Wilt Chamberlain Explains Why He's Greater Than Michael Jordan

[D.Brasco]

Watch on YouTube

[ScrantonBulls]

If Wilt was lucky enough to be on those stacked Celtics teams instead of Bill, then Wilt would be considered the GOAT.

[NZB2323]

Wilt had inflated stats from 1962, the year with the most possessions per game, once refused to practice before noon for a whole season, fueded with teammates and coaches, and only won 2 championships despite playing with Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Paul Arizin, Nate Thurmond, Billy Cunningham, Gail Goodrich, ect.

[og15]

Hey, you gotta fight for yourself, and Wilt was not shy about doing so

[JonFromVA]

If Wilt was lucky enough to be on those stacked Celtics teams instead of Bill, then Wilt would be considered the GOAT.

Bill understood how to compliment and enhance his teammates, Wilt struggled with this. Those Celtic teams aren't epic without Russ.

[famicommander]

The biggest statpadder in NBA history and a total mark for himself.

[UglyBugBall]

Just look at the guys in the league when these two played. The difference is obvious, and it doesn't favor Wilt. It's like someone from the 60s arguing they were faster than Bolt. Not how sports works.

[famicommander]

Olympic gold medal winning vaults, 50 years apart:

[kcktiny]

He's not wrong.

He's the greatest player ever for reason youngsters watching the NBA today or for the past couple of decades can't even fathom:

- his first decade in the league (1959-60 to 1968-69, ages 23-32) played in 787/799 of his teams' games

- that first decade averaged playing 47 min/g over 787 games, played between 3300 and 3900 minutes per season

- that first decade averaged 34.4 pts/g and 24.3 reb/g

- that first decade was the best shooter in the league (53.0% 2pt FG%)

- that first decade was a great defender that rarely committed a foul

Imagine Victor Wembanyama playing every game and 47 min/g - that's still not as good as Wilt was (Wemby is not the shooter Wilt was compared to their peers nor the rebounder).

Chamberlain missed most of the 1969-70 season with a knee injury, but came back to play 3 more seasons (1970-71 to 1972-73, ages 34-36), didn't miss a game, played 43 min/g and 3400-3600 minutes/season, was all-defensive 1st team 2 of those seasons despite the age. At that time he was the only NBA player in league history to have played as many as 2300+ minutes a season at the ages of 35 and 36.

When he retired in 1973 he was the all-time league leader in:

- minutes played
- points scored
- FGAs
- FTAs
- rebounds

It's quite funny/ironic reading some of the negative comments above about Chamberlain, likely from people that never even saw him play.

[SlimShady83]

cool

[infinite11285]

Let’s not jump the gun and negatively spin or misconstrue Wilt’s comments.

While Wilt often expressed a view that he was a better player than MJ, he generally didn't aim to outright "discredit" Jordan, but rather argued that the different eras and playing styles made direct comparisons difficult, often pointing to his own superior statistical dominance in a less competitive league as a key factor in his case for "GOAT" status; essentially saying that if he played in Jordan's era, his numbers would be even more impressive.

[shrink]

The biggest statpadder in NBA history and a total mark for himself.

I originally thought you wrote “stepdaddy.”

[MrBigShot]

Wilt is not half the player MJ was

[Optms]

Olympic gold medal winning vaults, 50 years apart:

First one jumps. Second one jumps and also uses a ramp. Yes. 50 years apart with one just jumping and the other jumping and totally using other equipment to propel further.

[D.Brasco]

Let’s not jump the gun and negatively spin or misconstrue Wilt’s comments.

While Wilt often expressed a view that he was a better player than MJ, he generally didn't aim to outright "discredit" Jordan, but rather argued that the different eras and playing styles made direct comparisons difficult, often pointing to his own superior statistical dominance in a less competitive league as a key factor in his case for "GOAT" status; essentially saying that if he played in Jordan's era, his numbers would be even more impressive.

This summed up his main contention with respect to himself and MJ

[D.Brasco]

Olympic gold medal winning vaults, 50 years apart:

First one jumps. Second one jumps and also uses a ramp. Yes. 50 years apart with one just jumping and the other jumping and totally using other equipment to propel further.

Also, Wilt actually played closer in time to MJs era than MJs era to today. Are today's NBA athletes exponentially better than Jordan's era if that is the argument that is being presented with that gif?

[Bel]

Nothing against Wilt's skill but his argument is weak and designed to fool dumb people.

Say you and I play dice but I win with rolls of 2-6 and you win with a roll of 1. Now we change the rules to I win with rolls 3-6 and you win rolls 1-2. Wilt's argument is true, the rules were changed to make it easier for you. But in reality it just changed from more rigged to less rigged. It's still rigged!

Wilt, as a big, played in the era most rigged to big men. Jordan, as a guard, played in an era still rigged to big men, just less so. Jordan's own GM apologized to fans for drafting him, saying he wasn't a center but there were no centers available. If Jordan played today, where the game is rigged to favor perimeter players, that's a different story. But he didn't. He won at a disadvantage and had to prove a lot of people wrong, just like Jokic is doing now as a big in a wing's era.

If Wilt was lucky enough to be on those stacked Celtics teams instead of Bill, then Wilt would be considered the GOAT.

Bill understood how to compliment and enhance his teammates, Wilt struggled with this. Those Celtic teams aren't epic without Russ.

Precisely. If Wilt and Bill switched teams all of a sudden it would be Wilt's teammates who sucked and how Bill had a stacked squad. It's funny how in business top CEOs are paid tens to hundreds of millions because leadership matters so much, but basketball fans pretend that it doesn't exist.

[wegotthabeet]

Both are GOAT tier.

Wilt is arguably the best all around athlete of all time. The combo of strength, speed and leaping ability at his size is unparalleled.

[ScrantonBulls]

Let’s not jump the gun and negatively spin or misconstrue Wilt’s comments.

While Wilt often expressed a view that he was a better player than MJ, he generally didn't aim to outright "discredit" Jordan, but rather argued that the different eras and playing styles made direct comparisons difficult, often pointing to his own superior statistical dominance in a less competitive league as a key factor in his case for "GOAT" status; essentially saying that if he played in Jordan's era, his numbers would be even more impressive.

This summed up his main contention with respect to himself and MJ

This is accurate. The league made rules that benefitted MJ. Can't say the same about Wilt. MJ might have been the luckiest NBA player ever for the following reasons.

- NBA created rules that actively benefitted him.
- Had by far the strongest team/supporting cast during half of his career.
- Had the GOAT coach.
- Surrounded by elite defenders that took the defense load off of him and allowed him to gamble on defense.
- The league was as weak as ever during the latter half of his career.
- Pace slowed down tremendously as he aged, which benefitted him as an aging player.
- His position (SG) was weak during his whole career.

The only other player with nearly as much luck during their career was Kobe IMO.

[The Servant]

He's not wrong.

He's the greatest player ever for reason youngsters watching the NBA today or for the past couple of decades can't even fathom:

- his first decade in the league (1959-60 to 1968-69, ages 23-32) played in 787/799 of his teams' games

- that first decade averaged playing 47 min/g over 787 games, played between 3300 and 3900 minutes per season

- that first decade averaged 34.4 pts/g and 24.3 reb/g

- that first decade was the best shooter in the league (53.0% 2pt FG%)

- that first decade was a great defender that rarely committed a foul

Imagine Victor Wembanyama playing every game and 47 min/g - that's still not as good as Wilt was (Wemby is not the shooter Wilt was compared to their peers nor the rebounder).

Chamberlain missed most of the 1969-70 season with a knee injury, but came back to play 3 more seasons (1970-71 to 1972-73, ages 34-36), didn't miss a game, played 43 min/g and 3400-3600 minutes/season, was all-defensive 1st team 2 of those seasons despite the age. At that time he was the only NBA player in league history to have played as many as 2300+ minutes a season at the ages of 35 and 36.

When he retired in 1973 he was the all-time league leader in:

- minutes played
- points scored
- FGAs
- FTAs
- rebounds

It's quite funny/ironic reading some of the negative comments above about Chamberlain, likely from people that never even saw him play.

MPG is a lot different when the paint is clogged vs chasing the Curries around the board for 48 mpg...

In fact the offensive schemes were completely different and under developed compared to modern.