Wilt vs Shaq - Physical Data and scaled image:

[CavaliersFTW]

Guys, I'm currently occupied with editing an Oscar Robertson game highlight before the weekend is over. But I promise I'll be back with sources on the Wilt numbers.

Just off hand before I even link the actual articles:

4.6 40 was hand timed by Hank Stram in 1965 (I accidentally said 1966 on the poster but it's '65). Stram even said Wilt took off his shoes and clocked that 4.6 in his bare feet.

11.5 by 9.5 inch hands is the associated text of an image of Wilt Chamberlain showing off his giant hands from 1956 at University of Kansas

12 feet 6 inches is cited as Wilt's max reach in a few associated press articles in 1956 - as a Sophomore at KU
13 feet is cited as Wilt's max reach in 1960 - other descriptive words used in a few articles that season are that he "can literally touch the top of a backboard" -
12 feet 9 inches is cited as Wilt's max reach in one article in 1968 and it is mentioned by Celtics player Larry Siegfried I believe, who compared it with Bill Russell's 12 feet 7 inches.

9 feet 6 inches flat footed standing reach is also a 1956 number, mentioned in a KU video documentary on Wilt Chamberlain. This number by the way, could likely be 9 feet 7 inches in modern shoes. According to draftexpress standing reach figures are always taken in shoes, and modern shoes are much thicker than converse all-star era footwear so this is important to note here.

As pointed out 92 inch armspan is measured in the Ali/Chamberlain fight promo which is currently still up on YouTube I believe.

Weight figures come from any/everwhere. Wilt claims as a Laker he typically weighed between 300 to 310lbs in an interview in the 90's and this was to correct the interviewer who asked if he was 280 or 285. I know his weight ballooned rapidly in the early to mid 60's as well, as he reported to training camp at 320lbs in 1963 coming into the 1964 season. Later that season in a Lakers documentary Chick Hearn cites him at 292lbs. And two seasons later reports that his playing weight is "down" to 275 (for 1966 season) after having played the prior season (1965 season) at 301lbs and it also states that he hadn't been seen at that low of a weight for something like 4 or 5 years.

Nothing is of course a proof when just linking articles - it's just a body of text. You guys can be as skeptical on any of the numbers as you see fit. But the numbers all do at least stem from printed material of the time.

[old rem]

Just information I've collected over the years that exists from both athletes that can work as side by side comparisons on paper - and also an image I found from a similar perspective/zoom of Shaq shooting a jump hook that just very conveniently seemed to match a shot of Jabbar shooting a skyhook over Wilt. So with some photoshop magic I've cropped Shaq, erased Jabbar, but not before I scaled the ball in Shaq's hand (and Shaq himself) to be scaled in such a way that the ball in his hands was identical in size to the ball that was being shot from Jabbar's hands.

So on top of the data which is great to look at, in theory an image of Shaq attempting a jump hook over Wilt would look something like that. The scaling should be pretty darn close based on the basketballs and plane that they are being shot from being made to match. As pictured in that exact image, Shaq is probably about 350lbs I'm guessing, and Wilt about 310lbs at that time.

Wilt Chamberlain
7’ 1” without shoes
7’ 8” armspan
9’ 6” standing reach (1956 footwear)
9.5“ hand length
11.5” hand spread
258-320lbs playing weight range
290-310lbs in peak form
12‘ 6“ max reach (1956)
13’ max reach (1960)
12’ 9” max reach (1968)
4.6 hand timed 40 yard: 1966

Shaquille O’Neal
7’ 0” without shoes
7’ 7” armspan
9’ 5” standing reach (1992 footwear)
11“ hand length
9” hand spread
301-370lbs playing weight range
315-335lbs in peak form
12’ 5” max reach (1992)
5.8 hand timed 40 yard: 2009 (note, 37 years old, about 340-350lbs)

Actually... when Wilt started he was closer to 230-235.. and quite speedy. Shaq was a bit under 300 at first. Never fast but mobile for his size. I give Wilt BONUS for .....he INVENTED so much of "low post" and big man game. It's EASIER to COPY Bob Dylan than surpass Bob Dylan. Shaq was THE power guy when that was THE thing.. but Wilt.....changed the game. Cousy may not have been "the best" but he CHANGED the game. Oscar.. changed the game. Russell.. changed the game. It is easier to follow a path than to create one. With Wilt.....he was a freak of nature. He did stuff players NOW wish they could copy.

Something I remember is how Wilt could handle a ball like it's no more than a grapefruit. You hear someone say "I can beat you with one hand tied behind my back" and usually.. that's nonsense. With Wilt... he COULD.

I was just a kid when I saw the Royals vs Warriors... Oscar and Wilt.... and we snuck to FRONT ROW seats on the baseline. I was not a big kid.. so.. up close Wilt looked as big as Godzilla. I KNEW NBA guys were BIG.. but on a smallish TV....you don't see HOW big. Up Close.... Wilt was BIG. Wilt USED his bigness. VERY long legs. One Step and he covers MUCH space. Later.. he added bulk,power but I'm not sure it even added to his impact. Wilt... never had access to modern training.. modern nutrition.

I literally can not IMAGINE Wilt as he'd develop now. 30 pt, 20 rebounds.. to him was just typical. He had a season he played EVERY MINUTE.......think about that. NO foul out. No REST....no injury... EVERY minute. NEVER will anyone touch that.

[D.Brasco]

Actually... when Wilt started he was closer to 230-235.. and quite speedy. Shaq was a bit under 300 at first. Never fast but mobile for his size. I give Wilt BONUS for .....he INVENTED so much of "low post" and big man game. It's EASIER to COPY Bob Dylan than surpass Bob Dylan. Shaq was THE power guy when that was THE thing.. but Wilt.....changed the game. Cousy may not have been "the best" but he CHANGED the game. Oscar.. changed the game. Russell.. changed the game. It is easier to follow a path than to create one. With Wilt.....he was a freak of nature. He did stuff players NOW wish they could copy.

Something I remember is how Wilt could handle a ball like it's no more than a grapefruit. You hear someone say "I can beat you with one hand tied behind my back" and usually.. that's nonsense. With Wilt... he COULD.

I was just a kid when I saw the Royals vs Warriors... Oscar and Wilt.... and we snuck to FRONT ROW seats on the baseline. I was not a big kid.. so.. up close Wilt looked as big as Godzilla. I KNEW NBA guys were BIG.. but on a smallish TV....you don't see HOW big. Up Close.... Wilt was BIG. Wilt USED his bigness. VERY long legs. One Step and he covers MUCH space. Later.. he added bulk,power but I'm not sure it even added to his impact. Wilt... never had access to modern training.. modern nutrition.

I literally can not IMAGINE Wilt as he'd develop now. 30 pt, 20 rebounds.. to him was just typical. He had a season he played EVERY MINUTE.......think about that. NO foul out. No REST....no injury... EVERY minute. NEVER will anyone touch that.

Not quite with those numbers. Wilt was listed at 250 lbs his rookie year but an article from that season pegged him at 258 lbs. Shaq in his pre-draft measurements was 303 lbs. Both men as rookies did look a good deal leaner than in their primes and certainly end of careers.

Check out this manip:

[CavaliersFTW]

Actually... when Wilt started he was closer to 230-235.. and quite speedy. Shaq was a bit under 300 at first. Never fast but mobile for his size. I give Wilt BONUS for .....he INVENTED so much of "low post" and big man game. It's EASIER to COPY Bob Dylan than surpass Bob Dylan. Shaq was THE power guy when that was THE thing.. but Wilt.....changed the game. Cousy may not have been "the best" but he CHANGED the game. Oscar.. changed the game. Russell.. changed the game. It is easier to follow a path than to create one. With Wilt.....he was a freak of nature. He did stuff players NOW wish they could copy.

Something I remember is how Wilt could handle a ball like it's no more than a grapefruit. You hear someone say "I can beat you with one hand tied behind my back" and usually.. that's nonsense. With Wilt... he COULD.

I was just a kid when I saw the Royals vs Warriors... Oscar and Wilt.... and we snuck to FRONT ROW seats on the baseline. I was not a big kid.. so.. up close Wilt looked as big as Godzilla. I KNEW NBA guys were BIG.. but on a smallish TV....you don't see HOW big. Up Close.... Wilt was BIG. Wilt USED his bigness. VERY long legs. One Step and he covers MUCH space. Later.. he added bulk,power but I'm not sure it even added to his impact. Wilt... never had access to modern training.. modern nutrition.

I literally can not IMAGINE Wilt as he'd develop now. 30 pt, 20 rebounds.. to him was just typical. He had a season he played EVERY MINUTE.......think about that. NO foul out. No REST....no injury... EVERY minute. NEVER will anyone touch that.

Not quite with those numbers. Wilt was listed at 250 lbs his rookie year but an article from that season pegged him at 258 lbs. Shaq in his pre-draft measurements was 303 lbs. Both men as rookies did look a good deal leaner than in their primes and certainly end of careers.

Check out this manip:

Shaq retweeted that gentlemen's picture - it inspired me to make the one I made.

That one I'm not sure had any sort of reference for scaling - it may have been done with more guesswork but I can't be sure as I don't know the original source images and if they were of a similar perspective and had a basketball in there for scaling in the same position of both images but either way the artist did a fantastic job with it

[D.Brasco]

That one I'm not sure had any sort of reference for scaling - it may have been done with more guesswork but I can't be sure as I don't know the original source images and if they were of a similar perspective and had a basketball in there for scaling in the same position of both images but either way the artist did a fantastic job with it

I mean just based on appearance is there anything that looks off to it in terms of perspective of the two next to each other? It's a pretty bang-up job visually like you said so I'd assume the artist would definitely consider getting proportions right.

[80s90s]

Wilt should be a tad bigger on that manip

[Pablo Novi]

I saw Wilt LIVE with the "Trotters" a number of times in 1959. The one thing I've always remembered most was that, in addition to being gigantic; he could really play good PG - that really stood out contrasted with the size of him.