Wilt Chamberlain dominated the game of basketball like no other player in history. He set records that modern athletes still struggle to comprehend, let alone break. Furthermore, his life off the court proved just as fascinating as his time in the paint. Consequently, the legend of the Big Dipper grows larger with every passing generation. Explore these fascinating details about the man who scored 100 points.
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain played professional basketball under a fake name at age 16. Specifically, he used the pseudonym “George Marcus” to play for the Pittsburgh Raiders so he could keep his amateur status for college.
He famously never fouled out of a single NBA game in his career. Remarkably, he played 1,045 consecutive professional matches without ever earning a disqualification from the referees.
The NBA changed multiple rules specifically to stop him from dominating. For instance, the league widened the lane and banned offensive goaltending to give other players a fair chance against him.
He almost fought Muhammad Ali in a professional boxing match in 1971. However, he canceled the bout at the last minute because the Lakers owner offered him more money to stick to basketball.
Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for averaging 48.5 minutes per game in a season. Because he played every minute of every game plus overtime periods, he actually averaged more than the standard 48 minutes.
He possessed incredible talent in track and field before he joined the NBA. In college, he won the high jump championship at the Big Eight track meet three years in a row.
He is a member of the Volleyball Hall of Fame. After retiring from basketball, he became a board member of the International Volleyball Association and played professionally for the Seattle Smashers.
He acted alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Conan the Destroyer. He played the role of Bombaata, the deceptive warrior who guards the princess on her journey.
Wilt Chamberlain claimed he slept with 20,000 women during his life. He made this controversial statement in his 1991 biography to highlight his chaotic lifestyle during the sexual revolution.
He legally dunked his free throws during his early years. Therefore, the NBA created a rule stating that a shooter’s feet must stay behind the line until the ball touches the rim.
He grabbed 55 rebounds in a single game against the Boston Celtics. To this day, no other player has ever come close to breaking this massive rebounding record.
He hated the nickname “Wilt the Stilt.” Instead, he preferred “The Big Dipper” because he always had to dip his head to walk through doorways.
He played for the Harlem Globetrotters before joining the NBA. In fact, the team retired his number 13 jersey to honor the year he spent touring the world with them.
Wilt Chamberlain did not sleep the night before his famous 100-point game. Reportedly, he spent the entire night partying with a female companion and dropping her off in Queens at 6 AM.
Finally, he remains the only player to average 50 points for an entire season. He achieved this impossible feat during the 1961-1962 season, scoring 4,029 points in just 80 games.
