Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA career was truly insane, right?
No one can top Michael Jordan. This viewpoint is so widely shared among NBA players and supporters that it’s almost a catchphrase in barbershops and basketball communities across the globe. The Jordan name and heritage are now so well-known that they represent the gold standard. Jordan was known as “Black Jesus” by many of his peers, and his career was as close to flawless as it got. But a lot of people overlook the fact that Jordan’s career began much earlier in the NBA. In the NBA, there was a new sheriff before his Airness. Wilt Chamberlain was his name.
For the average NBA fan, Chamberlain is merely a statistical guru who was never able to reach his full potential as a champion. Even though Chamberlain only had two championships—in 1967 and 1972—he had a much more successful career. The NBA players of Wilt Chamberlain’s era were dwarfed by the inhabitants of Lilliput in Gulliver’s Travels, to begin with. Being a physical beast, he might have been a standout member of any team or individual in almost any sport.
Among his other ridiculous athletic achievements are his 10.9-second 100-yard sprint time, 56-foot shot put throw, 50-foot triple jump, and what is purported to be the biggest vertical in NBA history—48 inches. The fact that these feats were accomplished while donning Converse sneakers, which provide very no foot support, strikes me as one of their most remarkable features. To put it simply, one of two things is sure to happen if you visit your local YMCA and witness someone putting on a pair of Chuck Taylor Converses. Either they’re going to play one pickup basketball game and then give up on sports completely, or your neighborhood Uncle Drew is going to make you feel small.
Although there is sadly little game footage available of Chamberlain, the NBA star has received a great deal of praise from celebrities, which validates his statistical output, which appears to be an anomaly in every area. Actor and well regarded bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger declared him to be the strongest man he had ever seen. Even the Terminator has to give Chamberlain credit, especially after witnessing firsthand how he was able to lift his 240-pound body with one arm and do 180-pound tricep extension reps.
A very select group of athletes—including Chamberlain—have been inducted into the Hall of Fame in two separate sports. Even more astounding is how fast he rose through the volleyball ranks considering that he was just given a professional introduction to the sport at the age of thirty-seven. Athletes’ agencies and the NFL also made proposals to him, particularly after he defeated legendary running back Jim Brown in a race.
