Wilt Chamberlain's Historic Anniversary

[RamiTheBullsFan]

Magic Johnson would have probably averaged 25+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 20+ assists during the 1960's...

 

[Captain Iago]

This is a guy who once benched 500 pounds. By some accounts, he was said to have a 48'' vertical leap.

He'd also consume his opponents with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse.

 

[Crystallas]

Magic Johnson would have probably averaged 25+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 20+ assists during the 1960's...

Magic Johnson would be the only player to average a quintuple-double for a few seasons.

 

[Frank Breakfast Styleham]

NO...he wouldn't have...

Again, we have recently seen an era of the NBA when the likes of Chris Kaman and Brad Miller made the All-Star team. Chamberlain faced the Bill Russells and the Nate Thurmonds and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbars and since there were half less teams than now, he faced Hall of Famers almost every single game.

Everyone who says he had it easy doesn't know what they're talking about. I think he played in the right time because if he played NOW, he would have it easy because there are very few good centers left (who would stop him now, Yao Ming? Dwight Howard is about as good as it gets but there's 29 other teams and we've seen 6-8" Chuck Hayes playing center recently, folks. Chamberlain faced TALLER centers than Chuck Hayes! It would be easier now than then, actually).

No one wants to mention when he ripped down 55 rebounds in a single game. Against Bill Russell.

How he led the league in assists. As a center.

Had they kept track of blocks back then (among other statistics) by his own word, he would have averaged a triple double more than once; he said in games he would get quadruple doubles all the time.

I'm not going to argue with you all because most of you refuse to watch if it wasn't played yesterday in high def tv with replays from 19 different angles.

All I'm saying is, you have no idea what a freak this guy was

Kobe got to 81 but with the luxury of a 3-point line. Even Pete Maravich couldn't sniff 100.

Greatest of all-time.

 

[Frank Breakfast Styleham]

If you objectively weigh all the evidence you'll dubiously discover you're the drug addict.

Sir.

If you are going to post on this forum, Frank, Steve, Betty Sue or whoever....please be sober...acid is a hell of a drug...

Thank You.

 

[Frank Breakfast Styleham]

I will grant you that would have clearly been the most competitive era for Wilt to play in (against the Ewings and Robinsons and Hakeems and Shaq's).

He wouldn't have averaged 50 and 28 in 1994 but I'm still saying he would have dominated even over those guys.

And if he played TODAY...where there's 1 or 2 real centers...come on. He would be sitting on a 50 and 28 easily. Whose gonna stop him, Hou? Robin Lopez?

There's no Bill Russell's or Nate Thurmond's or young Kareem Abdul-Jabbars. Dwight Howard is more like Moses Malone with hops.

Well that is a big ass difference. Being arguably the best in the league and being as dominant as he was then is totally different. There were no Shaqs, no Hakeems, no Robinsons, Ewings...none of that. I don't see him being any more successful than those guys...

 

[Frank Breakfast Styleham]

Kobe didn't scored 81 against the San Antonio Spurs. He did it against a pathetic Toronto Raptors team.

What's your point?

btw, here's the guy who was guarding him

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the...01/08/darrall_imhoff_1958_1226_file_photo.jpg

 

[Frank Breakfast Styleham]

Preach it! Preach it!

Chamberlain was easily one of the top 10 athletes of any sport of any time.

Anyone who thinks Wilt Chamberlain was weak better think again. Ask Jerry Sloan if this guy was weak... he claimed Chamberlain broke part of his foot just by the ball crashing to the ground from a dunk.

This is a guy who once benched 500 pounds. By some accounts, he was said to have a 48'' vertical leap. I have a hard time buying that it was that much... but even if it was something like 35''... on top of a reach that was at least 9'6''... that is absolutely terrifying. This is a guy who was a track athlete and high-jumper in high school. He was extremely athletic and conditioned. He played a ton of minutes in an era where the pace was ridiculously faster than it was now. Averaged 48.5 per game in a season once. This is a guy who also NEVER fouled out of a game. A guy who led the league in assists one season.

We can talk a lot about how he only had as many points and rebounds as he did because he was able to play so many minutes and the pace was so fast. But that, in itself, is one HELL of an accomplisment. The lane wasn't as wide as it was today. But there was still an offensive 3-second violation back then when Wilt played.

I would be curious to see a guy like Shaq from about the year 1997 and on play in the pace in which Chamberlain and Russell played. I'm not saying he wouldn't have been one hell of a player... but it would be interesting to see if he could have played that many minutes compared to his career in the late 90s/early 2000s.

Bill Russell was also an amazing athlete. He would have been apart of the 1956 U.S. high-jumping team if he wasn't playing on the basketball team instead.

These guys (Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell) are quite possibly and arguably the greatest NBA players of all-time.

 

[Bullsman24]

Kobe didn't scored 81 against the San Antonio Spurs. He did it against a pathetic Toronto Raptors team.

What's your point?

my point is that wilt is basically a whole different sort of physical class than anyone else in the league. sure, the raptors aren't a good team, but kobe had to hit ridiculous shots. he was playing against guys who could take him physically. he didn't have the advantage of being able to back down white guys from the three point line.

he also didn't have the advantage of his team literally fouling to get the ball back to get it to wilt. i would argue that the 100 wasn't even close to being his best game. he would probably even call it tainted because of the free throws to stop the clock among other things.

despite being supposedly the greatest player ever, he only won two titles...jordan won 6 as a guard, which supposedly could not be done.

 

[zack54attack]

Arguing different era's is fun, but also stupid. The arguments go no where because everyone thinks they are right. No offense.

Arguing All-Star games is just awful. How can you argue a All-Star game that is determined by the fans? I mean Allen Iverson was voted in last season, and Yao Ming this season.

 

[houheffna]

I will grant you that would have clearly been the most competitive era for Wilt to play in (against the Ewings and Robinsons and Hakeems and Shaq's).

He wouldn't have averaged 50 and 28 in 1994 but I'm still saying he would have dominated even over those guys.

And if he played TODAY...where there's 1 or 2 real centers...come on. He would be sitting on a 50 and 28 easily. Whose gonna stop him, Hou? Robin Lopez?

There's no Bill Russell's or Nate Thurmond's or young Kareem Abdul-Jabbars. Dwight Howard is more like Moses Malone with hops.

Who would have stopped Lebron back then? And no Dwight Howard isn't Moses. Moses is not as athletic as Howard. Put Howard in that era and he does the same damn things Wilt did...If he can average almost 15 against these guys now, what would he have done back then?

 

[houheffna]

If you objectively weigh all the evidence you'll dubiously discover you're the drug addict.

Sir.

The moment you predicted Ben Gordon would be MVP of the year in 2009...I knew you were heavily into all forms of drugs. Maybe the most ridiculous prediction I have ever read anywhere...

 

[houheffna]

I will grant you that would have clearly been the most competitive era for Wilt to play in (against the Ewings and Robinsons and Hakeems and Shaq's).

He wouldn't have averaged 50 and 28 in 1994 but I'm still saying he would have dominated even over those guys.

And if he played TODAY...where there's 1 or 2 real centers...come on. He would be sitting on a 50 and 28 easily. Whose gonna stop him, Hou? Robin Lopez?

There's no Bill Russell's or Nate Thurmond's or young Kareem Abdul-Jabbars. Dwight Howard is more like Moses Malone with hops.

He is not a better athlete than Lebron...so give me a break with those projections. Lebron is the most physically talented player in league history. No way does Wilt have offensive numbers on that level. That is just silly...

 

[Frank Breakfast Styleham]

my point is that wilt is basically a whole different sort of physical class than anyone else in the league. sure, the raptors aren't a good team, but kobe had to hit ridiculous shots. he was playing against guys who could take him physically. he didn't have the advantage of being able to back down white guys from the three point line.

You talk like you were watching that game. How many times have you seen that game? How do you know he was backing down white guys from the 3 point line? There WAS no 3 point line in those days.

despite being supposedly the greatest player ever, he only won two titles...jordan won 6 as a guard, which supposedly could not be done.

The Celtics didn't have a big 3 bullsman. In those days it was more like The Big 6 on those Celtics teams. It would almost be like playing the Dream Team every time the Celtics were in town. Seeing that Wilt was the guy who finally defeated those Celtics teams who won 8 in a row is remarkable.

If Wilt was on the Celtics and Russell was on the Philadelphia Warriors, Wilt would be the one with 97 rings and not Russell.

 

[Frank Breakfast Styleham]

Who would have stopped Lebron back then? And no Dwight Howard isn't Moses.

I never said Dwight is Moses. I said he's Moses with hops, which is in perfect harmony with what you said. Read the post next time.

 

[Frank Breakfast Styleham]

When Ben Gordon went to Detroit it appeared that:

1. He had a huge chip on his shoulder from how Chicago treated him all those years.

2. Detroit was going to give him 35-38 minutes per game.

With those things in mind, with him going to a hated rival, I was willing to step out and make an unpopular prediction. To this day, I say that if Detroit had made him a starter all that year he would have been in the top 3 for the award. Take it to the bank.

I take it I'm the only one on this forum whose ever been wrong about a prediction.

What's your secret of always being right about everything, no matter the topic? I'm all ears.

The moment you predicted Ben Gordon would be MVP of the year in 2009...I knew you were heavily into all forms of drugs. Maybe the most ridiculous prediction I have ever read anywhere...

 

[Frank Breakfast Styleham]

Was LeBron a track and field star?

Has LeBron led the league in scoring, rebounds, blocks and assists?

Has LeBron ever taken off from the foul line DURING A GAME and jammed his free throw?

...

Sir?

He is not a better athlete than Lebron...so give me a break with those projections. Lebron is the most physically talented player in league history. No way does Wilt have offensive numbers on that level. That is just silly...

 

[Frank Breakfast Styleham]

Whenever I talk to people about Wilt, every time, either they stutter, they lose their loud tone or they don't say anything. Every time!

 

[houheffna]

Was LeBron a track and field star?

Has LeBron led the league in scoring, rebounds, blocks and assists?

Has LeBron ever taken off from the foul line DURING A GAME and jammed his free throw?

...

Sir?

Why do you continue to bring up stats? Those stats are bloated by his competition. How many times must that be explained to you? Good grief...

Lebron was a great football player in high school...so was a lot of these athletes. He was born to play basketball...so he did. And already he is one of the best who has ever done it. The speed and skill of the players has increased leaps and bounds over Wilt's era. There is no comparison. The average player today is MUCH more athletic than they were in the 1960's...Again, I have no doubt that Lebron would have done all of that and more in the Wilt era...wouldn't even be close...He is as big as Wilt is...and I have no doubt he is faster...so lets stop the madness...

 

[houheffna]

Whenever I talk to people about Wilt, every time, either they stutter, they lose their loud tone or they don't say anything. Every time!

Well I don't know who the hell you are talking to....but they don't watch basketball. This debate is pretty damn easy...