Wilt Chamberlain was born in Philadelphia 70 years ago today. Usually called “The Stilt” because it rhymed with Wilt, Chamberlain actually preferred the nickname “The Big Dipper.”
- Scored 800 points in first 16 high school games.
- Unanimous All-American at Kansas 1957, 1958, averaging nearly 30 points per game.
- Four-time NBA MVP.
- Scored 31,419 points (30.1 ppg) in 1,045 pro games, including 100 in one game against the Knicks.
- All-time scoring leader when he retired, since surpassed by Abdul-Jabbar, Malone and Jordan.
Chamberlain died in 1999.
My younger brother and I had the pleasure of being at the
same “crap” table with “Wilt the stilt” one night in Las Vegas.
Perhaps 40 years ago.