LEGACY REMAINS WITH US.Byline: Steve Dilbeck Staff Writer There had never been anyone like him, and most would argue, there never has been since. Before Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (August 21, 1936–October 12, 1999), nicknamed Wilt the Stilt and The Big Dipper, was an American professional National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball player for the Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors, the ever stepped on an NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= floor, the basketball world knew who he was. By the time he left it, the whole world did. He was arguably the NBA's first larger-than-life figure, a giant in the game both literally and figuratively. He was less loved, than admired, or maybe feared; less envied that respected. Chamberlain brought something to basketball it had never seen before: a dominating 7-foot-1 center who was athletic. ``The centers up until that time may have been big and brawny brawn·y adj. 1. Strong and muscular. 2. Hardened; calloused. , but they didn't have the finesse, the mobility, the speed, the jumping ability, the array of shots,'' said former NBA star Tommy Hawkins, now the Dodgers vice president of communications. ``Wilt brought basketball out of the stone ages into what we consider the modern game. Wilt was the prime mover prime mover: see energy, sources of. Prime mover The component of a power plant that transforms energy from the thermal or the pressure form to the mechanical form. in making basketball showtime, with running flashy dunks, and finger rolls and fade-away jump shots off the backboard back·board n. 1. A board placed under or behind something to provide firmness or support. 2. A board placed beneath the body of a person with an injury to the neck or back, used especially in transporting the person in such a way . ``He did all of these things "These Things" is an EP by She Wants Revenge, released in 2005 by Perfect Kiss, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. Music Video The music video stars Shirley Manson, lead singer of the band Garbage. Track Listing 1. "These Things [Radio Edit]" - 3:17 2. with such grace that had never been seen from a center before.'' Yet Chamberlain was more than just a special force on the floor. He was complex, egotistical, intelligent, opinionated o·pin·ion·at·ed adj. Holding stubbornly and often unreasonably to one's own opinions. [Probably from obsolete opinionate : opinion + -ate1. . He could speak several languages. He loved to travel the world. He once claimed in a book to have slept with 20,000 women. He looked menacing with that incredible physical presence alone, but then there was that serious look, that goatee, the aggressive way he played the game. There was almost something threatening about him, a man who appeared he could do almost whatever he wished. Yet sportswriters who covered him called him fair, kind, honest. ``He was the kind of guy who, if you wrote something he didn't like, he'd call you up and discuss it with you,'' said John Hall, a former columnist at the Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Morning daily newspaper. Established in 1881, it was purchased and incorporated in 1884 by Harrison Gray Otis (1837–1917) under The Times-Mirror Co. (the hyphen was later dropped from the name). and Orange County Register. ``But he did it in a very frank and fair way. There was a big fued between Wilt and coach (Bill) van Brenda Kolff. I loved van Brenda Kolff and always took his side. But Wilt never seemed to really resent that, except he had a different opinion and he would call you up and let you know, which I found refreshing.'' When Chamberlain died Tuesday at age 63 of an apparent heart attack in his Bel-Air home famous for a stream running through it, Hall was stunned. ``I thought he would be the last guy on Earth,'' Hall said. ``(He was) just an awesome force. He was a legend before there were legends.'' Chamberlain was already a basketball legend in Philadelphia at Overbrook High School Overbrook High School may refer to:
Founded in the late 1970's by former county squash coach Mike Ashley, the group Sports World International is now the UK's largest retailer of sports clothing and accessories. was paying close attention. Athletes don't normally come in 7-foot-1, 275-pound frames. And he was an athlete. He loved track and field. He was a force at volleyball. He once wanted to fight Ali. ``I think he would have whupped Ali, I really do,'' said former Los Angeles Herald-Examiner The Los Angeles Herald-Examiner was a major Los Angeles daily newspaper, published Monday through Friday afternoon and on Saturdays. It was part of the Hearst syndicate. sports editor Noun 1. sports editor - the newspaper editor responsible for sports news newspaper editor - the editor of a newspaper Bud Furillo, now a sports talk host at KXPS in Palm Springs. ``Wilt was the strongest man ever.'' The first time Hawkins ever met Chamberlain wasn't in a basketball game, but while a junior high jumper at Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame at a track meet. Chamberlain was a high jumper for Kansas. A 7-1 high jumper. ``My first meeting against Chamberlain was in the high jump pit at the Milwaukee Relays,'' Hawkins said. ``I'll never forget that. I think he won that year with a leap of 6-7.'' Hawkins would later play against him in the NBA, and with him when Chamberlain first came to the Lakers in 1968. Hawkins said it wasn't just the public or the media that was fascinated by Chamberlain, but the other players. ``You almost looked at Wilt in terms of a certain invincibility,'' Hawkins said. ``People thought of him as ageless, and he thought of himself that way.'' Chamberlain played one year with the Harlem Globetrotters Harlem Globetrotters African American professional basketball team. The team was organized in 1927 in Chicago by the promoter Abe Saperstein and initially was a competitive team that won a world professional championship in 1940. before signing with Philadelphia Warriors in the 1959 season. Hall said that year the Warriors played an exhibition game at the new Sports Arena and it sold out. The next year, the Lakers moved in. ``He brought basketball into L.A,'' Hall said. On the court, he was almost unstoppable. His records defy description: a record 23,924 rebounds, a 50.4 season scoring average in 1961-62, a record 100 points in a game, nine times leading the league in field goal percentage, seven times in scoring and once in assists, a four-time NBA MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. . ``He was just one of those fabulous players who kind of defined sports,'' said Lakers executive vice president Jerry West
Wherever he went, Chamberlain was a willing magnet. In an era before television showed continuous basketball highlights and created almost instant sensations, Chamberlain was a man and player ahead of his time. The spotlight seemed always on him, and although he could seem aloof, it was usually welcomed. ``Wilt was never one to run and hide,'' Hawkins said. ``He loved walking out there and all of the attention he got. He was Pied Piper Pied Piper charms children of Hamelin with music. [Children’s Lit.: “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” in Dramatic Lyrics, Fisher, 279–281] See : Enchantment of life. Everywhere he went, he had people following him or he drew a crowd. He never said he resented it. From the look on his face, he loved it. He ate it up.'' The attention also came from the ladies, and also usually welcomed. His claim of having slept with 20,000 women brought plenty of chortles but, however exaggerated, there was no doubt he took advantage of his notoriety. ``Let's put it this way, I think there were a lot of people very curious about Wilt,'' Hawkins said. ``And I think Wilt was probably the recipient of a lot of curiosity action.'' CHAMBERLAIN'S CAREER STATS Regular Season Year, Team GP Reb RPG (Report Program Generator) One of the first program generators designed for business reports, introduced in 1964 by IBM. In 1970, RPG II added enhancements that made it a mainstay programming language for business applications on IBM's System/3x midrange computers. Pts PPG PPG Points Per Game (basketball player statistic) PPG Power Play Goals (hockey) PPG Planning Policy Guidance (UK) PPG Programmable Pulse Generator PPG Power Puff Girls 59-60, Philadelphia 72 1941 27.0 2,707 37.6 60-61, Philadelphia 79 2149 27.2 3,033 38.4 61-62, Philadelphia 80 2052 25.7 4,029 50.4 62-63, San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden 80 1946 24.33,806 44.8 63-64, San Francisco 80 1787 22.3 2,948 36.9 64-65, S.F.-Phila 73 1673 22.9 2,534 34.7 65-66, Philadelphia 79 1943 24.6 2,649 33.5 66-67, Philadelphia 81 1957 24.2 1,956 24.1 67-68, Philadelphia 82 1952 23.8 1,992 24.3 68-69, Lakers 81 1712 21.1 1,664 20.5 69-70, Lakers 12 221 18.4 328 27.3 70-71, Lakers 82 1493 18.2 1,69620.7 71-72, Lakers 82 1572 19.2 1,213 14.8 72-73, Lakers 82 1526 18.6 1,084 13.2 Totals 1045 23924 22.9 31,419 30.1 Playoffs Year, Team GP Reb RPGPts PPG 59-60, Philadelphia 9 232 25.8 299 33.2 60-61, Philadelphia 3 69 23.0 111 37.0 61-62, Philadelphia 12 319 26.6 420 35.0 63-64, San Francisco 12 302 25.2 41634.7 64-65, S.F.-Phila 11 299 27.2 322 34.7 65-66, Philadelphia 5 151 30.2 140 33.5 66-67, Philadelphia 15 437 29.1 326 24.1 67-68, Philadelphia 13 321 24.7 308 24.3 68-69, Lakers 18 444 24.7 250 20.5 69-70, Lakers 18 399 22.2 398 27.3 70-71, Lakers 12 242 20.2 220 20.7 71-72, Lakers 15 315 21.0 220 14.8 72-73, Lakers 17 383 22.5 177 13.2 Totals 160 3913 24.5 3,607 22.5 A look back at Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain August 21, 1936 - October 12, 1999 Born Wilton Norman Chamberlain on August 21, 1936.Begins playing basketball in the seventh grade. He grows 4 inches in three months when he's 15, and is 6-11 when he enters Philadelphia's Overbrook High. Leads Overbrook to three public-school championships and two all-city titles, and becomes one of the most recruited players ever with more than 200 colleges interested. 1950-1958 Attends the University of Kansas The University of Kansas (often referred to as KU or just Kansas) is an institution of higher learning in Lawrence, Kansas. The main campus resides atop Mount Oread. to play for Hall of Fame coach Phog Allen Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen, D.O. (November 18, 1885 – September 16, 1974) was an American collegiate basketball coach known as the "Father of Basketball Coaching." His basketball career got off to an auspicious start as a University of Kansas letterman under Dr. and scores 50 points in his first game, against the Kansas varsity - freshmen aren't eligible to play varsity. That debut is before a packed Allen Fieldhouse Allen Fieldhouse is an indoor arena at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The arena was named in honor of Dr. Forrest C. crowd of more than 15,000. Leads the Jayhawks to the NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association championship game in his junior season before losing to North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. by one point in triple overtime. Averages 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds per game in two years with the Jayhawks, and is named to The Sporting News' All-American team in his junior season. 1958-1959 After leaving college early because of zone defenses designed to stop him, Chamberlain plays pro ball with the Clown Princes of Basketball, the Harlem Globetrotters. 1959-1962 Enters the NBA after being selected by the Philadelphia Warriors (a territorial pick A Territorial Pick is a type of special draft choice used in the NBA Draft from its inception in 1950 until 1965. As the NBA was still trying to build fan support in its local markets, players from teams' local areas seemed to be a natural way to draw fans to the arena. ) and is named Rookie of the Year Rookie of the Year may refer to:
Chamberlain stuns the basketball world by scoring a record 100 points in a single game in Hershey, Pa., on March 2, 1962. Sets single-game records of most points in a half (59), most field goals made (39); most field goals made in a half (22); free throws made (28); most field goals attempted (63). Chamberlain averages a record 50.4 points per game for the season. 1965-1967 Warriors franchise moves to San Francisco Warriors trade Chamberlain to the Philadelphia 76ers for G Paul Neumann For other persons named Paul Neumann, see Paul Neumann (disambiguation). Paul Neumann served as Attorney General of the Kingdom of Hawai'i under the administrations of King David Kalakaua from December 14, 1883 to September 18, 1884 and Queen Lili'uokalani from August 29 to , C/F C/F abbr. Accounting carried forward c/f abbr (Comm) (= carried forward) → Übertr. Connie Dierking Conrad William Dierking (born October 2, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'9" center from the University of Cincinnati, Dierking played in the National Basketball Association from 1958 to 1971 as a member of the Syracuse , F Lee Shaffer and cash. Wins first NBA title with the 76ers. 1968 - 197376ers trade Chamberlain to Lakers for F Jerry Chambers, G Archie Clark and C Darrall Imhoff. Helps the Lakers go to four NBA Finals in his six seasons in Los Angeles and continues his legendary battles with Hall of Famer Bill Russel. Chamberlain and the Lakers take the NBA title in the 1971-1972 dream season in which he was named the Finals MVP. During that season Chamberlain averages 14.8 and 21.0 rebounds per game to help lead the Lakers to a record 33 consecutive wins and a then-record 69-win season. Retires from basketball at the end of the 1973 season as the career leader in points (31,419), rebounds (23,924); points per game (30.1) and rebounds per game (24.5). 1976-1983 Chamberlain named to Basketball's Hall of Fame. Lakers retire Chamberlain's 13 on November 9, 1983. 1991-1992 Releases an autobiography entitled ``A View From Above'' in which Chamberlain reveals he has slept with more than 20,000 women. Chamberlain is attacked by the public and the media for the boastful claim. Chamberlain hospitalized for an irregular heart beat. 1999 Chamberlain is found dead in his Bel-Air home of what is believed to be a heart attack. What they're saying ``Ithink he would have loved the opportunity to prove to the young bucks of today's game what he was all about. And he was about greatness. Here's a guy who was a complete package.'' - Tommy Hawkins Former Lakers player and sportscaster ``He was a monster of a player. His presence alone was amazing. He could outrun out·run tr.v. out·ran , out·run, out·run·ning, out·runs 1. a. To run faster than. b. To escape from: outrun one's creditors. 2. guards.'' - Henry Bibby USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. coach and a rookie with the '73 Knicks ``He was the best. He changed the game forever. He was so dominating. Every game he ever played against Bill Russell, he outscored and outrebounded him.'' - Bud Furillo former Herald-Examiner sports editor ``(Former coach Bill Sharman) told Wilt he didn't have to be dominant in all areas and just be a defensive stopper and do certain things for us, and Wilt accepted that. He loved Sharman. That's what he did, and the rest is history - 33 straight (wins) and a world championship in the twilight of his career.'' - Bill Bertka Longtime Lakers assistant coach, recalling the 1971-72 season ``Before an exhibition game in 1971, he sat in the endzone and signed autographs for an hour. The kids just lined up to get his autograph. When it was time to get dressed, he said, `That's it, I gotta go to work' and got up. He did things like that that people never heard about.'' - Frank O'Neill former Lakers trainer ``He had no problem being recognized as Wilt Chamberlain. . . . He handled it very well.'' - Jerry West former teammate, now president of the Lakers Center Court A look at the history of Lakers centers from George Miklan to Shaquille O'Neal GEORGE MIKAN Great center for Lakers 1947-56 before they left Minnesota, and before that for Chicago Gears of a short-lived league. ppg: 22.6 rpg: complete records not available Titles: 7 WILT CHAMBERLAIN Probably the greatest rebounder in NBA history, he also scored almost at will in his prime, including 100 points in one game. ppg: 30.1 rpg: 22.9 Titles: 2 KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR Equipped with a fine hook shot, he won an NBA title at Milwaukee before joining the Lakers. ppg: 24.6 rpg: 11.2 Titles: 6 SHAQUILLE O'NEAL The supposed successor to the three Hall of Famers but has yet to lead a team to the NBA championship. ppg: 27.1 rpg: 12.2 Titles: 0 complete records not available CAPTION(S): 14 photos, 4 boxes PHOTO (1 -- color) Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain, who had eight NBA titles, died of an apparent heart attack Tuesday in Bel-Air at 63. NBA File Photo (2) Wilt Chamberlain, left, appears at the Fleet Center in Boston on May 26, in a tribute to Bill Russell, right. AP File Photo (3) no caption (class picture including Wilt Chamberlain) (4) no caption (Wilt Chamberlain playing high school basketball) (5) no caption (University of Kansas mascot) (6) no caption (Wilt Chamberlain) (7) no caption (Wilt Chamberlain holding ''100`` sign) (8) no caption (Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell) (9) no caption (Wilt Chamberlain in Basketball's Hall of Fame) (10) no caption (Wilt Chamberlain and autobiography) (11) George Miklan (12) Wilt Chamberlain (13) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (14) Shaquille O'Neal BOX: (1) Wilt Chamberlain's career stats (see text) (2) A look back at Wilt Chamberlain (see text) (3) What they're saying (see text) (4) Center Court (see text) |
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