Wilt most dominant ever, Russell greatest winner ever.

[oarabbus]

If he was "actively looking to get his", why was he averaging only 17 FGA's during the playoffs? Lol, anti-Wilt fairy tales make Wilt's stories look as if Wilt has been given the truth serum. looking at each postseason separately, Wilt was the most dominant player for like 8 postseasons, especially given his personal (and team) competition.

These counterarguments don't hold much water in light of the fact Wilt wasn't a winner, or hardly so especially relative to his contemporaries (maybe just Russell ). People can easily twist this to mean "So he COULD have won and CHOSE not to?" which is a fair rebuttal.

[Psileas]

Yet chose to average 22 ppg in a 1968 ECF against the Celtics where his team completely gave in after game 4 and lost a 3-1 lead...

He also "chose" to be injured at that time, as well as "choosing" to have his team lose Game 5, after having posted a dominant 28/30/7 game (I swear, I've never seen one of you ever mentioning this). And LOL at pretending that averaging 22 ppg, while playing part of the playoffs injured, in a season he averaged 24 ppg, is somehow considered a let-down.

[Kblaze8855]

Yes...he quite clearly did choose to score less....when he did not score a lot. There is no room for discussion on the issue.

This is the most physically imposing player....arguably of all time...no doubt the guy with the greatest physical advantage relative to those attempting to stop him(the only argument otherwise being Shaq of course).

Hes out there playing 48 minutes taking 12 shots.

No....I do not assume he couldnt get more shots.

I assume the obvious...he did not attempt to score.

Did he...like everyone...have off games? Of course. But anyone taking the briefest look at the era....reading what his coaches were asking of him....there is no question.

Wilt stopped scoring because he chose to accept a different role.

He clearly didnt equate scoring with dominance....and he was right not to.

He didnt do shit scoring 50 points a game.

When he puts all his energy into being a defensive disruption, not allowing offensive rebounds, making every opposing bigman play honest, and passing to his guards to run the break....he makes a bigger difference in a league that didnt lack for scoring.

Its quite simple....

If your team can score like 115 with or without you...why would you attempt to be 40 of that 115 instead of making sure the other team doesnt score 100....and your teammates play the best ball they can play?

That his unselfishness is used against him when it was what brought about his greatest winning is a joke.

He literally cut his PPG in half and won 68 games and the title....

Why would he go back to trying to do it all?

To prove the internet wrong 40 years later?

[Psileas]

These counterarguments don't hold much water in light of the fact Wilt wasn't a winner. People can easily twist this to mean "So he COULD have won and CHOSE not to?" which is a fair rebuttal.

It isn't any kind of rebuttal, Wilt did not "choose" to win or lose, I don't know how you got here from my post. Wilt had dozens of dominant playoff appearances, which are easily comparable to the ones of other GOAT playoff performers. Wilt not being a winner isn't even an argument by itself, let alone a "fact".

[ArbitraryWater]

Wilt had a dominant game 5, which by the way, ruins your injury excuse

Game 6 (L 106-114)
20 points 6-21 FG
8-23 FT

Game 7 (L 96-100)
14 points 4-9 FG
6-15 FT

STRONG letdown... STRONG choke.

@kblaze: No, to win the title.

I like how you always say "internet 40 years later" because he didn't have detractors back then...

[PsychoBe]

wilt was not the level of winner relative to the others on the goat list. simple as that. and how could he be the "most dominant ever" if the consensus and statistically most dominant player in the post-season is michael jordan?

[Deuce Bigalow]

If he was "actively looking to get his", why was he averaging only 17 FGA's during the playoffs? Lol, anti-Wilt fairy tales make Wilt's stories look as if Wilt has been given the truth serum. looking at each postseason separately, Wilt was the most dominant player for like 8 postseasons, especially given his personal (and team) competition.

Name these 8 postseasons

I'll give you 1967 and 1964

[Psileas]

Wilt had a dominant game 5, which by the way, ruins your injury excuse

Game 6 (L 106-114)
20 points 6-21 FG
8-23 FT

Game 7 (L 96-100)
14 points 4-9 FG
6-15 FT

STRONG letdown... STRONG choke.

Wilt was injured, which, combined with the dominant Game 5 enhances his legacy and kills your choke excuse. Try harder.

[CavaliersFTW]

but....didn't?

...Yes.

There's more to dominating than scoring points, there's more to contribute to a team than scoring points.

Ever watched any film of Wilt's playoff games? Even as an old man, even in games where he scores like 13 points (Chicago vs Lakers playoff game in '71 I believe) his finger prints are all over the games in a profoundly dominating fashion. He looks dominant on the floor no matter how much he's looking to score, he picks and chooses his moments to score... he sweeps up every rebound and goes after every shot. Is just a massive presence inside, and is a great passer to the cutters and spot up shooters. Runs the floor when the opportunity is there, throws rifle fast outlet passes. The possessions he chooses to score he just bulls right past his man or flicks in an-all-to-easy-looking finger roll on high efficiency. In his later years, he was trying to keep the team operating as a unit, the best way to do that is let everyone else have opportunities to shoot.

[PsychoBe]

...Yes.

There's more to dominating than scoring points, there's more to contribute to a team than scoring points.

Ever watched any film of Wilt's playoff games? Even as an old man, even in games where he scores like 13 points (Chicago vs Lakers playoff game in '71 I believe) his finger prints are all over the games in a profoundly dominating fashion. He looks dominant on the floor no matter how much he's looking to score, he picks and chooses his moments to score... he sweeps up every rebound and goes after every shot. Is just a massive presence inside, and is a great passer to the cutters and spot up shooters. Runs the floor when the opportunity is there, throws rifle fast outlet passes. The possessions he chooses to score he just bulls right past his man or flicks in an-all-to-easy-looking finger roll on high efficiency. In his later years, he was trying to keep the team operating as a unit, the best way to do that is let everyone else have opportunities to shoot.

i can understand if he's old and he didn't assert himself that's just common sense. but to not assert yourself in your prime and defending that is absolutely absurd. imagine if mj in the 91' season went from averaging from 28+ppg to 17 ppg in the finals. that's a hilarious drop-off

instead he averaged 30+ ppg as well as 11+ assists and played stellar defense. that's how true goats do. when mj focuses on another facet, his true essence doesn't suffer, unfortunately we can't say the same for wilt. if he wants to get teammates involved he goes from 30 ppg to barely 20, but if mj wants to get his teammates involved, he keeps his 30 ppg average and increases his assists/play-making dramatically as well.

[SpecialQue]

I agree. Everyone in the NBA is fvcking garbage compared to those two, with the exception of Magic and Kareem.

[Kblaze8855]

Wilt had a dominant game 5, which by the way, ruins your injury excuse

Game 6 (L 106-114)
20 points 6-21 FG
8-23 FT

Game 7 (L 96-100)
14 points 4-9 FG
6-15 FT

STRONG letdown... STRONG choke.

@kblaze: No, to win the title.

I like how you always say "internet 40 years later" because he didn't have detractors back then...

A lot of the people you think are his detractors consider him the greatest of all time.

Half the time you see a quote posted vaguely calling him out from 40 years ago there is another clip with the same guy saying hes still better than anyone he ever saw.

The Wilt hate...especially on his playoffs ppg...just shows people are uninformed or idiots. Hate to put it that way...but when people boil down a player of that magnitude to his playoff PPG while most of his playoff games came AFTER he decided not to score so much...is just laughable.

Dude scores 35 a game his first finals...gets worked.

Next time? He had 26 points in games 1 and 2 of the finals combined.

So he lowers his finals averages.

But...anyone with a speck of fairness would consider that he put up 16/33/10 and 10/38/10 passing...and passing...and passing...and passing.

He played the game the way its meant to be played. And won. That it didnt always work doesnt mean he was wrong to keep trying to win the way...he won.

50ppg with teammates watching you...doesnt work.

18/25 the best D and great passing....wins games.

Not winning yearly doesnt make it the wrong approach.

He lowered his career playoff ppg...by playing BETTER.

Hating on it just shows what fans have become.

Not like the 35-50ppg actually won him anything. He wins...doing 20.


One finals game he goes 3-6....he only scored 10. final stat line?


10 points, 27 rebounds, 8 assists.....and 15 blocks.


this lowers his playoff ppg....but his team dominates.

You laugh...his team plays the best ball...arguably ever.

Rick Barry on the other team takes 41 shots for 43 points...loses. Had Wilt done that....it raises his playoffs/final PPG...which I suppose makes him more impressive to people like you......

Guess he should have kept scoring his ass off and alienating teammates....because PPG matters...

[navy]

Kblaze delivering dat ether.

[Hey Yo]

Come playoff time:

MJ, Kareem, LeBron, Shaq, Magic are infinitely more dominant than Wilt.

If referring to both ends of the floor, then Magic doesn't need to be mentioned.

[Psileas]

Rick Barry on the other team takes 41 shots for 43 points...loses. Had Wilt done that....it raises his playoffs/final PPG...which I suppose makes him more impressive to people like you......

Guess he should have kept scoring his ass off and alienating teammates....because PPG matters...

Wilt would actually have multiple postseasons with scoring averages higher than his regular seasons, but...he'd have needed to have lost earlier, before getting to yearly face the GOAT defender, bringing down his scoring averages. Considering how much stock people put on his playoff drops, losing earlier might even make Wilt greater in their eyes...