Swap Russell and Wilt's rosters from '59-60 Thru '68-69

[LAZERUSS]

Philly - 6 Rings
SF - 2 Rings
Lakers - 5 Rings


Celtics - 0 Rings

So in their ten seasons in the league together, and from between '59-60 thru '68-69, the NBA will hand out 13 titles?

And please tell me who wins the title in the '62-63 season.

[aj1987]

So in their ten seasons in the league together, and from between '59-60 thru '68-69, the NBA will hand out 13 titles?

And please tell me who wins the title in the '62-63 season.

Not the Celtics.

[LAZERUSS]

Not the Celtics.

Yep...no way a Wilt with EIGHT other HOFers can beat Russell's team with ONE (and that was Guy Rodgers, who was the worst shooter of his era.)

Oh, and then Wilt would face the Lakers in the Finals.

Russell against LA that year in the Finals (6 games)...20 ppg, 26.0 rpg, and on a .467 FG%.

Wilt against LA in his 12 regular season 62-63 H2H's...48.6 ppg on a .541 FG%.
Including high games of 40, 40, 42, 53, 63, and 72 points.

[Asukal]

With that chokers mentality? Probably only 2.

[Psileas]

I think it's even more realistic to ask what would have happened had we also swapped their career seasons, as well, because I don't think winning the title in the late 50's was as tough as winning it in the early 70's.

Having said this and assuming that, for some reason, Russell also gets traded (that's a big "if" by itself) and that their health issues also follow suit (another big "if"):

1957: '60 level Wilt wins title, although his stats drop a bit due to a stupid hand injury after punching Lovellette, making the series a close one.
1958: '61 level Wilt doesn't get injured like Russell did, wins title
1959: '62 Wilt is never told to average 50 ppg, still completely dominates the Lakers and wins title
1960: '63 Wilt wins title, '57 Russell easily wins the ROY, but can't lead the '60 Warriors past Wilt's Celtics.
1961: '64 Wilt wins title, dominates the Hawks in the Finals.
1962: '65 Wilt ruins the Lakers in the Finals, wins title. Russell's Warriors put on a good fight, but they are simply outmatched.
1963: '66 Wilt again is too much for the Lakers. '60 Russell's defense and team spirit lifts the Warriors to a somewhat better record than '63 Wilt, who had been overused, but the Warriors still fall way short that season.
1964: Wow! That's peak Wilt playing for the arguably most dominant 60's Celtic team! The Celtics break the most wins record. '61 Russell easily leads the Warriors to the Finals, but the Celtics are no match for them.
1965: '68 Wilt leads the Celtics to another great record, but faces injury problems in the postseason. '62 Russell manages to outplay him in the playoffs more times than ever before and makes the series very competitive. This is very close to call, I might give the Sixers a slight adv.
1966: The Celtics beat the Sixers and the Lakers, Wilt's injury in the Finals comes too late and doesn't cost his team the title.
1967: '64 Russell leads an incredible Sixers' team, while '70 Wilt deals with his serious injury. Russell easily wins title.
1968: '65 Russell is healthy and still beasting with the Sixers. '71 Wilt plays solid ball. The Sixers face injury problems and in the playoffs, the 2 giants' battle is epic. Could go either way.
1969: Another tough one, with '66 Russell on the Lakers and '72 Wilt on the Celtics. This goes to 7 games, but in the end, coach Van Breda Kolff, who has put Mel Counts in to give Russell a few moments of rest, falls in love with Counts' long shots, forgets Russell on the bench and costs the title. Kolff is fired, Russell becomes the player-coach of the Lakers.
1970: '67 Russell leads the Lakers to the title. '73 Wilt's Celtics now seem too old and bored.
1971: Wilt has retired. Kareem's Milwaukee still beats Russell's Lakers (playing without West and Baylor), wins title.
1972: Either Milwaukee repeats or '69 Russell kind of limits Kareem enough to give the Lakers a tough victory. I give an edge to Milwaukee, though. I think Wilt's size and strength would have been more bothersome defensively for Kareem than Russell's quickness and smarts.

[FKAri]

Then Bill Russel is forgotten or put in the Nate Thurmond tier while Wilt is the Pele of basketball.

[LAZERUSS]

I think it's even more realistic to ask what would have happened had we also swapped their career seasons, as well, because I don't think winning the title in the late 50's was as tough as winning it in the early 70's.

Having said this and assuming that, for some reason, Russell also gets traded (that's a big "if" by itself) and that their health issues also follow suit (another big "if"):

1957: '60 level Wilt wins title, although his stats drop a bit due to a stupid hand injury after punching Lovellette, making the series a close one.
1958: '61 level Wilt doesn't get injured like Russell did, wins title
1959: '62 Wilt is never told to average 50 ppg, still completely dominates the Lakers and wins title
1960: '63 Wilt wins title, '57 Russell easily wins the ROY, but can't lead the '60 Warriors past Wilt's Celtics.
1961: '64 Wilt wins title, dominates the Hawks in the Finals.
1962: '65 Wilt ruins the Lakers in the Finals, wins title. Russell's Warriors put on a good fight, but they are simply outmatched.
1963: '66 Wilt again is too much for the Lakers. '60 Russell's defense and team spirit lifts the Warriors to a somewhat better record than '63 Wilt, who had been overused, but the Warriors still fall way short that season.
1964: Wow! That's peak Wilt playing for the arguably most dominant 60's Celtic team! The Celtics break the most wins record. '61 Russell easily leads the Warriors to the Finals, but the Celtics are no match for them.
1965: '68 Wilt leads the Celtics to another great record, but faces injury problems in the postseason. '62 Russell manages to outplay him in the playoffs more times than ever before and makes the series very competitive. This is very close to call, I might give the Sixers a slight adv.
1966: The Celtics beat the Sixers and the Lakers, Wilt's injury in the Finals comes too late and doesn't cost his team the title.
1967: '64 Russell leads an incredible Sixers' team, while '70 Wilt deals with his serious injury. Russell easily wins title.
1968: '65 Russell is healthy and still beasting with the Sixers. '71 Wilt plays solid ball. The Sixers face injury problems and in the playoffs, the 2 giants' battle is epic. Could go either way.
1969: Another tough one, with '66 Russell on the Lakers and '72 Wilt on the Celtics. This goes to 7 games, but in the end, coach Van Breda Kolff, who has put Mel Counts in to give Russell a few moments of rest, falls in love with Counts' long shots, forgets Russell on the bench and costs the title. Kolff is fired, Russell becomes the player-coach of the Lakers.
1970: '67 Russell leads the Lakers to the title. '73 Wilt's Celtics now seem too old and bored.
1971: Wilt has retired. Kareem's Milwaukee still beats Russell's Lakers (playing without West and Baylor), wins title.
1972: Either Milwaukee repeats or '69 Russell kind of limits Kareem enough to give the Lakers a tough victory. I give an edge to Milwaukee, though. I think Wilt's size and strength would have been more bothersome defensively for Kareem than Russell's quickness and smarts.

Classic...

[Deuce Bigalow]

Don't worry OP, Wilt would still find a way to choke while being on the heavily favored teams. Better rosters means more pressure, which means more choking. We are talking about a player who was swept in the first round with HCA to a team with a losing record. His choking is well documented and attested to by his peers including Rick Barry, "I'll say what most players feel, which is that Wilt is a loser...He is terrible in big games. He knows he is going to lose and be blamed for the loss, so he dreads it, and you can see it in his eyes; and anyone who has ever played with him will agree with me, regardless of whether they would admit it publicly. When it comes down to the closing minutes of a tough game, an important game, he doesn't want the ball, he doesn't want any part of the pressure. It is at these times that greatness is determined and Wilt doesn't have it. There is no way you can compare him to a pro like a Bill Russell or a Jerry West...these are clutch competitors." Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=2zR...tput=html_text

[Marchesk]

Then Bill Russel is forgotten or put in the Nate Thurmond tier while Wilt is the Pele of basketball.

Probably this. Wilt is considered the GOAT today instead of MJ.

[LAZERUSS]

Don't worry OP, Wilt would still find a way to choke while being on the heavily favored teams. Better rosters means more pressure, which means more choking. We are talking about a player who was swept in the first round with HCA to a team with a losing record. His choking is well documented and attested to by his peers including Rick Barry, "I'll say what most players feel, which is that Wilt is a loser...He is terrible in big games. He knows he is going to lose and be blamed for the loss, so he dreads it, and you can see it in his eyes; and anyone who has ever played with him will agree with me, regardless of whether they would admit it publicly. When it comes down to the closing minutes of a tough game, an important game, he doesn't want the ball, he doesn't want any part of the pressure. It is at these times that greatness is determined and Wilt doesn't have it. There is no way you can compare him to a pro like a Bill Russell or a Jerry West...these are clutch competitors." Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=2zR...tput=html_text

Barry interviewed in the 70's, and then again a couple of years ago...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSTt_TxoFVo


"Rick, if you could have ONE player to build a team around, who would it be?"

Barry: "No question...it would be WILT."

Later in the interviw (around the 2:45 mark)

Barry: "Jordan is the greatest 2 guard, but it would be ludicrous to say that he was a greater player than Chamberlain."

Try harder next time...

[Deuce Bigalow]

Barry interviewed in the 70's, and then again a couple of years ago...

"Rick, if you could have ONE player to build a team around, who would it be?"

Barry: "No question...it would be WILT."

Try harder next time...

We all know that isn't what Rick really thinks

[LAZERUSS]

We all know that isn't what Rick really thinks

Listen again...(two separate interviews...one in the 70's and the other a couple of years ago.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSTt_TxoFVo

Completely refutes EVERY point you made. And then confirms it just a couple of years ago.

[LAZERUSS]

We all know that isn't what Rick really thinks

By the way listen to Barry at about the 1:20 mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSTt_TxoFVo

Barry completely AGREED with OP.

"If Wilt would have Russell's teammates, Wilt's records in championships would be phenomenal."

Deuce, you are just too funny...

[The JKidd Kid]

You should read The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons. It'll change everything you ever thought about Wilt and make you realize just how much of a selfish, underachieving and narcissistic player he was.

[LAZERUSS]

You should read The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons. It'll change everything you ever thought about Wilt and make you realize just how much of a selfish, underachieving and narcissistic player he was.

Bill Simmons is and was...FULL OF SHIT.