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There will never be another Wilt Chamberlain in basketball. He was a force in college, in the pros and on and off the court throughout life. This giant of a man made history 48 years ago today when he scored 100 points in a single NBA game and it is a feat that may never be beaten.
Shortly after that day I had occasion to meet Chamberlain with my brothers. My older brother was a high school All American in basketball and along with my younger brother the three of us played on the winningest program in Iowa basketball history at the time.
Because of the press attention my brother got to pose with Chamberlain and at 7 feet 2 inches he was the biggest sports hero I ever met. Of course later at a Yankees baseball game I got to meet many of my own favorites but today belongs to Wilt.
On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain set the NBA single-game scoring record by tallying 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 victory over the New York Knicks.
Not 98 points, not 102, but a nice, round 100 -- an imposing record set by a most imposing player.
Chamberlain was a gargantuan force in the NBA, a player of Bunyanesque stature who seemed to overshadow all around him. He was a dominant offensive force, unstoppable on his way to the basket, yet he was also a fine all-around athlete who took pride in developing the all-around skills to compete with players a half-foot shorter.
He certainly was unstoppable that night in Hershey, Pa., where the Warriors played a few of their "home" games in order to attract additional fans. With New York's starting center, Phil Jordan, sidelined by the flu, Chamberlain could not be contained by Darrall Imhoff and Cleveland Buckner. He scored 23 points in the first quarter and had 41 by halftime, then tallied 28 in the third quarter, when the fans began to chant, "Give It To Wilt! Give It To Wilt!"
That's exactly what the Warriors did, feeding Chamberlain at every opportunity in the fourth quarter. The Knicks tried fouling other Philadelphia players to keep the ball away from Chamberlain, but the Warriors countered by committing fouls of their own to get the ball back.
Finally, Chamberlain took a pass from Joe Ruklick and hit a short shot with 46 seconds left to give him 100 points. Fans raced onto the court and play was halted as Chamberlain went to the lockerroom, where PR man Harvey Pollack scrawled "100" on a piece of paper and had Chamberlain hold it up for photographers.
In obliterating his previous NBA scoring record of 78 points set less than three months earlier, Chamberlain shot 36-for-63 from the field and 28-for-32 from the foul line, a remarkable feat for a man whose career free throw percentage was a weak .511.
"As time goes by," Chamberlain reflected more than three decades later, "I feel more and more a part of that 100-point game. It has become my handle, and I've come to realize just what I did."
Chamberlain went on to average an NBA-record 50.4 ppg in the 1961-62 season and became the only player to surpass 4,000 points in one season with 4,029. He also led the league in rebounding with 25.7 rpg and was second in field goal percentage at .506.
Amazingly, Chamberlain also averaged 48.5 minutes per game-quite a feat when you consider that an NBA game lasts only 48 minutes. The Warriors played a total of 10 overtime periods in seven games that season, and Chamberlain was on the court for 3,882 of a possible 3,890 minutes. Of the team's 80 games, he went the distance in a record 79 of them.
Dominating the game as few players in any sport ever have, Chamberlain seemed capable of scoring and rebounding at will, despite the double- and triple-teams and constant fouling tactics that opposing teams used to try to shut him down.
As Oscar Robertson put it in the Philadelphia Daily News when asked whether Chamberlain was the best ever, "The books don't lie."
The record books are indeed heavy with Chamberlain's accomplishments. He was the only NBA player to score 4,000 points in a season. He set NBA single-game records for most points (100), most consecutive field goals (18) and most rebounds (55). Perhaps his most mind-boggling stat was the 50.4 points per game he averaged during the 1961-62 season--and if not that, then perhaps the 48.5 minutes per game he averaged that same year.
He retired as the all-time in career points with 31,419, which was later surpassed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan. He is tops in rebounds with 23,924. He led the NBA in scoring seven years in a row. He was the league's top rebounder in 11 of his 14 seasons. And as if to prove that he was not a selfish player, he had the NBA's highest assist total in 1967-68.
Wilt Chamberlain’s Records
100-POINT GAME - March 2, 1962, vs. New York at Hershey, Pa.
100 - holds single-game records for most points
59 - most points in one half
36 - most field goals made
22 - most field goals made in one half
63 - most field goals attempted
37 - most field goals attempted in one half
21 - most field goals attempted in one quarter
28 - shares single-game record for most free throws made
NBA REGULAR-SEASON RECORDS
Career
118 - most games with 50 or more points
9 - most seasons leading league in field goal percentage
23,924 - most rebounds
22.9 - highest rebounds-per-game average (minimum 400 games)
7 - shares career record for most consecutive seasons leading league in scoring (1959-60 through 1965-66)
Single-Season
45 - holds single-season records for most games with 50 or more points (1962)
3,882 - most minutes played (1962)
4,029 - most points (1962)
50.4 - highest points-per-game average (1962)
2,707 - most points by a rookie (1960)
1,597 - most field goals made (1962)
35 - most consecutive field goals made (February 17 through February 28, 1967)
3,159 - most field goals attempted (1962)
.727 - highest field goal percentage (1973)
1,363 - most free throws attempted (1962)
2,149 - most rebounds (1961)
1,941 - most rebounds by a rookie (1960)
27.2 - highest rebounds-per-game average (1961)
Single Game
record set on March 2, 1962, vs. New York at Hershey, Pa.
100 - most points
59 - most points in one half
36 - most field goals made
22 - most field goals made in one half
63 - most field goals attempted
37 - most field goals attempted in one half
21 - most field goals attempted in one quarter<>
58 - most points by a rookie (January 25, 1960, vs. Detroit)
1.000 - highest field goal percentage (minimum 15 made)
(15-for-15, January 20, 1967, vs. Los Angeles;
18-for-18, February 24, 1967, vs. Baltimore; and
16-for-16, March 19, 1967, vs. Baltimore)
55 - most rebounds (November 24, 1960, vs. Boston)
45 - most rebounds by a rookie (February 6, 1960, vs. Syracuse)
28 - shares single-game record for most free throws made (March 2, 1962, vs. New York at Hershey, Pa.)
Points
record set on March 2, 1962, vs. New York at Hershey, Pa.
118 - holds career records for most games with 50 or more points
7 - shares career records for most consecutive seasons leading league in scoring (1959-60 through 1965-66)
45 - most games with 50 or more points (1962)
4,029 - most points, single season (1962)
50.4 - highest points-per-game average (1962)
2,707 - most points by a rookie (1960)
100 - most points, game
59 - most points in one half
36 - most field goals made
22 - most field goals made in one half
63 - most field goals attempted
37 - most field goals attempted in one half
21 - most field goals attempted in one quarter
58 - most points by a rookie (January 25, 1960, vs. Detroit)
Rebounds
23,924 - most rebounds, career
22.9 - highest rebounds-per-game average (minimum 400 games)
2,149 - most rebounds—2,149 (1961)
1,941 - most rebounds by a rookie (1960)
27.2 - highest rebounds-per-game average (1961)
55 - most rebounds (November 24, 1960, vs. Boston)
45 - most rebounds by a rookie (February 6, 1960, vs. Syracuse)
HONORS
NBA Most Valuable Player (1960, 1966, 1967, 1968)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1960)
All-NBA first team (1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968)
All-NBA second team (1963, 1965, 1972)
NBA All-Defensive first team (1972, 1973)
NBA PLAYOFF RECORD
NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (1972)
26 - most rebounds in one half (April 16, 1967, vs. San Francisco)
32.0 - holds single-series playoff record for highest rebounds-per-game average (1967)
41 - holds single-game playoff records for most rebounds (April 5, 1967, vs. Boston)
26 - most rebounds in one half (April 16, 1967, vs. San Francisco)
53 - most points by a rookie (March 14, 1960, vs. Syracuse)
24 - shares single-game playoff records for most field goals made (March 14, 1960, vs. Syracuse)
48 - most field goals attempted (March 22, 1962, vs. Syracuse)
25 - most field goals attempted in one half (March 22, 1962, vs. Syracuse)
NBA ALL-STAR GAME RECORD
NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (1960)
197 - holds career record for most rebounds
42 - holds single-game records for most points (1962)
16 - most free throws attempted (1962)
10 - most field goals made in one half (1962)
17 - shares single-game records for most field goals made (1962)
16 - most rebounds in one half (1960)
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