Wilt Chamberlain's top two known sprints on a basketball court - speed calculated:

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Could you do this for current nba players as well ?

[CavaliersFTW]

Could you do this for current nba players as well ?

Yah, read the comments I did it for a Dwyane Wade clip. Also did it for a more recently retired player David Robinson.

[sundizz]

Robinson is closer to Russell than he is to Wilt - everything from body weight and physique to the way they move around on the floor. Robinson is just closer in height to Wilt.

Interesting fact about Robinson, during the 1988 Olympics the U.S. penciled him in at 7-1 and 235lbs. But when he arrived for practice he was measured at 7-0 (not surprising because we all know heights can be inflated by varying degrees) but what was surprsing was that he only tipped the scale at 226lbs at the time. This is only 11lbs heavier than Bill Russell was at the same age, and Bill Russell was 2.5 inches shorter. So Robinson had a very skinny natural frame no matter how ripped it looked. Now, eventually Robinson did fill out to 235lbs, and even beyond that he topped out by the time he retired at about 265lbs.

However, Wilt at only 17 years old still in high school at 6-11.5 w/o shoes, was already 225lbs. So Wilt at a younger age and shorter height was as heavy as Robinson was in his early 20's. By the time Wilt was an NBA rookie he was 258lbs - almost as heavy as Robinson maxed out at. And by his 5th season Wilt played at 290lbs and up. Their size makes them play and look a lot differently in my eyes. Robinson moved fleet footed around the floor and used his quickness and face up skills to score. Wilt (in the NBA I'm talking, not NCAA) moved slower and much more deliberate with much more back to the basket post play and deep positioning. Wilt played and looked more like Shaq IMO.

I am curious what makes Wilt so much of a better player/athlete than Bynum? They seem to both be about the same height, with similar length (maybe Wilt longer?), a similar base, similar athleticism, and speed. I only base this off clips of Wilt. I do think Wilt is better, don't get me wrong. However, how do you think a healthy Bynum would of done against Wilt had he played back then? Out of all current NBA centers, he seems to be the only one that could even compete against Wilt.

[CavaliersFTW]

I am curious what makes Wilt so much of a better player/athlete than Bynum? They seem to both be about the same height, with similar length (maybe Wilt longer?), a similar base, similar athleticism, and speed. I only base this off clips of Wilt. I do think Wilt is better, don't get me wrong. However, how do you think a healthy Bynum would of done against Wilt had he played back then? Out of all current NBA centers, he seems to be the only one that could even compete against Wilt.

Please show me when Bynum was similarly athletic or fast: http://youtu.be/S8JuK2dVky0?t=6m7s

[sundizz]

Please show me when Bynum was similarly athletic or fast: http://youtu.be/S8JuK2dVky0?t=6m7s

The time spot that video was linked to just shows me a grainy clip of some skinny dude (may or may not be Wilt even) that goaltends then dribbles with the ball. I thought we were comparing the older Wilt that actually had some muscle and frame on him? Honestly, these old old videos of Wilt make it seem like he is a beanpole. I have no idea how he weighed so much but looked so skinny. It doesn't make sense.

And Bynum is plenty athletic and long. He is just mental midget and injury prone. I don't think he is as fast as Wilt by any means, but I just thought he is a good current comparison when healthy of an older Wilt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n6GJJ-SxEo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...yWkUSYv54&t=12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8poZduOk4E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fOJoJ1wGS8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-fBUFwaeBI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...pjUxnxBQk&t=88

[PHILA]

Look how much ground he covers in one step. Not a hop skip travel but in just one step he goes from about 7-8 feet out right to the front of the rim. This is perhaps the one faceup move I have seen him do. I can't picture Bynum covering this kind of ground in one step. Slow motion video below.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UShBN1POkwY&t=40s

Wilt played and looked more like Shaq IMO.

I have seen Shaq cover some ground as well, but not just one step like Wilt. He seemed to have a more compact and bruising style.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rye1hRrkLro&t=1h12m32s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdU-amDQTrE&t=6m5s

[PHILA]

It's unfair anyways to compare today's athletes to those of the past. Apparently Tony Bosch has also had NBA clients.



http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/...-investigation

The man who turned the Biogenesis clinic from a quiet investigation in Miami into a national scandal says there are at least "a dozen" more athletes whose names haven't been exposed, and they come from across the sports world.

Porter Fischer, the former Biogenesis of Miami clinic employee who turned boxes of documents over to the Miami New Times last year, declined to name the athletes. But in his first television interview, Fischer told "Outside the Lines" that numerous sports had at least one athlete that received performance-enhancing drugs from clinic founder Tony Bosch.

"This isn't a 2013 thing or a 2012 thing; some of these people have been on the books since 2009," Fischer said.

Fischer said he and associates have identified athletes from the NBA, NCAA, professional boxing, tennis and MMA, in addition to other professional baseball players who have not yet been identified. As far as he knows, he said, Bosch had no clients from the NFL or NHL.

He also said the only sports entity he has ever heard from was Major League Baseball.

[CavaliersFTW]

The time spot that video was linked to just shows me a grainy clip of some skinny dude (may or may not be Wilt even) that goaltends then dribbles with the ball. I thought we were comparing the older Wilt that actually had some muscle and frame on him? Honestly, these old old videos of Wilt make it seem like he is a beanpole. I have no idea how he weighed so much but looked so skinny. It doesn't make sense.

And Bynum is plenty athletic and long. He is just mental midget and injury prone. I don't think he is as fast as Wilt by any means, but I just thought he is a good current comparison when healthy of an older Wilt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n6GJJ-SxEo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...yWkUSYv54&t=12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8poZduOk4E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fOJoJ1wGS8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-fBUFwaeBI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...pjUxnxBQk&t=88

Sundizz I'm sorry, but your giving me nothing to address. Maybe watch the video of that skinny 19 year old Wilt in entirety, it will do more than I could ever explain as to why he's a far better athlete than Andrew Bynum. Andrew Bynum was never that athletic, ever. And even the 25 years old and under Andrew Bynum your showing in those simple dunks with hardly any lift and the steal with 3 slow-motion strides to the hoop isn't analogous to Wilt's athleticism when Wilt was 36 years old. If you can't recognize it watching film than I don't know what to tell you.

This has a lot of footage of Wilt at 290+ lbs (as heavy and heavier than Bynum's 265-285lb playing weight)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwvdsi6gLl8

Can you also not tell what separates Michael Jordan from Danny Green? Should it even matter whether your looking at the "skinny" version of MJ playing college competition or not? The same applies to Wilt. No matter who he's playing in highlights and no matter how muscular or skinny he is, it's obvious he's on another level than Andrew Bynum athletically. Bynum can't even play a full season healthy where as Wilt didn't miss a game in 1962 and averaged 48.5mpg. I mean, your also making the assertion that Bynum is a comparable athlete to Wilt in a thread that calculated Wilt fast breaking across midcourt at 20.4mph w/o the ball and over 16mph with the ball and you've yet to provide a clip with Andrew showcasing similar athleticism.

Phil Jackson recently stated Wilt was on another level athletically than Shaquille O'Neal. He played against the mid-30's version of Wilt and coached both prime Shaq and young Bynum. Think about that. If your observation skills net you the idea that Bynum = Wilt than that would mean Phil also thinks Bynum is on another level athletically than Shaq? Does that make sense to you?

[iamgine]

Can you calculate this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD54eF2XKJA

Perhaps the time from when he jump till he reach the basket would be his fastest time?

or

from after mid circle to free throw line.

[CavaliersFTW]

Can you calculate this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD54eF2XKJA

Perhaps the time from when he jump till he reach the basket would be his fastest time?

or

from after mid circle to free throw line.

I'll calculate in a few spots tonight after work and figure out the fastest split - that might not be him running his fastest though i'd imagine there are better clips out there somewhere of him running fast

[iamgine]

^Yeah I guess you're right. How about this instead:

http://youtu.be/eJDsNPKodqg?t=1m29s

Derrick Rose looked really fast his last 2 steps before he jumped

[CavaliersFTW]

We've got like 15 Kobe/Lebron threads a day in the off season and half a dozen Euroleague threads and one of the sincere threads that is doing something different and interesting get's a 1 star rating?

[iamgine]

We've got like 15 Kobe/Lebron threads a day in the off season and half a dozen Euroleague threads and one of the sincere threads that is doing something different and interesting get's a 1 star rating?

Dont worry about stars man.

Anyways...pretty curious about the Derrick Rose last 2 steps. The replay gives a pretty clear view if you know how much it's slowed down by.

Here's a chasedown block by Aaron Brooks that's sure to be 19+ mph. Too bad he moves diagonally.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgIM3HzPR9Q

[dunksby]

Great thread, 32Km/h for a 7 footer is mind boggling, I'm curious to know how fast Kareem used to be at his peak as well. CavsFTW

[La Frescobaldi]

I am curious what makes Wilt so much of a better player/athlete than Bynum? They seem to both be about the same height, with similar length (maybe Wilt longer?), a similar base, similar athleticism, and speed. I only base this off clips of Wilt. I do think Wilt is better, don't get me wrong. However, how do you think a healthy Bynum would of done against Wilt had he played back then? Out of all current NBA centers, he seems to be the only one that could even compete against Wilt.

There is a fluid grace to the world class athlete that others just do not possess.
A thing that is so forgotten about 13 is... he was universally admired for his grace. He moved like a giant cat - we're not talking about your average everyday amazing NBA athlete. Chamberlain... he would sit in a restaurant and just his motions with his arms, the way he carried himself just sitting in a chair, would arrest the attention of the entire room. It was a simple gut level recognition of another dimension of athleticism that really nobody else has shown.
If they were on the court, Chamberlain - as would Shaq also - would have out-performed Bynum in every possible way.
There's literally no comparison of Wilt & Bynum except size... I would say the same about Shaq, to a lesser degree. Shaq had some of the physical skills, to a certain extent, but he never had 13s absolute competitive fire. Look at the record books to see what I mean