Wilton Norman Chamberlain, born in Philadelphia, didn't come from a race of giants as many thought. Both his parents were no bigger than 5-9, but as a young boy he began a growth spurt which would eventually stop when he reached 7-1. That height made him legendary in sports history as arguably the greatest basketball player ever. Chamberlain played at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, and collegiately at Kansas University, where he led the Jayhawks to the NCAA finals. Kansas lost in title game to North Carolina and that game haunted Chamberlain throughout his career and gave birth to the unfair image of him as a "loser." He left Kansas as an underclassman to play professionally for the Harlem Globetrotters, and after a year with them, signed to play with his hometown team in the NBA, the then-named Philadelphia Warriors. With the Warriors he performed some astonishing feats that no NBA player before or since accomplished.
Hated the nickname 'Wilt the Stilt.' Was the most dominant player in the history of the NBA, and the second-highest scorer in history after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Only player to ever score 100 points in a pro game (1962). Bragged in his autobiography that he slept with 20,000 women. Anyone who claimed that he had fathered them were disowned by his Last Will and Testament. Never married. Graduate of Overbrook High School in native Philadelphia, and the University of Kansas. Spent one year with the Harlem Globetrooters, for salary of $65,000 When he died in October 1999, his long-time basketball rival, Celtics superstar Bill Russell, declared at Wilt's memorial service: "As far as I'm concerned, he and I will be friends through eternity." Enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979. Head coach of the ABA San Diego Conquistadors (1973-74). University of Kansas (1955-58). Unanimous First Team All-America (1957, 1958). The Sporting News First Team All-America (1958). NCAA Tournament MVP (1957). All-Big Seven (1957, 1958). Played with the Harlem Globetrotters (1958-59), the NBA Philadelphia Warriors (1959-62), the NBA San Francisco Warriors (1963-64), the NBA Philadelphia 76ers (1964-68), and the NBA Los Angeles Lakers (1968-73). NBA Rookie of the Year (1960). NBA Most Valuable Player (1960, 1966, 1967, 1968). All-NBA First Team (1960-62, 1964-68). All-NBA Second Team (1963, 1965, 1972). NBA All-Defensive First Team (1972, 1973). NBA Finals MVP (1972). NBA All-Star Game MVP (1960), after scoring 23 points with 25 rebounds. Thirteen-time NBA All-Star (1960-69, 1971-73). NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team (1980) and 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996). Ranks second all-time in scoring with 31,419 points (30.1 ppg) and rebounding 23,924 rebounds (22.9 rpg). * Chamberlain and Bill Russell were known as fierce competitors on the court, but they were also good friends Golden State Warriors franchise all-time leading scorer (17,783). Never fouled out of a game in his NBA career. In his historic 100-point game which took place in Hershey, PA, he set records for most field goals (36) and made free throws (28) in a game. Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 106-109. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. The famous NBA basketball game in which he scored 100 points is the only game in NBA history that is known to have never officially been completed as the fans at the game ran out onto the court as soon as Chamberlain scored his one hundredth point. The game was then called by the officials. While in college at Kansas, he was recorded as having a 550 pound bench press. At his athletic peak, he was said to have been measured with a vertical jump of 48-50 inches. He was a high jump champion and track and field star in college at Kansas University. Is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. The father of the 7-foot-1 Wilt was only 5-foot-7.