Reflections on the “mythical” legacy of Wilt Chamberlain
Few probably knew that the longest streak of scoring at least 20 points in league history was 126 games until recently, thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander, whose scoring precision and consistency made it a relevant figure. He can tie the record with another 20-point performance in Monday night’s Western Conference rivalry, when he and the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Denver Nuggets (7:30 p.m. ET, Peacock).
But it probably doesn’t take much guesswork to figure out who holds the current record.
When it comes to NBA records, Wilt Chamberlain It’s always a good bet.
More than half a century after his retirement, Chamberlain’s name remains on dozens of pages of the NBA record book. Several of those records will probably belong to him forever, including his 100-point game, of which, famously, there is no video recording.
Several of basketball’s modern stars have put up incredible numbers that only Chamberlain has achieved. “The Big Dipper” is almost synonymous with spectacular statistics, but generations later, many of the modern stars who put together production worthy of Wilt don’t know much else about the Hall of Fame giant who died in 1999 at age 63.
“Not much, other than he was incredibly dominant,” Gilgeous-Alexander told AM850 recently. “Based on the statistics, I did what I wanted and it was like…”
Gilgeous-Alexander paused mid-sentence, searching for the right words to put Wilt’s legend into perspective.
“It actually looks almost like a mythical creature,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s not real.”
ALTHOUGH GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER is on the verge of unseating Chamberlain for a record, his numbers during the streak still pale in comparison to the Hall of Famer’s. In his last 125 games, the Thunder star has accumulated 4,057 points, 582 rebounds and 803 assists. Chamberlain can’t match the latter figure, assisting on just 306 baskets during his 126-game streak. However, he grabbed an incredible 3,230 rebounds and scored 6,193 points, an average of 49.2 per game. Gilgeous-Alexander has had five games with at least 49 points during the streak (Chamberlain had 66, including his legendary 100-point game).
Chamberlain led the NBA in total points during his first seven seasons in the league and became the first player in NBA history to surpass the 30,000-point barrier. He retired after the 1972-73 season with 31,419 career points, a record Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke 11 years later. Since then, six other players have surpassed Chamberlain on the all-time scoring list, the most recent being Kevin Durant earlier this season.
“I know a lot about Wilt,” said Durant, who recalled being amazed and fascinated as a high school student when reading about Chamberlain. “I know a lot about his career just from studying. I remember in seventh grade I saw Wilt’s stats and they shocked me. I couldn’t believe someone scored 50 points a game and 25 rebounds. So I was always a Wilt fan, even as a kid, which is crazy, just from the stats.
“Even though you don’t see a lot of highlight videos, the numbers just stood out so much. And then you don’t believe it’s real until you start seeing other players’ numbers and comparing them to him. It’s like… I can’t believe this guy was a real person. … Impressive in his time, one of a kind.”
Nikola Jokic is familiar with comparisons. As he began racking up MVP awards and incredible statistics, he often saw Chamberlain’s name when reporters and the Denver Nuggets’ public relations team put those numbers into historical context. This season, Jokic could join Chamberlain as the only centers to lead the NBA in assists.
To better understand the man he was often compared to, the Serbian center did his own research. He looked up Chamberlain’s best moments on YouTube.
“Of course I did,” said Jokic, who broke Chamberlain’s records for triple-doubles by a center, although Chamberlain would have had many more if blocks had been an official statistic during his career. “But I didn’t concentrate that much or study his game, let’s say that. Yeah, just to see how he looked, how he moved. Just to see, to keep it in mind.”
Jokic saw one of the most unique big men to ever step foot on an NBA court. Chamberlain, listed at 7 feet 1 inch (2.15 meters) tall and weighing 275 pounds (124 kilograms), was a track star at Overbrook High School and the University of Kansas, competing in the sprints, long jump, triple jump, shot put and discus, and setting a Big Eight record in the indoor high jump.
“He was definitely athletic. He was definitely athletic,” Jokic said. “I think he can definitely still play in this era. (Watching Chamberlain’s highlights) was just to see how he’s faster, bigger and stronger than everyone else, and he’s still a talent. So I think he could still play in this era.”
JOEL EMBIID one of the few NBA players who can boast of having broken one of Chamberlain’s scoring records. Two years ago, the Philadelphia 76ers’ 7-footer scored 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs, breaking Chamberlain’s old franchise record of 68. As the last dominant big man in the franchise’s long tradition, Embiid has heard plenty of stories about Chamberlain’s exploits from someone who witnessed them.
“I actually know quite a bit because of Sonny Hill,” Embiid said of the 89-year-old known in Philadelphia as “The Mayor of Basketball,” who serves as an executive advisor to the Sixers. “He was his man, so he’s always talking about Wilt. Since I came to Philadelphia, he always tells me a lot of stories. I know a lot, but obviously, the most you know is the statistics and the records.”
Hill, a former CBS and Sixers game announcer who still hosts a Sunday morning radio show in Philadelphia, attends every Sixers home game and routinely strikes up conversations with Embiid and other players.
Hill is bothered that modern stars don’t know better about Chamberlain, his friend since growing up in Philadelphia, where Chamberlain began his NBA career with the Warriors before moving to California. He returned to Philadelphia with the 76ers after two and a half seasons in the Bay Area.
“Wouldn’t Wilt be the Babe Ruth of basketball?” Hill asked with a hint of exasperation in his voice.
It’s a rhetorical question. Hill is disappointed because, in his opinion, Chamberlain does not receive the same respect from modern NBA players that Ruth receives from major league players.
“He’s a mythical character who dominated his sport like no other,” Hill said.
“This sport was nascent when Wilt arrived,” Hill added. “When Wilt was in high school, at Overbrook High School, he was on the ‘Ed Sullivan Show’. … At that time, he was the most recognized player in basketball for taking the sport to the highest level, not only in the United States, but around the world. So, as he rose in basketball, he laid the foundation for his current popularity.”
The NBA’s global expansion came decades after Chamberlain’s retirement. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo knew little of Chamberlain during his childhood in Greece, but he has heard his name frequently on his way to winning two MVPs and a title.
“Whenever you look at a statistic, it’s up there,” Antetokounmpo said. “Not just up there, but way, way up there. You wonder: Was he really that dominant?”
Most of what Antetokounmpo knows about Chamberlain he learned from watching “Bill Russell: Legend,” the Netflix documentary about the all-time great Boston Celtics center, who was Chamberlain’s main rival.
“It was a continuous exchange, and you could see how dominant he was and what Bill was saying. How he tried to limit him as much as possible, but it was almost impossible,” Antetokounmpo said. “Now, we’re talking about Bill Russell saying that — one of the greatest defenders ever. So you understand how dominant he was.”
When asked how Chamberlain would fare in this era, Hill scoffed and then quoted his friend from some of their conversations at the end of Chamberlain’s life.
“Wilt said this: If he played today, he would own the franchise,” Hill said.
Durant’s exploratory report, built from hours of watching Chamberlain’s highlights over the years, is almost as effusive.
“An athletic phenomenon,” Durant said. “I mean, 7 feet (2.13 meters), running like that, long arms, able to almost dunk without jumping, but still jumping high. He could do it all, man. Big hands. So Wilt was definitely a beast, someone who I think could fit into any era.
“I wish I could live in that era just to see what his rivals thought of him, how other teams defended him and his aura, in general. I would love to see it in real time.
Chamberlain will have plenty of meaningful scoring streaks, even if Gilgeous-Alexander hits the 20-point streak. Chamberlain still holds the record for most consecutive 30-point games (65), 40-point games (14) and 50-point games (seven). Legendary scorers like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and James Harden have attempted to achieve those streaks over the years; none have come close to breaking the records. Chamberlain is the only player to score at least 60 points in consecutive games, and he had streaks of four, three and two consecutive games of at least 60 points.
Chamberlain’s rebounding stats seem even more ridiculous than his scoring feats. He holds the NBA records for rebounds in a game (55), a season (2,149) and a career (23,924). Those records will likely never be broken, and no one will almost certainly come close to Chamberlain’s record for average minutes in a season (48.5) and career (45.8).
“He holds all the records,” said Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic, who scored at least 40 points in the first three games this season, the longest season-opening streak besides Chamberlain’s five-game streak to start the 1961-62 campaign and seven-game streak to open the following season.
“Every time you hear that someone broke a record, you say, ‘Wilt Chamberlain held it, too.'”
AM850’s Matt Williams contributed statistical research to this story.
