Wilt Chamberlain

The record books are indeed heavy with Chamberlain’s accomplishments. He was the only NBA player to score 4,000 points in a season. He set NBA single-game records for most points (100), most consecutive field goals (18) and most rebounds (55).

He retired as the all-time leader in career points with 31,419, which was later surpassed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan. He is tops in rebounds with 23,924. He led the NBA in scoring seven years in a row. He was the league’s top rebounder in 11 of his 14 seasons. And as if to prove that he was not a selfish player, he had the NBA’s highest assist total in 1967-68.

7′ 1″

Chamberlain stood at a towering 7’1″. His imposing height was inevitable; he reached six feet when he was only 10 years old and reached 6’10” when he was a high school freshman. There was also a great deal of bulk on his tall frame. As a rookie, he weighed 250 pounds, and by the end of his career, he tipped the scales at 300 pounds.

Before hitting the hardwood, Chamberlain’s sport of choice was actually track and field. Chamberlain was a well-rounded athlete in the discipline; his personal best in the high jump was six feet six inches, he threw 55 feet in shot put, he ran the 440 in 49 seconds, and he could do a 22-foot long jump.

As a very young child, Chamberlain dealt with a brutal bout of pneumonia which nearly killed him. The sickness made the future basketball star quite frail and even caused him to miss an entire school year.

Chamberlain’s legendary high school basketball career led him to field scholarship offers from nearly 200 colleges across the country. As an African-American, Chamberlain ignored schools in the South due to the continued practice of racial segregation. He also ignored offers from schools in New England and, seeking a fresh start and a new environment, he ruled out schools close to Philadelphia, which included universities in New York City.