aside from all of those "myths", what about the STATISTICAL "myths?"

The 100 pt game. The 55 rebound game. The 18-18 from the floor game. The 35 straight made FGs. The 50 ppg season. The 27 rpg season. The 40 ppg scoring average in his first seven seasons, combined. The .683 and .727 FG%'s. The SIX games of 70+ points. The 32 games of 60+ points. The 122 games of 50+. The 271 games of 40+. Or scoring 351 points over the course of five straight games. Or having TWO separate streaks of 14 consecutive games of 40+ points (and averaging 53 and 54 ppg in each streak.) The 65 straight games of 30+. The 126 straight games of 25+ (and another separate streak of 92.) The 132 30-30 games. The 73 games of 40-30. The 32 50-30 games. The 8 60-30 games. The eight 40-40 games. The five 50-40 games. the only TWO known double-triple-double games ( 22-25-21 and 34-30-20.) The KNOWN 23 blocked shots in one game. The only center to ever lead the NBA in assists. The oldest player to score 60+ points in a game (and at age 32, he did it TWICE...with games of 60 and 66 points.) The highest FG% in a 60+ point game (.829 on 29-35 shooting.)

I could go on...but it has become increasingly clear that the Wilt's legacy was built on more than just unbelievable "myths."[/QUOTE]
[IMG]http://gifsforum.com/images/gif/lol/grand/nxkih3.jpg.gif[/IMG]

[QUOTE=G-train]Have you watched the Tex Winter interview?[/QUOTE]

We've had guys who said that Wilt crushed a toe by just dunking a ball on it, the same Wilt who never even broke one of those crappy backboards..

People talk alot.

[QUOTE=millwad]We've had guys who said that Wilt crushed a toe by just dunking a ball on it, the same Wilt who never even broke one of those crappy backboards..

People talk alot.[/QUOTE]

WILT never claimed that. Johnny Kerr, who was the player with the broken toe, made that claim. Go complain to Kerr if you don't believe it.

[QUOTE=jlauber]WILT never claimed that. Johnny Kerr, who was the player with the broken toe, made that claim. Go complain to Kerr if you don't believe it.[/QUOTE]


i thought it was pretty obvious he was exaggerating.

i could throw a ball two handing from 5 feet away from your feet full speed and it wouldn't break shit.

When he wasn't busy dunking his fts, smashing 10 thousand women, killing mountain lions with his bare hands, lifting more weight than Arnold Swarzenegger even though it was his first try, what did Wilt do in his spare time?

[QUOTE=50inchvertical]When he wasn't busy dunking his fts, smashing 10 thousand women, killing mountain lions with his bare hands, lifting more weight than Arnold Swarzenegger even though it was his first try, what did Wilt do in his spare time?[/QUOTE]
He went hunting. He could run a 40 4.6 flat. He would catch the animal with his amazing speed.

[QUOTE=50inchvertical]When he wasn't busy dunking his fts, smashing 10 thousand women, killing mountain lions with his bare hands, lifting more weight than Arnold Swarzenegger even though it was his first try, what did Wilt do in his spare time?[/QUOTE]

SI ran an article on Chamberlain at age 50...

[url]http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065131/2/index.htm[/url]

[QUOTE]And what event would you enter, Wilt? The discus, the 200, the high jump? "Almost anything," he shrugs. These days, for typical daily amusement he competes (against others or himself) in the following activities: basketball, racquetball, volleyball, tennis, polo (yes, the kind with horses), rowing single sculls, swimming, running races, lifting weights, hurling objects, performing the martial arts, aerobics and walking long distances. He still holds his own in scrimmages with current NBA players. The Nets' offer, while obviously of considerable publicity value to a team somewhere out in the suburbs that nobody knows exists, was perfectly legitimate. Wilt finally turned it down only because he was afraid he would disappoint people, afraid that even though he was sure he would acquit himself proudly, playing in the NBA in his 50th year, nothing he could do would be enough to satisfy expectations. He would lose again.

[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]One time Wilt turned right over in it but he got out without a scratch and just kept driving.[/QUOTE]
:rolleyes:

[QUOTE=jlauber]It just fascinates me that so many attempt to disparage Chamberlain in any way possible. The "mountain lion" story was never directly attributed to Wilt. Nor was the breaking of Johnny Kerr's toe, which, was in fact, claimed by Kerr himself.
[/QUOTE]

If I remember correctly I read an interview where Wilt himself also claimed he broke Kerr's toe, although I google'd it and I couldn't find it so I can't claim he said it himself as well for sure.

[QUOTE=jlauber]
When I first joined this forum a few years ago, virtually any incredible physical feat that Wilt supposedly accomplished was just laughed off as pure folly. There was no way Wilt was benching anywhere near 500 lbs. They was no way Wilt had a 40" inch vertical (I even read a poster claiming that it was 24".) No way Wilt was dunking his FT's. No way Wilt was dunking on a 12 ft. rim. No way Wilt was touching the top of the backboard.
[/QUOTE]

You're the same guy who changed your mind regarding Wilt over youtube-videos, quotes and articles. You're the same guy who wrote that his competition was crap and then you suddenly changed your mind and claimed he played in a crazy talented era.

[QUOTE=jlauber]
However, in the past year, or so, (and some before that), more-and-more evidence, including VIDEO footage, has surfaced that substantiates many of those so-called "myths."
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, you mean "proof" as in that video where Wilt "touches" the backboard when in reality the guy who made it, CavaliersFTW, highlighted his arm all wrong and while the footage itself was from a terrible angle if you want to prove anything.

[QUOTE=jlauber]
An eye-witness account of a 59 year old Chamberlain benching 465 lbs. An SI article in 1964 claiming that Wilt was easily benching 400 lbs. A first hand account in Robert Cherry's book, by a 6-5 250 lbs weight-lifter who was known to have benched 500 lbs, claiming that Wilt was the strongest men he ever met. In fact, the internet is plastered with accounts of Wilt benching 500 lbs.[/QUOTE]

Eye-witnesses have for deceades claimed that they've seen aliens, just because someone claims they've seen something, it doesn't mean it's true.
But after all, you ain't good with sources, you used a youtube-comment from CavaliersFTW (DanTheMan) about them 20 blocked skyhooks and claimed it was a valid source. The same poster later told us all that he mistyped.

[QUOTE=jlauber]
An article by Philly sportswriter George Kiseda, who claims to have witnessed Wilt touching the ceiling in a hospital, and measuring the leap at 42". Or VIDEO footage of a young Wilt, with no time to react, and going straight up (without benefit of a running start), and blocking a shot, with his fingertips only a couple of inches from the top of the backboard. Or Philly sports icon Sonny Hill claiming to have witnessed Wilt touching the top of the backboard. Or longtime Sixer trainer, Al Domenico, claiming to have witnessed the same thing. [/QUOTE]

Are you for real? Yeah, George Kiseda met up with eye witnesses and later wrote an article about Wilt touching the ceiling in a hospital, you're so retarded. Eye witnesses have seen the Yeti monster, it must be true then..

Again, the fingertips a couple of inches from the backboard video is nonsense. CavaliersFTW didn't do a good job when he highlighted Wilt's body in that video, it's completely out of proportion, so you want to claim that his arm is almost as long as the white guy in the video and that his arm was just as long as his legs... :facepalm

Al Domenico and Sonny Hill have seen god as well..

[QUOTE=jlauber]
Or a VIDEO interview with none other than TEX WINTER, claiming that he witnessed a high school Wilt, taking three steps, and dunking the ball with a leap from behind the FT line. In fact, he was so stunned by that, that he formed a committee to ban such "freakish" activity.
[/QUOTE]

Oh my god, an interview who proves that Wilt dunked from the FT-line, damn, how convincing.

[QUOTE=jlauber]
Or Wilt's college coach rolling out a 12 ft. rim while Wilt was there, and some articles from the KU newspaper claiming that Wilt was dunking on it.
[/QUOTE]

Must be true.

[QUOTE=jlauber]
But aside from all of those "myths", what about the STATISTICAL "myths?"
[/QUOTE]

There are no myths about his stats.

[QUOTE=jlauber]
I could go on...but it has become increasingly clear that the Wilt's legacy was built on more than just unbelievable "myths."[/QUOTE]

Yeah, so you just proved that those myths weren't just myths by writing a post where you proved us all wrong by posting eye witness accounts.. :facepalm

[QUOTE=jlauber]WILT never claimed that. Johnny Kerr, who was the player with the broken toe, made that claim. Go complain to Kerr if you don't believe it.[/QUOTE]

But it's nonsense, you idiot, that's the problem.
You believe everything you read as long as it makes Wilt look greater, you even used youtube-comments as sources, like seriously...

The broken toe claim is the most silly thing I've heard, read some physics, Jlauber, you can't break a toe just by throwing a basketball on it. The speed is way too slow and the power is no where close to do any damage on a toe.

Wilt didn't even break those crappy backboards, how the hell could he dunk with such force that he'd break a toe..

:facepalm

[quote=millwad]But it's nonsense, you idiot, that's the problem.
You believe everything you read as long as it makes Wilt look greater, you even used youtube-comments as sources, like seriously...

The broken toe claim is the most silly thing I've heard, read some physics, Jlauber, you can't break a toe just by throwing a basketball on it. The speed is way too slow and the power is no where close to do any damage on a toe.

Wilt didn't even break those crappy backboards, how the hell could he dunk with such force that he'd break a toe..

:facepalm[/quote]

I haven't heard the toe story.
But do you honestly believe he couldn't break a backboard?
I know lauber can seem extreme, but you are more extreme in the opposite direction.

[QUOTE=AirJordan23]Lets be real here, it was a WEAK era for mountain lions.[/QUOTE]

/thread

[QUOTE=jlauber]Actually the incident took place early in Chamberlain's career. Most of the rest of your post is correct, except that the "enforcer never paid for what he did." The enforcer was 6-9 240 lb Clyde Lovellette, who was probably the dirtiest player in the league. The two would meet again in the '64 Finals. Once again, Lovellette came in throwing elbows. Wilt repeatedly asked him to stop, but Clyde continued. Finally Wilt turned with and told him that he had enough. Lovellette raised his fists, and Wilt decked him with one punch. Clyde "went down like a sack of potatoes." His teammates told him to stay down. Meanwhile, Red Auerbach jumped up to complain to the officials, and Chamberlain reportedly yelled at him, "Shut up or I will lay you out next to him [Lovellette.]"

Lovellette did not return the rest of the series, and retired shortly afterwards.

But, yes, the infection that Wilt suffered may very well have contributed to his relatively early death.[/QUOTE]

Lovellette (who was 6'11") didn't return for the rest of the series as the Celtics closed out the series in this game and they were blowing out Wilt's team. Which begs the question, why is Wilt still in the game during a blowout? Stat padding.

Look at Big Bad Wilt, saying he will knockout 5'9" Red Auerbach. What a tough guy!

This story is in Terry Pluto's book Tall Tales. This where I got the info to correct JLauber. I seek the facts. Like the fact it was a blowout in a deciding game, which JLauber declined to mention as it would make Wilt look bad.

Laughing at Jlaub getting ethered.

[QUOTE=Horatio33][B]Lovellette (who was 6'11") didn't return for the rest of the series as the Celtics closed out the series in this game and they were blowing out Wilt's team.[/B] Which begs the question, why is Wilt still in the game during a blowout? Stat padding.

Look at Big Bad Wilt, saying he will knockout 5'9" Red Auerbach. What a tough guy!

This story is in Terry Pluto's book Tall Tales. This where I got the info to correct JLauber. I seek the facts. Like the fact it was a blowout in a deciding game, which JLauber declined to mention as it would make Wilt look bad.[/QUOTE]

Not that I would expect you to RESEARCH any of your posts, but that incident occurred in GAME TWO of what was a FIVE game series (and yes, Boston, with an 8-2 edge in HOFers won that series, 4-1...albeit the last two games were decided in the waning seconds, and Wilt badly outplayed Russell in both.)

I have other links, as well, but just take a look at all FIVE games of thise series. You won't see Lovellette in the last THREE.

[url]http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196404200BOS.html[/url]

Next time, just refrain from making an a$$ of yourself.