Chamberlain is probably genetically responsible for 80% of the NBA today. He would average 30 ppg and 20+ rebounds. best center in today's game easy. in the 90's it would be a dogfight. e.g. Chamberlain schools Olajuwon and DRob schools Chamberlain and well we all know what Hakeem did to D. Robinson. (not that i necessarily think it would go down like this)
You also have to remember that before Wilt, it was a dreadfully slow paced game. Before his rookie year, no player had EVER averaged 30 ppg in an NBA season, and three years later he averaged 50. Wilt, Oscar, and the Celtics fast break style transformed the era, so it was less that he took advantage of that style of play than that he ushered that style of play into the league. He was so defensively dominant that using a half court attack was just silly. If blocked shots were a stat them, he would have set records even crazier than his scoring records.
Russell 6-9 (Celtics, starter, played 45 mpg) Swede Halbrook 7-3 (Syracuse back up, played 14 mpg) Red Kerr 6-9 (Syracuse, starter, played 38 mpg) Cleveland Buckner 6-9 (Knicks backup played 11 mpg in 62 games) Darrall Imhoff 6-10 (Knicks backup played 20 mpg) Phil Jordan 6-10 (Knicks starter played 29 mpg) Doug Kistler 6-9 (Knicks, played 13 minutes in 5 games) Ray Felix 6-11 (Lakers backup played 18 mpg) Bevo Nordmann 6-10 (Cincinnati backup, played 6 mpg) Hub Reed 6-9 (Cincinnati backup, played 18 mpg) Walter Dukes 7-0 (Pistons, split time with Ray Scott, 25 mpg) Ray Scott 6-9 (Pistons, split time with Dukes, 28 mpg) Larry Foust 6-9 (Hawks backup, 20 mpg in 57 games) Clyde Lovellette 6-9 (Hawks starter, 29 mpg in 40 games) Bob Pettit 6-9 (Hawks starter, HOFer, played 42 mpg) Walt Bellamy 6-11 (Chicago starter, played 42 mpg) This is a list of every player in the NBA in 1961-62 that was 6'9" or taller. The average weight for all of these guys is less than 220 lbs. Over half of them didn't start and played very few minutes. As you can see from minute distributions, if a player could play (Bellamy, Pettit), then they all played big minutes (40+). So Wilt wasn't unique in that regard. That was just the standard of the league because the talent simply wasn't there. Coaches played their best players and played them all the time. If they weren't a very good player, they didn't get very many minutes. Anyways, just a little snapshot of who Wilt was playing against. Remember, several of his 8 opponent teams didn't run a starter out there taller than 6'8". How many points would have Hakeem or Shaq scored against this group in 1962? It was a different era.
That was only one year. Check to see who he played against in 69-70, 72-73. Remember at this point in his career, he's in his 30s, past his prime, and off of a serious injury (in 68).
pluto, 80% of Wilt's career was spent playing against guys 6-8 inches shorter than him with very little game. If you put Hakeem or Shaq against those same guys, they'd average 50 too.
That 80-% was a bit dubious. I doubt he has read what Kareem Abdul Jabbar thought about playing against Wilt in his career.
Sift through the seasons, look at the players that were playing. 80% of Wilt's minutes, he was playing against guys 6'8" or shorter.
Does it count that he played against world-class talent? In Wilt's day, he actually had more competition than any center does currently in the NBA. Here are some of Chamberlain's contemporaries: Bill Russell Willis Reed Walt Bellamy Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Bob Lanier Dave Cowens Nate Thurmond Neil Johnson Wes Unseld Bob Rule You'd be hard press to find an active NBA center that played against talent, like that do you really think someone like a Brook Lopez, Joakim Noah, or Al Horford would be the best player in that group.
simple math, people. If Wilt faced 3 hall of fame centers regularly, among 7 other opposing teams, in terms of games that's like a center today facing 12 hall of fame centers among 29 opponents. I don't need to tell you that there is nowhere near 12 hall of fame centers in the league. 60-64 he faced Russell Pettit Bellamy 65-68 Russell Willis Reed Elvin Hayes Wes Unseld Nate Thurmond 69-72 Russell Kareem Abdul Jabbar Bob Lanier Artis Gilmore Dave Cowens Was everyone 6'6"? Here are the NBA players from 1960-1972 6'11" or taller who played at least 3 years in the NBA: (list does not include Wilt Chamberlain, and Russell was generally listed as 6'10") Kareem Abdul Jabbar: 7'2" Dennis Awtrey: 6'11" Walt Bellamy: 6'11" Tom Boerwinkle: 7'0" Nate Bowmen: 6'11" Mel Counts: 7'0" Walter Dukes: 7'0" Jim Eakins: 6'11" Ray Felix: 6'11" Hank Finkel: 7'0" Artis Gilmore: 7'2" Swede Halbrook: 7'3" Reggie Harding: 7'0" Bob Lanier: 6'11" Jim McDaniels: 6'11" Otto Moore: 6'11" Dave Newmark: 7'0" Rich Niemann: 7'0" Billy Paultz: 6'11" Craig Raymond: 6'11" Elmore Smith: 7'0" Chuck Share: 6'11" Ronald Taylor: 7'1" Nate Thurmond: 6'11" Walt Wesley: 6'11"
I think Hakeem and Shaq faced much stiffer competition, most definitely, not even close. SOME OF HAKEEM'S OPPONENTS Moses Deke Zo Kemp DRob Eaton Sikma Kareem Walton Parish Vlade James Edwards Laimbeer Kevin Duckworth Michael Cage Buck Williams Artis Gilmore No comparison
Hakeem and Shaq faced more good players, and also faced way way more bad players. That is a consequence of league expansion, 400 players instead of 100. Some years Wilt faced Russell over 20 times. If Shaq .ever faced 4 centers as good as Russell in a year, those games would have amounted to less than 20 tough games a year. You can't just count up good players and ignore how many times you face them or not.
Kareem vs. Wilt (sorry bout the length) First two years....fairly close numbers. After that....pretty much total domination by Kareem. You could argue Wilt was in his old man years all this time but you could also argue that Kareem was still reaching his potential too. My favorite stat is the 11/20/70 game....Wilt with 6 blocks....vs. Jabbar alone. Regular season – 1969-70 1. Date: Fri 10/24/69 - Chamberlain 25 pts, 25 rebs, 5 as, 3 blocks, 9-14 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 23 pts, 20 rebs, 2 as, 2 blocks, 9-21 FG/FGA L Regular season – 1970-71 2. Date: Fri 11/20/70 - Chamberlain 28 pts, 23 rebs, 3 as, 10 blocks, 7-20 FG/FGA – 6 blocks against Jabbar L -Abdul-Jabbar 29 pts, 13 rebs, 0 as, 2 blocks, 13-32 FG/FGA W 3. Date: Mon 12/21/70 - Chamberlain 25 pts, 14 rebs, 3 as, 2 blocks, 11-23 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 37 pts, 16 rebs, 0 as, 4 blocks, 17-33 FG/FGA W 4. Date: Fri 02/05/71 - Chamberlain 14 pts, 14 rebs, 3 as, 6 blocks, 7-10 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 27 pts, 10 rebs, 3 as, * blocks, 10-21 FG/FGA L 5. Date: Thu 02/11/71 - Chamberlain 25 pts, 11 rebs, 1 as, * blocks, 10-19 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 31 pts, 21 rebs, 0 as, * blocks, 13-30 FG/FGA – 2 blocks against Wilt W 6. Date: Wed 03/03/71 - Chamberlain 24 pts, 13 rebs, 5 as, 8 blocks, 7-15 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 15 pts, 6 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 7-21 FG/FGA W Post season – 1970-71 – WCF playoffs 7. Date: Fri 04/09/71 - Chamberlain 22 pts, 20 rebs, 1 as, 8 blocks, 10-19 FG/FGA – 3 blocks against Jabbar L -Abdul-Jabbar 32 pts, 22 rebs, 1 as, 1 blocks, 14-30 FG/FGA W 8. Date: Sun 04/11/71 - Chamberlain 26 pts, 22 rebs, 0 as, * blocks, 10-21 FG/FGA - Wilt blocked numerious shots L -Abdul-Jabbar 22 pts, 10 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 9-19 FG/FGA W 9. Date: Wed 04/14/71 - Chamberlain 24 pts, 24 rebs, 3 as, 3 blocks, 9-19 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 20 pts, 19 rebs, 6 as, 0 blocks, 8-16 FG/FGA L 10.Date: Fri 04/16/71 - Chamberlain 15 pts, 16 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 7-14 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 31 pts, 20 rebs, 5 as, * blocks, 14-20 FG/FGA W 11.Date: Fri 04/16/71 - Chamberlain 23 pts, 12 rebs, 4 as, 6 blocks, 10-21 FG/FGA – 5 blocks against Jabbar L -Abdul-Jabbar 20 pts, 15 rebs, 5 as, 3 blocks, 7-23 FG/FGA W Regular season – 1971-72 12.Date: Sat 11/21/71 - Chamberlain 11 pts, 26 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 4-9 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 39 pts, 17 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 17-33 FG/FGA L 13.Date: Sun 01/09/72 - Chamberlain 15 pts, 12 rebs, 2 as, 6 blocks, 7-11 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 39 pts, 20 rebs, 5 as, 9 blocks, 18-34 FG/FGA W 14.Date: Fri 02/04/72 - Chamberlain 18 pts, 25 rebs, 3 as, * blocks, 8-14 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 40 pts, 18 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 16-33 FG/FGA L 15.Date: Wed 03/01/72 - Chamberlain 8 pts, 17 rebs, 5 as, * blocks, 3-5 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 33 pts, 12 rebs, 8 as, * blocks, 13-33 FG/FGA L 16.Date: Fri 03/17/72 - Chamberlain 18 pts, 25 rebs, 5 as, * blocks, 7-15 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 50 pts, 8 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 22-39 FG/FGA L Post season – 1971-72 – WCF playoffs 17.Date: Sun 04/09/72 - Chamberlain 10 pts, 24 rebs, 0 as, * blocks, 3-12 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 33 pts, 18 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 14-26 FG/FGA W 18.Date: Wed 04/12/72 - Chamberlain 11 pts, 17 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 3-5 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 40 pts, 7 rebs, 7 as, * blocks, 18-31 FG/FGA L 19.Date: Fri 04/14/72 - Chamberlain 7 pts, 14 rebs, 4 as, 10 blocks, 1-3 FG/FGA – 6 blocks against Jabbar W -Abdul-Jabbar 33 pts, 21 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 15-37 FG/FGA L 20.Date: Sun 04/16/72 - Chamberlain 5 pts, 11 rebs, 4 as, 3 blocks, 2-7 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 31 pts, 18 rebs, 3 as, 7 blocks, 14-33 FG/FGA W 21.Date: Tue 04/18/72 - Chamberlain 12 pts, 26 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 2-3 FG/FGA - 4 blocks against Jabbar W -Abdul-Jabbar 28 pts, 16 rebs, 3 as, * blocks, 13-33 FG/FGA L 22.Date: Sat 04/22/72 - Chamberlain 20 pts, 24 rebs, 2 as, 9 blocks, 8-12 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 37 pts, 25 rebs, 8 as, * blocks, 16-37 FG/FGA L Regular season – 1972-73 23.Date: Tue 11/14/72 - Chamberlain 16 pts, 15 rebs, 1 as, * blocks, 8-12 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 37 pts, 16 rebs, 6 as, 7 blocks, 17-32 FG/FGA L 24.Date: Tue 12/05/72 - Chamberlain 9 pts, 15 rebs, 7 as, * blocks, 4-4 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 29 pts, 17 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 11-30 FG/FGA L 25.Date: Sun 01/07/73 - Chamberlain 9 pts, 18 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 3-5 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 37 pts, 12 rebs, 7 as, * blocks, 17-36 FG/FGA W 26.Date: Fri 02/09/73 - Chamberlain 8 pts, 14 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 3-3 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 29 pts, 24 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 14-24 FG/FGA W 27.Date: Sun 02/25/73 - Chamberlain 24 pts, 20 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 10-14 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 21 pts, 21 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 10-27 FG/FGA L 28.Date: Tue 03/27/73 - Chamberlain 0 pts, 14 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 0-0 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 24 pts, 17 rebs, 1 as, * blocks, 12-31 FG/FGA W
Yeah, you face those guys in the playoffs, pacertom. Remember, for all his greatness (and Wilt was great), he won exactly one championship, while his arch nemesis won 11.
