Wilt vs Russell year by year comparison

[Narigo]

Who would you take year by year

1960 Wilt vs 1957 Russell
1961 Wilt vs 1958 Russell
1962 Wilt vs 1959 Russell
1963 Wilt vs. 1960 Russell
1964 Wilt vs 1961 Russell
1965 Wilt vs. 1962 Russell
1966 Wilt vs 1963 Russell
1967 Wilt vs 1964 Russell
1968 Wilt vs. 1965 Russell
1969 Wilt vs. 1966 Russell
1971 Wilt vs 1967 Russell
1972 Wilt vs 1968 Russell
1973 Wilt vs. 1969 Russell

[coastalmarker99]

Who would you take year by year

1960 Wilt vs 1957 Russell
1961 Wilt vs 1958 Russell
1962 Wilt vs 1959 Russell
1963 Wilt vs. 1960 Russell
1964 Wilt vs 1961 Russell
1965 Wilt vs. 1962 Russell
1966 Wilt vs 1963 Russell
1967 Wilt vs 1964 Russell
1968 Wilt vs. 1965 Russell
1969 Wilt vs. 1966 Russell
1971 Wilt vs 1967 Russell
1972 Wilt vs 1968 Russell
1973 Wilt vs. 1969 Russell

1960 Wilt

1958 Russell

1962 Wilt

1960 Russell

1964 Wilt

1962 Russell

1966 Wilt

1967 Wilt

1968 Wilt

1966 Russell

1967 Russell

1972 Wilt

The last season between both is a tie in my book.

[70sFan]

1960 Wilt vs 1957 Russell
1961 Wilt vs 1958 Russell
1962 Wilt vs 1959 Russell
1963 Wilt vs. 1960 Russell
1964 Wilt vs 1961 Russell
1965 Wilt vs. 1962 Russell
1966 Wilt vs 1963 Russell
1967 Wilt vs 1964 Russell
1968 Wilt vs. 1965 Russell
1969 Wilt vs. 1966 Russell
1971 Wilt vs 1967 Russell
1972 Wilt vs 1968 Russell
1973 Wilt vs. 1969 Russell

Something like this, though some of these comparisons are close.

[rk2023]

Who would you take year by year

1960 Wilt vs 1957 Russell
1961 Wilt vs 1958 Russell
1962 Wilt vs 1959 Russell
1963 Wilt vs. 1960 Russell
1964 Wilt vs 1961 Russell
1965 Wilt vs. 1962 Russell
1966 Wilt vs 1963 Russell
1967 Wilt vs 1964 Russell
1968 Wilt vs. 1965 Russell
1969 Wilt vs. 1966 Russell
1971 Wilt vs 1967 Russell
1972 Wilt vs 1968 Russell
1973 Wilt vs. 1969 Russell

Wilt first three years
1960 Russell
1964 Wilt
1962/63 Russell
1967 Wilt
1965-67 Russell
I lean Russell the last two, but I think it’s close (need to look into the defensive gap more).

Going with this, leads to 6 for Wilt - 7 Russell. I think taking up a more specific model (eg. CORP) that quantifies player impact paints Russell more-so ahead.

[mstat13shuh]

As some may have already seen, I've suggested(actually more like, asserted) this on twitter & I will do so here, so help me Most High:

I'm of the sincere belief & conviction that the NBA referees & league office DID NOT want Wilt Chamberlain's NBA teams(& Wilt personally to a large degree)to emerge victorious in NBA Finals Series for precisely the same reason they instituted a myriad of rules attempting to limit his biblical offensive dominance throughout his NBA career, for the simple fact that those in power were convinced that had Wilt's teams won NBA Championships season after season, instead of Bill Russell's Boston Celtics doing so 11 out of 13 seasons(nearly 12 but for Russ's '58 Finals unfortunate ankle sprain)WILT WOULD'VE RUINED NOT ONLY PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL, BUT PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AS WELL, WITH THAT DOMINANCE, WHICH, AS THOSE LIKE MYSELF & COASTALMARKER KNOW AS WELL AS ANYONE, WAS & ALWAYS ABSOLUTELY FREIGHTENING AT TIMES.

WILT KNEW IT, HIS FAMILY & CLOSEST FRIENDS KNEW IT, WILT'S TEAMMATES KNEW IT, THE OPPOSITION KNEW IT, COACHES & GM's KNEW IT, OWNERS KNEW IT, THE LEAGUE OFFICE OBVIOUSLY KNEW IT, & THEY OF ALL PEOPLE COULD NOT AFFORD FOR THEIR OWN SAKE TO ALLOW THAT TO EVEN REMOTELY TRANSPIRE, BECAUSE THEY WERE HONESTLY CONVINCED IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE SINGLE LARGEST EMBARRASMENT IN THE HISTORY OF NOT ONLY THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION, BUT MAJOR PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS AS WELL.

ALL THE ABOVE BEING SAID, I'M ALSO EQUALLY CERTAIN THE LEAGUE WILL PROBABLY NEVER PUBLICALLY ADMIT SUCH AN OMMISION FOR SIMPLE FACT THAT THEY KNEW THAN & KNOW NOW THAT IT WOULD CONSTITUTE A FAR GREATER EMBARRASMENT THAN OTHER SCANDAL IN LEAGUE HISTORY.

TIM DONAHAE? PLEASE. THIS SCANDAL WOULD MAKE THE DONAHAE LOOK LIKE MINCEMEAT.
MENDY RUDOLPH & HIS PREFERENCE FOR THE CELTICS & RUSSELL? PERHAPS MUCH MORE THAN THE ABOVE, BUT, TO ME, NOT QUITE.

Now in closing, some reading this might wonder: Do you HATE Bill Russell & his Celtic teams & their 13-year dominance?

Wholeheartedly not at all.

Nonetheless, I firmly believe from the inner reaches of my spirit that this enormous Pandora's box must be unearthed by somebody such as myself who isn't afraid to unearth something so controversial as this, regardless of the degree of criticism I might need to endure now & in the near future, because the truth about something so colossally controversial & subjective such as this MUST be communicated to the general public at some point in time.

That time, I believe, has now arrived.

[mstat13shuh]

In Wilt's initial autobiography, he stated during one season(65-66, I believe)when the 76ers were snowbound in-between games in Detroit or somewhere & a bunch of people went to the movies together & Mendy Rudolph blurted out loud for everyone to hear how he "just loved watching Russell & Boston play" & how Russell "always seems to have what it takes in the clutch."

Once Wilt heard that, he immediately thought back to game 7 '62 EDF at Boston & all the other games in Boston where Mendy refereed and REALLY got pissed.

[70sFan]

In Wilt's initial autobiography, he stated during one season(65-66, I believe)when the 76ers were snowbound in-between games in Detroit or somewhere & a bunch of people went to the movies together & Mendy Rudolph blurted out loud for everyone to hear how he "just loved watching Russell & Boston play" & how Russell "always seems to have what it takes in the clutch."

Once Wilt heard that, he immediately thought back to game 7 '62 EDF at Boston & all the other games in Boston where Mendy refereed and REALLY got pissed.

Are you aware that autobiogarphies are not, well... very objective sources of information, right?

Do you realiy believe that the league did everything for Boston to win it all the time? The same Boston whose main star was black Bill Russell who wasn't even liked in his own town?

[Owly]

In Wilt's initial autobiography, he stated during one season(65-66, I believe)when the 76ers were snowbound in-between games in Detroit or somewhere & a bunch of people went to the movies together & Mendy Rudolph blurted out loud for everyone to hear how he "just loved watching Russell & Boston play" & how Russell "always seems to have what it takes in the clutch."

Once Wilt heard that, he immediately thought back to game 7 '62 EDF at Boston & all the other games in Boston where Mendy refereed and REALLY got pissed.

Do you have a page reference?

I'm looking at what I'd think to be the main (only?) section on the '66 playoffs (p173-174) and it has him saying the team were flat, that Greer only scored 21 points total over the first two games, that Boston had "hot outside shooting and a devastating fast break" in those two games, that Auerbach outcoached Schayes, that his key block sent game four to overtime but whilst a win there tying the series could have been a turning point, they didn't and that he outproduced Russell but nothing akin to what is suggested here.

Thanks in advance for any time and effort in this matter.

[penbeast0]

Spoiler:

As some may have already seen, I've suggested(actually more like, asserted) this on twitter & I will do so here, so help me Most High:

I'm of the sincere belief & conviction that the NBA referees & league office DID NOT want Wilt Chamberlain's NBA teams(& Wilt personally to a large degree)to emerge victorious in NBA Finals Series for precisely the same reason they instituted a myriad of rules attempting to limit his biblical offensive dominance throughout his NBA career, for the simple fact that those in power were convinced that had Wilt's teams won NBA Championships season after season, instead of Bill Russell's Boston Celtics doing so 11 out of 13 seasons(nearly 12 but for Russ's '58 Finals unfortunate ankle sprain)WILT WOULD'VE RUINED NOT ONLY PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL, BUT PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AS WELL, WITH THAT DOMINANCE, WHICH, AS THOSE LIKE MYSELF & COASTALMARKER KNOW AS WELL AS ANYONE, WAS & ALWAYS ABSOLUTELY FREIGHTENING AT TIMES.

WILT KNEW IT, HIS FAMILY & CLOSEST FRIENDS KNEW IT, WILT'S TEAMMATES KNEW IT, THE OPPOSITION KNEW IT, COACHES & GM's KNEW IT, OWNERS KNEW IT, THE LEAGUE OFFICE OBVIOUSLY KNEW IT, & THEY OF ALL PEOPLE COULD NOT AFFORD FOR THEIR OWN SAKE TO ALLOW THAT TO EVEN REMOTELY TRANSPIRE, BECAUSE THEY WERE HONESTLY CONVINCED IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE SINGLE LARGEST EMBARRASMENT IN THE HISTORY OF NOT ONLY THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION, BUT MAJOR PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS AS WELL.

ALL THE ABOVE BEING SAID, I'M ALSO EQUALLY CERTAIN THE LEAGUE WILL PROBABLY NEVER PUBLICALLY ADMIT SUCH AN OMMISION FOR SIMPLE FACT THAT THEY KNEW THAN & KNOW NOW THAT IT WOULD CONSTITUTE A FAR GREATER EMBARRASMENT THAN OTHER SCANDAL IN LEAGUE HISTORY.

TIM DONAHAE? PLEASE. THIS SCANDAL WOULD MAKE THE DONAHAE LOOK LIKE MINCEMEAT.
MENDY RUDOLPH & HIS PREFERENCE FOR THE CELTICS & RUSSELL? PERHAPS MUCH MORE THAN THE ABOVE, BUT, TO ME, NOT QUITE.

Now in closing, some reading this might wonder: Do you HATE Bill Russell & his Celtic teams & their 13-year dominance?

Wholeheartedly not at all.

Nonetheless, I firmly believe from the inner reaches of my spirit that this enormous Pandora's box must be unearthed by somebody such as myself who isn't afraid to unearth something so controversial as this, regardless of the degree of criticism I might need to endure now & in the near future, because the truth about something so colossally controversial & subjective such as this MUST be communicated to the general public at some point in time.

That time, I believe, has now arrived.

So the fact that Boston had the better SRS almost every year and clearly better team DRTG are all referee conspiracies as well?

Wilt was the greatest individual force in the history of basketball. His teammates tended not to play well in his years of great individual dominance, particularly in the playoffs. This may have been coincidence, it may have been that Wilt was so incredible that players like Arizin, Gola, Greer, etc. sublimated their game thinking that getting the ball to Wilt was almost always the better option or even if they wouldn't get it back if they worked hard off ball. This is not because Wilt was selfish but because he, the coaches, and the entire world believed that the best result of any possession was a Wilt shot where he didn't have 3 guys hanging all over him.

Unfortunately, modern analytics have tended to show that that kind of unipolarity isn't particularly good for team results but it was certainly a reasonable assumption at the time until Wilt saw Russell winning season after season and overcompensated, taking too few shots and just playing defense and rebounding.

[mstat13shuh]

In Wilt's initial autobiography, he stated during one season(65-66, I believe)when the 76ers were snowbound in-between games in Detroit or somewhere & a bunch of people went to the movies together & Mendy Rudolph blurted out loud for everyone to hear how he "just loved watching Russell & Boston play" & how Russell "always seems to have what it takes in the clutch."

Once Wilt heard that, he immediately thought back to game 7 '62 EDF at Boston & all the other games in Boston where Mendy refereed and REALLY got pissed.

Are you aware that autobiogarphies are not, well... very objective sources of information, right?

Do you realiy believe that the league did everything for Boston to win it all the time? The same Boston whose main star was black Bill Russell who wasn't even liked in his own town?

A) I don't agree with everything Wilt says, but based upon my research & analyses, I'm certain he's spot on here.

B) To a large degree, yes I do sincerely believe the league did a great deal for Boston to win it all the time, largely because even though, yes, like Wilt, Bill Russell was: tall(almost 6'10"), predominately Afro-American(Moorish) & misunderstood to a similar degree that Wilt was(& still is)the league, press, players, coaches, fans, I don't believe, were not nearly intimidated by him quite to the same degree that they were Wilt, because of his inability to score as proficiently, both from the field & the foul line, to the same degree that Wilt obviously did.

C) In fairness to Wilt, others have suggested that Mendy was a Celtic & Russell admirer as well; namely, Oscar & Alex Hannum.

[mstat13shuh]

In Wilt's initial autobiography, he stated during one season(65-66, I believe)when the 76ers were snowbound in-between games in Detroit or somewhere & a bunch of people went to the movies together & Mendy Rudolph blurted out loud for everyone to hear how he "just loved watching Russell & Boston play" & how Russell "always seems to have what it takes in the clutch."

Once Wilt heard that, he immediately thought back to game 7 '62 EDF at Boston & all the other games in Boston where Mendy refereed and REALLY got pissed.

Do you have a page reference?

I'm looking at what I'd think to be the main (only?) section on the '66 playoffs (p173-174) and it has him saying the team were flat, that Greer only scored 21 points total over the first two games, that Boston had "hot outside shooting and a devastating fast break" in those two games, that Auerbach outcoached Schayes, that his key block sent game four to overtime but whilst a win there tying the series could have been a turning point, they didn't and that he outproduced Russell but nothing akin to what is suggested here.

Thanks in advance for any time and effort in this matter.

1) Of course: p. 139
2) the Mendy movie theater incident in question was during the 65-66 regular season, not the playoffs.
3) good job on the last part
4) my pleasure

[mstat13shuh]

Spoiler:

As some may have already seen, I've suggested(actually more like, asserted) this on twitter & I will do so here, so help me Most High:

I'm of the sincere belief & conviction that the NBA referees & league office DID NOT want Wilt Chamberlain's NBA teams(& Wilt personally to a large degree)to emerge victorious in NBA Finals Series for precisely the same reason they instituted a myriad of rules attempting to limit his biblical offensive dominance throughout his NBA career, for the simple fact that those in power were convinced that had Wilt's teams won NBA Championships season after season, instead of Bill Russell's Boston Celtics doing so 11 out of 13 seasons(nearly 12 but for Russ's '58 Finals unfortunate ankle sprain)WILT WOULD'VE RUINED NOT ONLY PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL, BUT PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AS WELL, WITH THAT DOMINANCE, WHICH, AS THOSE LIKE MYSELF & COASTALMARKER KNOW AS WELL AS ANYONE, WAS & ALWAYS ABSOLUTELY FREIGHTENING AT TIMES.

WILT KNEW IT, HIS FAMILY & CLOSEST FRIENDS KNEW IT, WILT'S TEAMMATES KNEW IT, THE OPPOSITION KNEW IT, COACHES & GM's KNEW IT, OWNERS KNEW IT, THE LEAGUE OFFICE OBVIOUSLY KNEW IT, & THEY OF ALL PEOPLE COULD NOT AFFORD FOR THEIR OWN SAKE TO ALLOW THAT TO EVEN REMOTELY TRANSPIRE, BECAUSE THEY WERE HONESTLY CONVINCED IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE SINGLE LARGEST EMBARRASMENT IN THE HISTORY OF NOT ONLY THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION, BUT MAJOR PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS AS WELL.

ALL THE ABOVE BEING SAID, I'M ALSO EQUALLY CERTAIN THE LEAGUE WILL PROBABLY NEVER PUBLICALLY ADMIT SUCH AN OMMISION FOR SIMPLE FACT THAT THEY KNEW THAN & KNOW NOW THAT IT WOULD CONSTITUTE A FAR GREATER EMBARRASMENT THAN OTHER SCANDAL IN LEAGUE HISTORY.

TIM DONAHAE? PLEASE. THIS SCANDAL WOULD MAKE THE DONAHAE LOOK LIKE MINCEMEAT.
MENDY RUDOLPH & HIS PREFERENCE FOR THE CELTICS & RUSSELL? PERHAPS MUCH MORE THAN THE ABOVE, BUT, TO ME, NOT QUITE.

Now in closing, some reading this might wonder: Do you HATE Bill Russell & his Celtic teams & their 13-year dominance?

Wholeheartedly not at all.

Nonetheless, I firmly believe from the inner reaches of my spirit that this enormous Pandora's box must be unearthed by somebody such as myself who isn't afraid to unearth something so controversial as this, regardless of the degree of criticism I might need to endure now & in the near future, because the truth about something so colossally controversial & subjective such as this MUST be communicated to the general public at some point in time.

That time, I believe, has now arrived.

So the fact that Boston had the better SRS almost every year and clearly better team DRTG are all referee conspiracies as well?

Wilt was the greatest individual force in the history of basketball. His teammates tended not to play well in his years of great individual dominance, particularly in the playoffs. This may have been coincidence, it may have been that Wilt was so incredible that players like Arizin, Gola, Greer, etc. sublimated their game thinking that getting the ball to Wilt was almost always the better option or even if they wouldn't get it back if they worked hard off ball. This is not because Wilt was selfish but because he, the coaches, and the entire world believed that the best result of any possession was a Wilt shot where he didn't have 3 guys hanging all over him.

Unfortunately, modern analytics have tended to show that that kind of unipolarity isn't particularly good for team results but it was certainly a reasonable assumption at the time until Wilt saw Russell winning season after season and overcompensated, taking too few shots and just playing defense and rebounding.

1. I'm only asserting that, during a close game 7 of a playoff series that involved the Boston Celtics, if Mendy Rudolph was officiating & was in a position to make a close call, he subconsciously would've ruled in favor of Boston, which many have suggested that he did, not just Wilt.

The fact that the Boston Celtics usually were the best team in NBA basketball during Bill Russell's tenure is not a conspiracy.
The fact that Mendy Rudolph was a Celtic & Russell admirer IS a conspiracy, at least by a few people.

2. Wilt was & is, to me, wholeheartedly the greatest individual force, not only in professional basketball, but also professional athletics as well. His teammates did not always perform up to par in playoff competition, but perhaps that was largely because not only did Wilt not only led the NBA scoring, but during those season his teammates were largely incapable of producing offensively to the same degree that they were able to the 2nd half of his career, when his surrounding personnel did not necessitate him leading the league in scoring, unlike the 1st half.

3. To your last point, not to dismiss modern analytics, or even the data available during Wilt/Russell's era, but during the 1st half of Wilt's career, particularly 61-62, Wilt not only needed to produce offensively to the degree that he was capable of, Coach McGuire insisted he do so, vs Wilt's initial hesitation at training camp. And all things considered, I insisted it worked to perfection!

[mstat13shuh]

Another critical point here:

In the 1962 Eastern Divisional Finals, Mendy Rudolph did not officiate ANY of the initial 6 games, however, once Frank McGuire noticed Rudolph on the court for game 7, Frank was livid & threatened to pull his entire Philadelphia Warrior team off the court in protest, but to no avail.

Many might suggest here as well that is merely another NBA conspiracy in the history of conspiracies.

I suggest & even insist, the league office did so intentionally because they of all people knew of Rudolph's preference for the Celtics & Russell, particularly in a close game 7, which, as we all know, went down to the final possession.

[mstat13shuh]

Furthermore, as we all know as well, game 7 of the '62 NBA Finals, not only went to game 7, but OT as well.

I don't know offhand(forgive me)if Rudolph was officiating that game, but if so, someone who knows what I do would be inclined to assert that he was making close calls in that game in favor of Boston as well.

After all, at the very end of regulation, shortly after Selvy missed the final FGA in regulation, Baylor WAS shoved out of bounds by Sam Jones & the referee in position to blow his whistle chose to swallow it.

On twitter, I've suggested on certain occasions that in certain seasons, there should be co-NBA champions.

For 61-62, I will go 1 step further:

The Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers & Philadelphia Warriors should be tri-NBA champions.

[penbeast0]

On the other hand, I remember the 76ers incredible stat guy, Harvey Pollack, used to keep track of home and away team fouls and publish them in his stat sheets. The NBA made him stop because every referee in the league the year I saw them favored the home teams (some by a large extent) except Mendy Rudolph. As the Celtics were generally the home team in the playoffs, maybe the Sixers should have asked for him.

[Owly]

In Wilt's initial autobiography, he stated during one season(65-66, I believe)when the 76ers were snowbound in-between games in Detroit or somewhere & a bunch of people went to the movies together & Mendy Rudolph blurted out loud for everyone to hear how he "just loved watching Russell & Boston play" & how Russell "always seems to have what it takes in the clutch."

Once Wilt heard that, he immediately thought back to game 7 '62 EDF at Boston & all the other games in Boston where Mendy refereed and REALLY got pissed.

Do you have a page reference?

I'm looking at what I'd think to be the main (only?) section on the '66 playoffs (p173-174) and it has him saying the team were flat, that Greer only scored 21 points total over the first two games, that Boston had "hot outside shooting and a devastating fast break" in those two games, that Auerbach outcoached Schayes, that his key block sent game four to overtime but whilst a win there tying the series could have been a turning point, they didn't and that he outproduced Russell but nothing akin to what is suggested here.

Thanks in advance for any time and effort in this matter.

1) Of course: p. 139
2) the Mendy movie theater incident in question was during the 65-66 regular season, not the playoffs.
3) good job on the last part
4) my pleasure

Just to verify for those without the book this is what Wilt(/Shaw) wrote in the book. The year or time of year isn't given. There is window based on it being "several years later when I was with the 76ers and we were all snowbound between games in Detroit". It is written in a section about the '62 Easteren Division Finals (which explains why I didn't see it with regard to '66 and gives a loose indication of time regarding "several years later" from '62).

[mstat13shuh]

On the other hand, I remember the 76ers incredible stat guy, Harvey Pollack, used to keep track of home and away team fouls and publish them in his stat sheets. The NBA made him stop because every referee in the league the year I saw them favored the home teams (some by a large extent) except Mendy Rudolph. As the Celtics were generally the home team in the playoffs, maybe the Sixers should have asked for him.

Incredible, but then again, for me, not so incredible.

Do you have a link for this that I could study for further reference?

Thanks.

[mstat13shuh]

Some relative lividity context on this matter:

If there is ANYONE, & I do mean ANYONE, who admires William F. Russell & who has attempted to pattern numerous aspects of his life, both on & off the basketball court, that someone would be myself, as much as anybody.

In early 2000, I purchased a paperback copy of "Go Up For Glory"(I later purchased a hardback)& studied it voraciously, so much to the degree that I was determined to meet him in person, which I was blessed to do in February 2001(Another huge reason for me being determined to meet him was because of Wilt's October 1999 transition).

For me it was like encountering a nearly 6'10" Moorish(African)male prince. It was literally a moment in time which stood still.
A moment I will never forget as long as I'm physically here on earth, motivates me in many ways, even today.

Nonetheless, I still must assert that Bill Russell, particularly as a player, was much more popular(& still true even today to a large degree)than Wilt & got breaks from the scorekeepers, particularly in the rebounding department, that Wilt, unfortunately, generally did not get.

Did Russ do better at home rebounding-wise than he did the road? Absolutely.
But not to the same degree that Wilt did.

[mstat13shuh]

To further illustrate my above point in a similar context, consider this for a moment as well:

Back when NBATV still broadcast older games in the early-mid 2000s, it did not broadcast any of Wilt's truly dominating performances, only game 5 of the 1972 NBA Finals. I wondered for awhile whether this was mere coincidence, or if there was a legitimate behind-the-scenes purpose to the programming being what it was.

My instincts were correct. It was a legitimate purpose by the league office.

Someone affiliated with NBA Archives-Entertainment(sorry no names here)essentially confirmed this to me recently via email that many in the NBA Headquarters, for lack of a better description has a particular disdain for Wilton Norman Chamberlain.

This is particularly troubling when you also consider that there is unbelievably more footage available from the Russell-Chamberlain era of basketball than most established folks will even begin to divulge.

NBA:

Naive
Bi&^*#$
A&%*()#$

(Apologies for those directly affiliated with the league office who DO intend to unearth the 100% truth about something like this to similar degree as myself, much love to them, nevertheless, I must call them as I see fit. This treasure chest can only remain deadbolted for so long.)

[mstat13shuh]

Another interesting phenomenon which some consider conspiracy & I consider intentional:

In "View From Above" Wilt states that during the NBA's 35 year anniversary celebration(1980-81), there was a party in New York City celebrating the 35 greatest players(selected by the league)in NBA history.(p 53)

Bill Russell was selected as the greatest player(& in many was, understandably so)
Red Auerbach was selected as the greatest coach(also understandably so)

Oddly enough, the 2 greatest teams selected were:

1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers
1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers

BOTH OF WILT CHAMBERLAIN'S NBA CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS!

BUT THERE'S MORE:

Bill Russell was invited to the ceremony, but Wilt Chamberlain WAS NOT!

Wilt said, in recollection, that he thought the NBA would deny this, but still asserted that the reason Wilt was not invited & Russell was, was because Wilt thought many people would make a big deal out of Wilt not being selected as the NBA's greatest player of all time & wanted to avoid the controversy at all costs.