On record 'bout Wilt (it's the off season after all)

[AirFederer]

So every Wilt fan and stan, please comment on each and every point. Yes/no is a must.

So, going by the Wilt clan, he was the
1. strongest
2.longest/longer than Shaq
3.heaviest/Shaqs equal
4.longest wingspan and standing reach
5.fastest
6.best endurance
7.best hops
8.best powerdunker
9.best post moves
10.bank shot like TD
11.fadeaway like Dirk
12.best scorer, rebounder, shot blocker of all time
13.best assisting center
14.never outplayed
15.never chocked/never lost a series he should have won
16.winning mentality on par with MJ
17.the games (38 or so) Kareem outscored him doesn't count because Wilt had had a knee operation
18.slept with 20000 women
19.killed a mountain lion with bare hands
20.world class volleyballer, weight lifter and track athlete
21. Ran 40 yards at 4.6 weighing ~345 pounds wearing suit and tie, and barefoot

Did I forget anything?
Wasn't he also first man to walk on the Moon and he invented the wheel?

Calling out Cavsftv, lazeruss, la frescobaldi, julizaver etc. C'mon!!

[LAZERUSS]

So every Wilt fan and stan, please comment on each and every point. Yes/no is a must.

So, going by the Wilt clan, he was the
1. strongest
2.longest/longer than Shaq
3.heaviest/Shaqs equal
4.longest wingspan and standing reach
5.fastest
6.best endurance
7.best hops
8.best powerdunker
9.best post moves
10.bank shot like TD
11.fadeaway like Dirk
12.best scorer, rebounder, shot blocker of all time
13.best assisting center
14.never outplayed
15.never chocked/never lost a series he should have won
16.winning mentality on par with MJ
17.the games (38 or so) Kareem outscored him doesn't count because Wilt had had a knee operation
18.slept with 20000 women
19.killed a mountain lion with bare hands
20.world class volleyballer, weight lifter and track athlete
21. Ran 40 yards at 4.6 weighing ~345 pounds wearing suit and tie, and barefoot

Did I forget anything?
Wasn't he also first man to walk on the Moon and he invented the wheel?

Calling out Cavsftv, lazeruss, la frescobaldi, julizaver etc. C'mon!!

Bolded is correct.

Easily the strongest.

By far the best endurance.

Best hops for a big man. A 40-42" vertical.

He had an exceptional bank shot and fadaway.

The record book validates the best scorer and rebounder, and in the documented research we have, he was easily the game's best shot-blocker.

By far the best passing (assisting) center, and that includes outlet passing as well.

World-class volleyball player? He did dominate at least some. This is well documented. World class weight-lifter? Well Arnold would tell you he was. Even if he wasn't he was easily the strongest basketball player of all-time. World class track athlete? Let me put it to you this way...there were those that felt he would have been among the greatest, if not the greatest decathlete. And really, had Wilt concentrated on his track career, he likely would have been among the best in the world.

He did run a 4.6 40, and likely a 4.4.

The rest...he should have won in '69, and he did not play well, but his coach had more to do with it than he did. Outplayed? Statistically Kareem got the best of him in the '72 WCF's, but those that actually watched the series proclaimed that Wilt not only outplayed Kareem, there there were those that claimed that he decisively outplayed Kareem. And no, Willis Reed did not outplay Wilt in either '70 or '72...despite winning the FMVP's.

Hope that helps.

[Millslapped]

not to diminish guys like Russell and West, two great defenders...but defense back then was nowhere near as good as it is today.

[LAZERUSS]

not to diminish guys like Russell and West, two great defenders...but defense back then was nowhere near as good as it is today.

Oh really? How about you ask Kareem who gave him more trouble, Hakeem, or Thurmond. The stats CLEARLY give Nate a HUGE edge. And his second toughest defensive center he faced? An aging Wilt, on a surgically repaired knee. Again, Hakeem was nowhere near as effective. And keep in mind that Thurmond and Wilt faced a PEAK Kareem. Meanwhile a 38-40 year old Kareem just carpet-bombd a helpless 22-24 year old Hakeem (who would be All-Defense First Team at age 24.)

I could go on. The centers that gave Kareem the most trouble were those from the 60's and 70's, He slaughtered those from the 80's...two of whom were among the best centers of the 90's (Hakeem and Ewing.)

[superteamtheory]

1-11 is accurate.. 12 is debatable but he's in the convo for sure.. not sure about the rest.. the "outplayed" is less debateable because, as Russell (the guy who would have outplayed him in this argument) once put it, Wilt score 60 on me once... I didn't want him to score 60, he scored 60... against the greatest defensive player the league had seen or maybe ever has seen / will see ... So, outplayed? Russell might have overachieved at times (okay, most the time??) but I'm not sure it was physically possible to outplay Wilt unless you were one of the other 10 GOATS, like Kareem (able to put up better stats) for example..

[Millslapped]

Oh really? How about you ask Kareem who gave him more trouble, Hakeem, or Thurmond. The stats CLEARLY give Nate a HUGE edge. And his second toughest defensive center he faced? An aging Wilt, on a surgically repaired knee. Again, Hakeem was nowhere near as effective. And keep in mind that Thurmond and Wilt faced a PEAK Kareem. Meanwhile a 38-40 year old Kareem just carpet-bombd a helpless 22-24 year old Hakeem (who would be All-Defense First Team at age 24.)

I could go on. The centers that gave Kareem the most trouble were those from the 60's and 70's, He slaughtered those from the 80's...two of whom were among the best centers of the 90's (Hakeem and Ewing.)

I know that this is getting away from the original post some, but most people tend to diminish Wilt's accomplishments because he was so much bigger, taller, stronger, and more athletic than his opposing centers. And it is true, that when Wilt was scoring 50 ppg, it was Russell at 6-9 and Bellamy at 6-11, and the rest were pretty much 6-8 or 6-9 stiffs.

[Marchesk]

I know that this is getting away from the original post some, but most people tend to diminish Wilt's accomplishments because he was so much bigger, taller, stronger, and more athletic than his opposing centers.

Same could be said for Shaq much of the time. How many centers in the league could physically match up with O'Neal? How much of an advantage did Magic have being 6'9 as a PG?

[DonDadda59]

Same could be said for Shaq much of the time. How many centers in the league could physically match up with O'Neal?

FAR more than what Wilt faced earlier in his career. Even when the center position started to thin out during the Lakers' 3-peat, Shaq was still going up against the 7'4" Rik Smits and the 7'2" Dikemebe whereas Wilt was facing 6'8" 230 lbs centers on a nightly basis.

How much of an advantage did Magic have being 6'9 as a PG?

Depends on who was guarding him.

If it was Dennis Johnson or Isaiah Thomas, huge physical advantage. If it was Rodman or Pippen... not so much.

[LAZERUSS]

FAR more than what Wilt faced earlier in his career. Even when the center position started to thin out during the Lakers' 3-peat, Shaq was still going up against the 7'4" Rik Smits and the 7'2" Dikemebe whereas Wilt was facing 6'8" 230 lbs centers on a nightly basis.




Depends on who was guarding him.

If it was Dennis Johnson or Isaiah Thomas, huge physical advantage. If it was Rodman or Pippen... not so much.

Smits, who was never a defensive force, was in his last season in '00, and was just a shell. Mutombo was basically 35 in '01, and going downhill, despite his "DPOY." And McCullough? McCullough would not have been a starter in Wilt's era, and may not have even made a roster. Hell that goofball only played four miserable seasons in his NBA career.

As for the "6-8" centers Wilt faced? The average starting center in '62 was 6-10. By the end of the decade, it was 6-11. Just this past year, the average starting center was 6-11 (and even that is questionable, since most of them have been measured in shoes.) There were FAR more clowns playing center in the early 00's, than what Wilt was facing in the 60's and early 70's.

[Millslapped]

Smits, who was never a defensive force, was in his last season in '00, and was just a shell. Mutombo was basically 35 in '01, and going downhill, despite his "DPOY." And McCullough? McCullough would not have been a starter in Wilt's era, and may not have even made a roster. Hell that goofball only played four miserable seasons in his NBA career.

As for the "6-8" centers Wilt faced? The average starting center in '62 was 6-10. By the end of the decade, it was 6-11. Just this past year, the average starting center was 6-11 (and even that is questionable, since most of them have been measured in shoes.) There were FAR more clowns playing center in the early 00's, than what Wilt was facing in the 60's and early 70's.

Wilt's competition in that 61-62 season was not stellar. Basically only Russell and Bellamy were anywhere near his ability...and neither could approach him in terms of statistical domination.

[Marchesk]

Wilt's competition in that 61-62 season was not stellar. Basically only Russell and Bellamy were anywhere near his ability...and neither could approach him in terms of statistical domination.

Pettit averaged 31/18.7 a game that season. Yeah, he was a PF, but he was a big.

[LAZERUSS]

Wilt's competition in that 61-62 season was not stellar. Basically only Russell and Bellamy were anywhere near his ability...and neither could approach him in terms of statistical domination.

Lovellette is in the HOF, and put up a 21-9 season, albeit, it was in 40 games. Kerr put up a 16-15 season, and had multiple all-star appearances, and his back-up was the 7-3 Swede Halbrook. Embry was under-sized in terms of height, but he was a powerful man who put up a 19-13 season (BTW, he is in the HOF, and was an all-star in his career.) Dukes was a legit seven-footer, who put up a 9-10 season.

BUT, Chamberlain faced Russell and Bellamy 10 times each, as well as the other's. One-fourth of his games were against HOF centers, and both were at their peak.

And yes, Wilt slaughtered all of them.

[Millslapped]

Lovellette is in the HOF, and put up a 21-9 season, albeit, it was in 40 games. Kerr put up a 16-15 season, and had multiple all-star appearances, and his back-up was the 7-3 Swede Halbrook. Embry was under-sized in terms of height, but he was a powerful man who put up a 19-13 season (BTW, he is in the HOF, and was an all-star in his career.) Dukes was a legit seven-footer, who put up a 9-10 season.

BUT, Chamberlain faced Russell and Bellamy 10 times each, as well as the other's. One-fourth of his games were against HOF centers, and both were at their peak.

And yes, Wilt slaughtered all of them.

How many other basketball players could you say that about? Perhaps Russell would be another Ben Wallace, albeit a better passer...but that is not saying much. Sure, West, Robertson, and maybe a handful of others would be good players today, but all-stars? Nah.

[LAZERUSS]

How many other basketball players could you say that about? Perhaps Russell would be another Ben Wallace, albeit a better passer...but that is not saying much. Sure, West, Robertson, and maybe a handful of others would be good players today, but all-stars? Nah.

Russell was a 19-24-5 guy in that regular season, and a 22-26-5 guy in the post-season...including a 23-27-6 .543 Finals.

And Russell led his Celtics in scoring in the '66 Finals...with a 24-24-4 .538 series. And in his '65 Finals, he put up an 18-25-6 .702 Finals (yes...a .702 FG%.)

Incidently, Russell was as tall as Cousins, D Jordan, Drummond, and Howard.

[DonDadda59]

Smits, who was never a defensive force, was in his last season in '00 and was just a shell

But he was 7'4" and very skilled. Mid range game was on point.

Mutombo was basically 35 in '01, and going downhill, despite his "DPOY."

Why the quotation marks? DPOY = DPOY. A 7'2" 250 lbs one at that.

Wilt was getting thrashed regularly during his Lakers championship berth years by the 7'2" 230 lbs Kareem.

And McCullough? McCullough would not have been a starter in Wilt's era

Please don't make me post the stats and pictures of the starting centers during Wilt's era again.

As for the "6-8" centers Wilt faced? The average starting center in '62 was 6-10.

There were only 9 teams in the league. Take the 7'1" Wilt out, what's the average height of his competition then?

In '60 the average height was slightly over 6'8", weight 223 lbs. That was the size of the average center Wilt faced upon entering the NBA.

There were FAR more clowns playing center in the early 00's, than what Wilt was facing in the 60's and early 70's.

In the early 60s you had 6'8" 230 lbs guys who were only part time basketballs players who had day jobs starting as centers. Basketball was just a low paying hobby for them. Again, please don't make me post their stats and picks.