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Wilt was probably in the 34-38" range for vertical. Come on people -- 24"? :oldlol: Wilt was a world-class athlete in many respects (not just basketball). As noted, he competed in many jumping events at an elite collegiate level. No way was his vert only 24".
[QUOTE=OldSchoolBBall]Wilt was probably in the 34-38" range for vertical. Come on people -- 24"? :oldlol: Wilt was a world-class athlete in many respects (not just basketball). As noted, he competed in many jumping events at an elite collegiate level. No way was his vert only 24".[/QUOTE]
Well, using my math, which is questionable...
Wilt was credited with dunking on a 12 ft rim. He had a standing reach of 9'-6". The basketball is 10" in diameter. He would have to get at least 1" higher to get the ball over the rim.'
12ft. + essentially 1 ft for the ball and clearing the rim...
13 ft. - 9'6" = 3 ft. 6"... or 42 inches.
Of course, there were eye-witness accounts of Wilt touching the top of the backboard, which is 13 ft. So, a MINIMUM leap of 42" seems logical to me.
And, one more time...we are talking about a PART-TIME high-jump CHAMPION...as well as a LONG-JUMPER, and a TRIPLE-JUMPER. As well as a competitive 4x100, 440, and 880 athlete.
[QUOTE=asdf1990]did he still kill the mountain lion with bare hands?[/QUOTE]
yup, he was an amazing pokemon master.
[QUOTE]winning the high jump competition in the Big Eight track and field championships, clearing the bar at 6-6."[/QUOTE]
I think people overlook the fact that from his feet to his waist, Wilt was freakishly long. I'd estimate he was about 4.5 feet tall at his waist. High jump is all about getting the lower half of your body over the bar (ie. getting your waist over) and the rest of your body will follow, especially the way the old schoolers jumped.
What he lacked for in his vertical jump, he makes up easily with his long legs. Wilt essentially had a foot higher head start over your typical high jumper because of this. He needs to jump only about 2 feet to get his waist level with the bar. Measuring purely the vertical part of his jump, he needs to jump about ~ 2.5 feet to clear the bar with his waist and then time his legs to cross as well. Notice here, it's all about getting his waist about half a foot over the bar:
[IMG]http://i30.tinypic.com/18g7f5.jpg[/IMG]
It's great coordination for a man his size, but the freakishly long lower half of his body is what make him a great high jumper, not his vertical (which is quite average). The fact his highest jump was 6'6, only further confirms that his vertical was in the 30-33 inch range, because that's exactly the height you'd expect him to max out at.
LOL @ 42+ inches. Yea, I'm sure Wilt had a higher vertical than MJ and Vince. Makes me wonder how these people function in real life with such little common sense. Nothing worse than stans who go out of their way to exaggerate their favorite athlete's feats. There's no doubt in my mind Russell had a higher vertical leap, he cleared 6'8 while being much shorter and would routinely win jumpballs against him.
And again, a 12 foot dunk would require him to jump about 30-32 inches:
[QUOTE=Fatal9]So even if we accept the claim that he dunked on a 12 foot hoop, he would still need only a 30-32 inch vertical to do it. If you go by strictly the math it's 33-35, but his reach when extending with just one hand is more than 9'7, probably about to 9'10-9'11 (stand with both your arms up, and then try extending just one arm up like you would on a dunk and see the 4-5 inch difference in your reach). 24 inches is quite likely for his [B]standing[/b] vertical, but if we include running I'd estimate about 29-32 inches, which is still excellent for a man his height.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=asdf1990]did he still kill the mountain lion with bare hands?[/QUOTE]
Among the various Wilt stories, this isn't among the most exaggerated.
The story about Wilt and the cougar was told, among else, by Jack Ramsey, who wasn't any kind of Wilt promoter. He said that Wilt showed him seemingly recent scratches by what seemed to him to come from a big cat. I don't know whether it was a cougar, but
1. it's not mentioned whether it was a grown up cougar or if it was male or female.
2. Cougars are not anywhere near the real big cats (tigers, lions and jaguars) in terms of size or ferocity. A human of Wilt's size and strength should have no problem killing a cougar, when in an emergency state.
3. Despite that most animals avoid humans, we're still viewed as weak animals for our size (and not really nutritious, either). If some big carnivore attacks a human, there's a good chance that the carnivore is old or sick and asks for some easy pray, so we can't exclude this possibility, either.
[QUOTE=Fatal9]I think people overlook the fact that from his feet to his waist, Wilt was freakishly long. I'd estimate he 4.5 feet tall at his waist. High jump is all about getting your waist over the bar and the rest of your body will follow, especially the way the old schoolers jumped.
What he lacks for in his vertical jump, he makes up easily in his waist height. He needs to jump only about 2 feet to get his waist on level with the bar. Measuring purely the vertical part of his jump, he needs to jump about ~ 2.5 feet to clear the bar with his waist and then time his legs to cross as well. Notice here, it's all about getting his waist about half a foot over the bar:
[IMG]http://i30.tinypic.com/18g7f5.jpg[/IMG]
It's great coordination for a man his size, but the freakishly long lower half of his body is what make him a great high jumper, not his vertical (which is quite average).
[B]LOL @ 42+ inches. Yea, I'm sure Wilt had a higher vertical than MJ and Vince. Makes me wonder how these people function in real life with such little common sense. Nothing worse than stans who go out of their way to exaggerate their favorite athlete's feats. There's no doubt in my mind Russell had a higher vertical leap, he cleared 6'8 while being much shorter and would routinely win jumpballs against him[/B].
And again, a 12 foot dunk would require him to jump about 30-32 inches:[/QUOTE]
And it amazes me at those with an anti-Wilt agenda do everything in their power to diminish what he accomplished. They find a season, in which he averages 45 ppg, leads the league in rebounding, sets a FG% record, leads the league in Win Shares, and sets an all-time PER record...and blame HIM for the team losing 49 games (not to mention the fact that their scoring differential was only 2 ppg)...but say nothing of the cast of clowns that he played with (and who collectively shot .412 from the field).
They rip him for a 46-34 game, because he missed 17 FTs. They blame HIM for his losing in that playoff series, despite the fact that his teammates like Greer (shot .325), Jackson (shot .429), Walker (shot .375), Jones (shot .325), and Cunningham (shot .161...yes .161 from the field)...while Chamberlain averaged 28 ppg, 30 rpg, and shot .509...and dominated Russell in the process.
They slam him for leading the league in assists, despite the fact that his TEAM ran away with the best record in the league.
They try to downplay his scoring by saying that he shot about .525 during his "scoring" years...(with one season in which he averaged 33.5 ppg on .540)...which is about the same as Robinson and Olajuwon shot in their BEST seasons, and in leagues that shot MUCH higher percentages. And, of course, they won't mention Kareem having FG% seasons of .539, .529, .518, and .513.
They NEVER mention the fact that Wilt outrebounded EVERYBODY...and most by huge margins.
They NEVER acknowledge that he faced TWELVE HOF centers...and either outplayed, or downright DOMINATED them all. And, when his offensive numbers go down slightly in the post-season, they won't tell you that he faced a HOF center in 112 of his 160 post-season games...or that he obliterated the few centers that he faced in the post-season that were not HOF caliber.
They even slap him for playing nearly 48 mpg in his career (45.2 in his regualr season career, and 47.2 mpg in his 160 post-season games.)
They seldon bring up his defense. AND, they will find a few games in which Russell slightly outplayed him. BUT, they NEVER mention that Wilt held Russell down as well. While Russell routinely played brilliantly in the post-season, even offensively, he seldom matched those post-season numbers against Wilt. In fact, Wilt easily outscored Russell in every post-season series...some by HUGE margins; he outrebounded Russell in every post-season series...some by HUGE margins; and he outshot Russell in virtually every post-season series (that I could find numbers on)...and some by HUGE margins.
They ridicule his stats...despite the fact that he was the ONLY player putting up those monster seasons. Wilt won his scoring titles by as much as nearly 20 ppg. He won his rebounding titles by as much as nearly 5 rpg. He won his FG% titles by as much as .162 (yes... .162 and in another by a .157 margin.)
They attempt to downplay his numbers because of competition...despite the fact that Chamberlain played against TWELVE HOF centers in his career.
They will go out of their way to claim that he "only" won two titles...but god forbid, they mention the fact that he narrowly missed FIVE (even six) more rings, by the slimmest of margins. They blame HIM for those post-season "failures" despite the fact that he almost always had inferior personnel; or the fact that he routinely had an incompetent coach; or that his fellow teammates invariably choked at the worst possible times; or that his opposing teams would routinely hit a "miracle" shot to beat his team; or that, he would dominate his opposing center, but his fellow teammates would play miserably; or that the officials probably cost him one, maybe two rings; or that his team's suffered injuries at the worst possible time.
Nope...it was ALWAYS Chamberlain's fault. He was a "stat-padder". He was a "choker." He was a "loser."
And of course...no way he was a great leaper, despite being a high-jump champ...PART-TIME. Or that he was also a LONG-JUMPER. Or that he was aloso a TRIPLE-JUMPER. Or that he was also a sprinter. Or that he was a competitive 440 and 880 participant. They won't acknlowedge eye-witness accounts, by reputable sports figures, of touching the top of the backboard. Or that the NBA banned the dunking of FTs because legend has it that Chamberlain was capable of doing such a feat with a start from inside the top half of the FT circle. They won't bring up the fact that Wilt was dunking on 12 ft rims in college, that were set up by coach...DURING Wilt's college career.
They will tell you he was not capable of 500 lb bench presses, despite the internet being plastered with accounts of 500+...including eye-witness accounts. Or that Howard Cosell proclaimed him as perhaps the strongest man in the world during an Ali-Wilt interview.
Nope...they will tell you that much of what Wilt was credited with was an impossibility...just like scoring 100 pts in a game; or averaging 50 ppg in a season; or grabbing 55 rebounds in a game; or averaging 27 rpg over the course of a season; or having post-seasons of 30 rpg, or post-seasons over 30 rpg against Russell; or snaring 41 rebounds in a post-season game...against Russell; or averaging 40 ppg in his first seven seasons...COMBINED; or shooting .727 in a season (or .683 in another one); or making 35 straight FGAs; or having 55 of the TOTAL of 61 40-30 games in NBA history; or scoring 70+ points, six times, which is two more than everyone else who has ever played...COMBINED; or that he scored 60+ points in a game 32 times...which is two more than virtually every other player who has ever played...COMBINED (MJ and Kobe are next with five BTW); or that he led the league in assists one year; or that he had seasons that were estimated to have been double-digit blocks...per game; or that there is a recorded game in 1969, in which he blocked 23 shots; or that Harvey Pollack had him with 25 blocks in another game; ...or that he holds 130+ NBA records...and in MANY cases, he holds the next mark or marks, as well. Or that MANY of his records will never be approached, much less broken...
yep...that was Wilt. And ONLY Wilt.
^ LMAO, what the hell does any of that have to do with anything I posted? Went from discussing his vertical leap to you bringing out the excuse brigade for his entire career, wtf. Don't tell me you typed that out :oldlol:
[QUOTE=Fatal9]^ LMAO, what the hell does any of that have to do with anything I posted? Went from discussing his vertical leap to you bringing out the excuse brigade for his entire career, wtf. Don't tell me you typed that out :oldlol:[/QUOTE]
:roll: When he feels Wilt's legacy is threatened in any way(even Wilt's sex life :wtf: ), he resorts to spamming the board with irrelevant crap. It's second nature to him.
:roll:I can't believe people actually believe the 40+ inch Wilt stories.
Good job post Fatal. Great job.
[quote=Bobe Kryant][URL="http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/wilt/article3.html"]http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/wilt/article3.html[/URL]
Certainly doesn't sound like the athletic freak we've heard so much about. He also had only a 7'2 wingspan which is pretty surprising. And 225lbs is just embarassing. Shaq weighed something like 310lbs at the same age with 10x the athleticism.
For comparison, Shaq had a 7'7 wingspan and 36 vertical.[/quote]
At peak form he was 290 lbs. By his Lakers years he was 300+. Chamberlain's wingspan was 7'6-7'7 (varying reports on this). He also ran a 4.4 40 yd dash in dress shoes during a KC Chiefs tryout according to Hall OF Fame NFL coach Hank Stram, who also called him the best wide receiver he had ever seen (over Jerry Rice).
As one can see at 0:34 Chamberlain overpowers Thurmond on the offensive glass, without shoving him in the back.
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keLsXWNLCF0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keLsXWNLCF0[/URL]
He also was able to control the basketball like no other in NBA history.
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycO_MYuF89k#t=7m08s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycO_MYuF89k#t=7m08s[/URL]
[URL="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x48zv5_nba-vault-the-1967-sixers-rick-kaml_sport"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x48...ick-kaml_sport[/URL] (Two fake passes at 4:30 mark)
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTRjFYwF_RQ#t=2m55s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTRjFYwF_RQ#t=2m55s[/URL]
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kocq3D4zd-U#t=4m44s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kocq3D4zd-U#t=4m44s[/URL]
Not to neglect he would routinely dunk the ball from the foul line for his free throws prior to the rule change, without a long running start as seen in various dunk contests over the years.
[URL="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=340UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wAAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7302,4611332&dq"]Toldeo Blade - Nov 28, 1956[/URL]
[I]'It seems Wilt has an unorthodox method of shooting free throws. The big guy takes aim at the basket from several feet behind the line. Then he takes about three giant steps, leaves his feet before reaching the line, and stuffs the ball through the hoop.
Under the old rule, it was perfectly legal as Wilt never touched the floor before letting go of the ball. In addition his percentage was fantastic.
"Why, he would have had a free throw percentage of 100," said [Tex] Winter. "He never missed."
Incidentally the rules committee did not mention Chamberlain by name as a reason for the change. The rule change was made, according to the committee, "[B]to prevent freak activity[/B]."[/I]'
[URL="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1XYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2OkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2229,2425147&dq"]The Miami News - Nov 7, 1962[/URL]
[I]'He can clean and jerk a 375-lb. weight, run the quarter mile in 47s, and high-jump over 6-11.'[/I]
[URL="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1075691/2/index.htm"]Sports Illustrated - March 2, 1964[/URL]
[I]'The St. Louis Hawks' 6-foot-9, 240-pound Zelmo Beaty, for example, found out recently that he can no longer take Chamberlain's great strength for granted. Unable to slow Wilt down with conventional maltreatment, Beaty tried to yank his shorts off. Chamberlain, [B]who can press 400 pounds without breathing hard[/B], makes it a point to control his temper, primarily because he is genuinely afraid he might kill somebody. Beaty's unethical yank, however, was too much. Wilt flicked an arm, and Beaty flew across the floor like a man shot out of a cannon. Referee Mendy Rudolph rushed over to him and said: "For God's sake, stay down, man. Don't even twitch a muscle." Beaty didn't twitch, and he is still active in the NBA.[/I]'
NFL legend Jim Brown publicly stating that he'd rather get in a boxing ring with heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali as opposed to Wilt Chamberlain.
[URL="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_dkLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QlcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7163,2399606&dq"]The Evening Independent - Sep 15, 1966[/URL][I]
'Chamberlain, like Brown, is a great athlete and seriously considered becoming a fighter a year and a half ago. Wilt and Jimmy have competed against each other in foot races and tests of strength.
"I'd rather fight Clay than Wilt," Brown said. "Chamberlain's too big and he's too strong, but I'm no fighter. I'm saving whatever fighting I've got to do for the Dirty Dozen."[/I]'
[URL="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gPoNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w3sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7049,3815406&dq"]St. Petersburg Times - Feb 25, 1969[/URL]
[I]'Wilt Chamberlain is probably the first giant in history to be able to break 50 seconds in the 440, win a Big Eight high-jump title and be able to set a pick. In fact, he may not be a true giant. Medicine has taken the mystery out of gigantism. Most giants of the past were physical weaklings. Some were 90 percent legs.[B] Wilt Chamberlain, by common consent, is the world's strongest man.[/B][/I]'
He was even stronger during his later years in life.
[IMG]http://i43.tinypic.com/11icsox.gif[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i48.tinypic.com/mk9pts.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i45.tinypic.com/2dqttet.jpg[/IMG]
[URL="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TSMoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=S1cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2229,911381&dq"]The Evening Independent - Jan 6, 1967[/URL]
[I]"I'd bet you $1,000 I could lift 1,000 pounds," the 76ers singular 7-1 center said, "I have. I've also hand-wrestled two men at the same time and beat them. And there's nothing I'd like to do better than play pro football."[/I]
[URL="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_R8TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lAUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6593,3084647&dq"]Ocala Star-Banner - Sep 17, 1975[/URL]
[I]'As inconspicuously as possible for a 7-foot 1-inch impresario, Wilt Chamberlain stopped by the New York Knicks' office for a quick social hello and now he was waiting for an elevator that would take him upstairs to the Madison Square Garden arena floor. When the elevator doors opened, Wilt stepped back as two husky workmen struggled to wheel a heavily loaded dolly into the corridor. On the dolly there were 10 big cartons of envelopes. For perhaps a minute the workmen pushed and pulled, trying to get the wheels of the dolly across the uneven gap between the elevator and the floor, huffing and puffing, they finally dropped their hands in frustration. "You look," Wilt said, "like you need a little help," His massive arms unencumbered by a chocolate sleeveless shirt, he reached down, grabbed the rope attached to the dolly and lifted the load into the corridor as if it had been a baby in a stroller. The workmen stared and thanked him. Wilt smiled, entered the elevator and the doors closed.
"I never saw anything like that," one of the workmen said. "These carton each weight about 80 pounds. This is an[B] 800 [/B]pound load."
That's the approximate weight of four Knick teammates. And if Wilt were to join the Knicks for the approaching National Basketball Association season, he believes he could lift the team into contention with the Boston Celtics for the Atlantic Division title.'[/I]
I believe jlauber recently posted a John Havlicek quote on a physical confrontation Chamberlain had with NFL player and part time professional wrestler Big Daddy Lipscomb in the early 60's. Ended with Lipscomb on the floor and Chamberlain muttering, "Nobody messes with Wilt."
[IMG]http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/09/01/lipscomb.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/09/01/lipscomb365x445.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE]I believe jlauber recently posted a John Havlicek quote on a physical confrontation Chamberlain had with NFL player and part time professional wrestler Big Daddy Lipscomb in the early 60's. Ended with Lipscomb on the floor and Chamberlain muttering, "Nobody messes with Wilt."
[/QUOTE]
Yes. That article was written MANY years ago. I believe it was Sport Magazine, but it may have been an SI article. Unfortunately, I have never been able to find it on the internet. So, if anyone challenges me on it, I have to admit that I have not been able to find it. Still, perhaps one day maybe we will see that Havlicek story again. If anyone else can find it, please post it.
And for those that may not believe me, there are still many more astonishing articles about Chamberlain's staggering power plastered all over the internet.
And, once again, great post Abe.
HAHA! Wilt and other journalists talking about fables regarding Wilt's feats and strengths is considered hard proof now?
He ran 4.4 back then, so if we could do it again today, it would probably come out to 4.55+. His standing vert was around 23-26 inches, which isn't bad at all for a tall person, and his running vert might have hit 30.
I don't understand you internet fanboys. You disgust me. You go so far as to make up stupid stories about this guy. It's irritating and nobody actually takes you seriously.
His standing vert was [B]not [/B]23-26 inches. At least, you could read what I wrote a little before instead of repeating the same story.
Again, play at 1:50:
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tt13a6b_uA[/url]
This is not a 23-26 inch vertical jump, else his head should be 9-12 inches from the basket, which isn't the case. And it's a standing jump.
A 24-inch vertical for a male athlete, standing or not, would not be worthy of mentioning. Not now, not 100 years ago, not 2,000 years ago. The average male at an athlete's age can jump about 20 inches, without real training. What do you think the average male could jump in the 60's that would make 24 look impressive? Like 12 inches? And 8 for females?
[QUOTE=Psileas]His standing vert was [B]not [/B]23-26 inches. At least, you could read what I wrote a little before instead of repeating the same story.
Again, play at 1:50:
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tt13a6b_uA[/url]
This is not a 23-26 inch vertical jump, else his head should be 9-12 inches from the basket, which isn't the case. And it's a standing jump.
A 24-inch vertical for a male athlete, standing or not, would not be worthy of mentioning. Not now, not 100 years ago, not 2,000 years ago. The average male at an athlete's age can jump about 20 inches, without real training. What do you think the average male could jump in the 60's that would make 24 look impressive? Like 12 inches? And 8 for females?[/QUOTE]
Not only that, but that footage was taken when he was a little over a year removed from major knee surgery, at age 34, somewhere around 300 lbs., and without benefit of a running start. IMHO, take a healthy Wilt, around 22-25 years old, and around 260-270 lbs, and give him a running start, and you tell me what kind of actual vertical leap that he had at his peak?
Maybe Wilt's vertical was not 48" as he himself claimed. But these clowns that post verticals of 24" or even 30-32" are being ridiculous. The man was a high-jump champ, as well as a long jumper and triple jumper. He was arguably the greatest athlete of all-time for cryingoutloud.