'…While everybody was milling around and celebrating, Wilt and Michael Jordan were off by themselves, seated at a side table. They were arguing vociferously about who the greatest of the 50 Greatest was. And they were going back and forth. Nobody paid them any mind, as it was like, Come on, let’s go, we’re here, and what could be better? Every time I looked back at Michael and Wilt, neither one would give it up. Finally David Stern comes in—with his list. And he starts lining everybody up in TV order to make it just right, the way the NBA always does things. As David is going about his business, he keeps glancing over at Wilt and Michael, who are still going at it. And David is getting exasperated, since this is going to be a live TV event that will wait for no one. So finally, up against the moment of truth and the clock one more time, David gets sternly serious as he barks at Michael and Wilt, “Come on, guys! Enough! Wilt! Michael! Come on, we have to go, NOW!” So these two timeless and epic giants finally do cut it off and slowly rise to their feet—and start their solemn walk to their rightful and designated places in line. Suddenly, Wilt stops and pivots backward to face Michael and all of us. The room becomes eerily quiet, because we all know that Wilt always had to, and did, have the last word. “Michael,” he says as he looks a young, little Michael Jordan skeptically up and down. Then he pauses as he looks up and down the line at all of us. Everybody is holding their breath. “Michael,” he says so all can hear, “just remember. When you played, they changed all the rules for you to make it easier for you to dominate!” Then Wilt glanced up and down the line one more time. He closed it out: “When I played, they changed all the rules to make it harder for me.” Wilt, now satisfied, proudly went and took his place, and we all marched out to take the court together.' Bill Walton, Back From The Dead (2017)
im sorry wilt but no contact does not make it harder not to mention you were the only 7 footer in the league for the majority of your career playing against most people under 6ft 5 it would be pretty sad if you didnt accomplish what you did by the kareem era you were no longer accomplishing those amazing feats you got slowed down a lot
In 1986-87, Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 points per game. That's pretty amazing…until you compare that to Wilt's 50.4 ppg in 1961-62. Jordan would have to have played a fifth quarter every game to have equaled Wilt.
I hated Wilt Chamberlain every time he played the Knicks because he was so difficult to be contained, but to me, he is the greatest player ever. When says the NBA changed the rules to make it impossible for him to dominate the game and change the rules to make Michael Jordan to dominate the game, is an absolute truth and that is a fact. The Jordan era was a transition time for the NBA, they needed a fresh face to the game to make it interesting and to compete against the Lakers and Celtics. It was losing fans and it needed to be brought up to a different level in order to compete against other sports and to make money. From that point on, the NBA change from been a sport to be a business to make money primarily, same as the MLB in the 80's with the first million dollars players contracts. Dr J changed the way basketball was played with his style of play too, then Magic and Bird, then came Jordan. Many players from the past who helped the game whom many people don't know about them and like the commissioner said, because there was no media to cover it like today. Nothing against Jordan, he's a great player, but never to the level of Chamberlain, the greatest of all times.
Wilt deicded to pass the ball to his partners team, and of course he left to be the score in a low range, he prefered to make his team part of the game, part of the point basket matches. No doubt with the influence of the media in the same level as jordan had, Wilt could had more impact in the league because he had all the records, stats and point than nobody will have again in NBA. By far Wilt was totally better than MJ.
Dr. J and Michael Jordan are the two players who dunked from the free throw line in dunking contests. That's it. In all basketball history just those two. Except for Wilt. Who did it in a practice setting. And when he did it, he started from a couple of feet behind the circle over the free throw line. Dr. J and Michael started from behind the half court line in a run up to do it. Wilt did it in flat shoes only 3 feet or so behind the circle over the free throw line. In 1957 or so. The guy who saw that and complained to the rules committee for college basketball was Tex Winter. The man who created the triangle offense that made Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant what they became. He recounted what he saw and his efforts made dunking free throws illegal. The only player who could ever do that was Wilt. The refs didn't even call all the fouls they could have that were committed on Wilt. The refs made phantom calls for Michael Jordan.
To me Wilt and Bo Jackson are the 2 greatest athletes in American Team Sports history. If i could have any body in a movie fantasy, i'd take Bo Jackson's and i'd go the Yankees and say, "hi, i'm your centerfielder for the next 20 years." Of course i wouldn't play football, as great as Bo was at it, that game has too much risk to health. Not worth it to me. If Bo played MLB from 21 to 41 yr old, he'd likely have a hall of fame career. He is a ridiculously fast and strong man with an incredible throwing arm. I happen to have a deep understanding of baseball and i'd probably pitch also, if i had that body. Probably as a reliever. I may work on a knuckle ball, not sure. Imagine if you perfect a knuckleball and you could eat 70 or so innings a year. Imagine what that does to the power arms in the bullpen that are being used less when you have a big lead or a big deficit. The downstream effect of keeping those arms fresh can't be overstated. It matters. A lot.
Honestly, i think MJ is the GOAT, but i have no problem with people saying wilt is the GOAT. He was a freak of nature in a not fully developed game. If he was in the league during the 90s or 2000s, i could easily see him dominating the competition and still leading the league, in fact, even performing better than he did in the 60s and 70s.
Jordan: where are your championships? Wilt: i don't know……..i couldn't make my free throws. Wilt: i thought all i had to do was dunk the ball but that didn't work. Jordan: come back to me when you win three in a row, chump! Jordan: whose next?!
Jordan is still the greatest in my mind. Wilt may have been just a freak in terms of size, strength, and athleticism; but Jordan was more focused and hard working than anyone ever. That's why he is the goat. He earned it. You can just see it in his play. Every step and every movement calculated to perfection. Combine that with passion and drive like no other and you have the unstoppable force that he was.
42 Comments
'…While everybody was milling around and celebrating, Wilt and Michael Jordan were off by themselves, seated at a side table. They were arguing vociferously about who the greatest of the 50 Greatest was. And they were going back and forth. Nobody paid them any mind, as it was like, Come on, let’s go, we’re here, and what could be better? Every time I looked back at Michael and Wilt, neither one would give it up. Finally David Stern comes in—with his list. And he starts lining everybody up in TV order to make it just right, the way the NBA always does things. As David is going about his business, he keeps glancing over at Wilt and Michael, who are still going at it. And David is getting exasperated, since this is going to be a live TV event that will wait for no one. So finally, up against the moment of truth and the clock one more time, David gets sternly serious as he barks at Michael and Wilt, “Come on, guys! Enough! Wilt! Michael! Come on, we have to go, NOW!” So these two timeless and epic giants finally do cut it off and slowly rise to their feet—and start their solemn walk to their rightful and designated places in line. Suddenly, Wilt stops and pivots backward to face Michael and all of us. The room becomes eerily quiet, because we all know that Wilt always had to, and did, have the last word. “Michael,” he says as he looks a young, little Michael Jordan skeptically up and down. Then he pauses as he looks up and down the line at all of us. Everybody is holding their breath. “Michael,” he says so all can hear, “just remember. When you played, they changed all the rules for you to make it easier for you to dominate!” Then Wilt glanced up and down the line one more time. He closed it out: “When I played, they changed all the rules to make it harder for me.” Wilt, now satisfied, proudly went and took his place, and we all marched out to take the court together.'
Bill Walton, Back From The Dead (2017)
At that moment Jordan knew it was personal 😂😂
WILT!
im sorry wilt but no contact does not make it harder not to mention you were the only 7 footer in the league for the majority of your career playing against most people under 6ft 5 it would be pretty sad if you didnt accomplish what you did by the kareem era you were no longer accomplishing those amazing feats you got slowed down a lot
keep in mind average height of a center in wilts era was 6'8 he was 7ft
This the first time to me where Mj doesnt look like the only dominant superstar in the room
Wilt is the G.O.A.T !
In 1986-87, Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 points per game. That's pretty amazing…until you compare that to Wilt's 50.4 ppg in 1961-62. Jordan would have to have played a fifth quarter every game to have equaled Wilt.
When MJ was in his prime he wouldve tried his best to Dunk on Wilt and I would pay all the money to see that collison.
I hated Wilt Chamberlain every time he played the Knicks because he was so difficult to be contained, but to me, he is the greatest player ever. When says the NBA changed the rules to make it impossible for him to dominate the game and change the rules to make Michael Jordan to dominate the game, is an absolute truth and that is a fact. The Jordan era was a transition time for the NBA, they needed a fresh face to the game to make it interesting and to compete against the Lakers and Celtics. It was losing fans and it needed to be brought up to a different level in order to compete against other sports and to make money. From that point on, the NBA change from been a sport to be a business to make money primarily, same as the MLB in the 80's with the first million dollars players contracts. Dr J changed the way basketball was played with his style of play too, then Magic and Bird, then came Jordan. Many players from the past who helped the game whom many people don't know about them and like the commissioner said, because there was no media to cover it like today. Nothing against Jordan, he's a great player, but never to the level of Chamberlain, the greatest of all times.
pete maravich goat
It took until 1997 for them to meet??
Wilt deicded to pass the ball to his partners team, and of course he left to be the score in a low range, he prefered to make his team part of the game, part of the point basket matches. No doubt with the influence of the media in the same level as jordan had, Wilt could had more impact in the league because he had all the records, stats and point than nobody will have again in NBA. By far Wilt was totally better than MJ.
boring and sterile video
And wilt played against midgets that could only dribble with 1 hand
Dr. J and Michael Jordan are the two players who dunked from the free throw line in dunking contests. That's it. In all basketball history just those two. Except for Wilt. Who did it in a practice setting. And when he did it, he started from a couple of feet behind the circle over the free throw line. Dr. J and Michael started from behind the half court line in a run up to do it. Wilt did it in flat shoes only 3 feet or so behind the circle over the free throw line. In 1957 or so. The guy who saw that and complained to the rules committee for college basketball was Tex Winter. The man who created the triangle offense that made Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant what they became. He recounted what he saw and his efforts made dunking free throws illegal. The only player who could ever do that was Wilt. The refs didn't even call all the fouls they could have that were committed on Wilt. The refs made phantom calls for Michael Jordan.
To me Wilt and Bo Jackson are the 2 greatest athletes in American Team Sports history. If i could have any body in a movie fantasy, i'd take Bo Jackson's and i'd go the Yankees and say, "hi, i'm your centerfielder for the next 20 years." Of course i wouldn't play football, as great as Bo was at it, that game has too much risk to health. Not worth it to me. If Bo played MLB from 21 to 41 yr old, he'd likely have a hall of fame career. He is a ridiculously fast and strong man with an incredible throwing arm. I happen to have a deep understanding of baseball and i'd probably pitch also, if i had that body. Probably as a reliever. I may work on a knuckle ball, not sure. Imagine if you perfect a knuckleball and you could eat 70 or so innings a year. Imagine what that does to the power arms in the bullpen that are being used less when you have a big lead or a big deficit. The downstream effect of keeping those arms fresh can't be overstated. It matters. A lot.
Wilt was Hercules
I don’t see an " speechless " MJ in the video……
Wilt Chamberlain was simply him.
Wilt’s numbers are so crazy the modern fan has made up excuses as to why he was so dominant
the kid no born at all real thing
Everyone knows MJ's the GOAT! Even you!
Honestly, i think MJ is the GOAT, but i have no problem with people saying wilt is the GOAT.
He was a freak of nature in a not fully developed game. If he was in the league during the 90s or 2000s, i could easily see him dominating the competition and still leading the league, in fact, even performing better than he did in the 60s and 70s.
These Clowns need to give Russell, and Wilt Their Respect! 👌🏾💯
He was the strongest person I’ve ever meet – the Terminator on Wilt Chamberlain
walton said it all
I am amazed that they didn't meet eachother till after they both were done winning championships
I remember my Grandpa telling everyone that they’ll never be another George Mikan
Wilt is a demigod
Jordan: where are your championships?
Wilt: i don't know……..i couldn't make my free throws.
Wilt: i thought all i had to do was dunk the ball but that didn't work.
Jordan: come back to me when you win three in a row, chump!
Jordan: whose next?!
Wilt is realy tall
even MJ had to act like a normie and randomly stare at the floor in Wilt's presence.
Jordan looked PISSED that Wilt stared him down & went at him like that.
If Jordan was a once in a lifetime player, then Chamberlain was a once in a millennium player.
END of conversation
The thing Wilt is better at than Jordan is envy.
Jordan is still the greatest in my mind. Wilt may have been just a freak in terms of size, strength, and athleticism; but Jordan was more focused and hard working than anyone ever. That's why he is the goat. He earned it. You can just see it in his play. Every step and every movement calculated to perfection. Combine that with passion and drive like no other and you have the unstoppable force that he was.
Jordans the 🐐 but id never pick him above Wilt
They met on my, B-Day 8th that’s a special day! 🫶🏼🫡
Could wilt dominate at 6’6 with his skillset? Imagine Jordan had the benefit of being the biggest guy on the floor with his skillset?
Wilt was an intimidating person. When he would walk in the room, EVERYONE turned their heads to see him (even at an advanced age)!!