Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain

[Doctor K]

This is becoming an increasingly popular topic on ISH. They had a great rivalry. Maybe the greatest.



So who should be ranked higher All-Time, and why. State your cases people.

[G.O.A.T]

This is becoming an increasingly popular topic on ISH. They had a great rivalry. Maybe the greatest.



So who should be ranked higher All-Time, and why. State your cases people.

There is no argument for Chamberlain.

Russell beat him in 9 out of 10 common seasons despite having an equal or lesser supporting cast than Wilt more often than not.

Russell understood how to win, Wilt did not; end of story.

[hayden695]

I never got to watch them during there time so I cannot say. But what I can say is even if Wilt did only play for stats, no other player has ever done the things he has done. So even if it wasn't for the right reasons, he still did things that were amazing.

[CB4GOATPF]

Wilt he was the Better Player in almost Every Aspect of the Game but Foor Defense.

Russell was lucky to play with Superior Teamates throughout his career

[G.O.A.T]

I never got to watch them during there time so I cannot say. But what I can say is even if Wilt did only play for stats, no other player has ever done the things he has done. So even if it wasn't for the right reasons, he still did things that were amazing.

More amazing than 11 NBA titles, 2 NCAA titles and a Gold Medal in 15 years?

More amazing having the most Championships in the history all American team sports, winning the only title ever as a player coach and doing it again the next year?

More amazing than being undefeated in game sevens and averagin more points, rebounds and assists in those games than you did during any season of your career?

[takeittothehoop]

So far the arguments for each side are pretty funny. Not really true.

[Abraham Lincoln]

Overall sustained dominance: Russell
Peak season dominance: Chamberlain

Was said best by a contemporary, "Had Wilt played his entire career as he did in '67, he'd be regarded as a different player."

[G.O.A.T]

Wilt he was the Better Player in almost Every Aspect of the Game but Foor Defense.

Russell was lucky to play with Superior Teamates throughout his career

Not true.

Russell played with four top 50 all-time players (Jones, Hondo, Cousy, Sharman) and Wilt six (Cunningham, Baylor, West, Greer, Arizin, Thurmond)

Russell team mates combined for 26 all-star games in his career; Wilt's for 24.

[G.O.A.T]

Overall sustained dominance: Russell
Peak season dominance: Chamberlain

Was said best by a contemporary, "Had Wilt played his entire career as he did in '67, he'd be regarded as a different player."

The only legit case for Wilt.

[GP_20]

Wilt Chamberlain. Both were Top 10 Players of All-Time, but Wilt was just plain better.


He outrebounded and outscored Russell in every Head to Head series they've had whether it was the playoffs or regular season.



I mean, when you individually dominate a player like that, it's over. Nothing else needs to be said. I don't think even great big men like Hakeem, Duncan, O'Neal, etc. can say that over another great big man.


And before someone brings up "who won?"

Wilt Chamberlain says

"When my teams played against Boston," Chamberlain has said, "I'd play my heart out against Russell, and someone else on my team would blow the game."

In other words, winning or losing is decided by teams. We are comparing 2 individual players here. Winning/losing should count too, but that should not be the basis for the argument about individual players.

[hayden695]

More amazing than 11 NBA titles, 2 NCAA titles and a Gold Medal in 15 years?

More amazing having the most Championships in the history all American team sports, winning the only title ever as a player coach and doing it again the next year?

More amazing than being undefeated in game sevens and averagin more points, rebounds and assists in those games than you did during any season of your career?

I wasn't trying to diminish Russell, I was just saying that people like to point out how Wilt only played for stats, which I believe to be true, but no one else has done those things so we can't say they are moot because he did it for the wrong reasons. As for the arguement if I were making a team Russell would be my number 1 choice.

[Kblaze8855]

Russell said himself when he was a commentator for CBS that Wilt on the Lakers was playing his role better than he ever did.

I still think the stat difference is a lot greater than the difference in their impact though. I suspect that if Wilt were in a situation like Russell where he had thrown away the playoff game(russell throwing the ball off the wire and out of bounds) and he asked his teammates to bail him out hed get blank stares and not "Havlicek steals it....over to sam Jones...Havlicek stole the ball!"

I suspect russells teammates went a little harder because of him and that Wilts might have been a little less motivated to follow him.

[G.O.A.T]

I suspect russells teammates went a little harder because of him and that Wilts might have been a little less motivated to follow him.

Spot on. Exactly why it isn't even close.

[CB4GOATPF]

Not true.

Russell played with four top 50 all-time players (Jones, Hondo, Cousy, Sharman) and Wilt six (Cunningham, Baylor, West, Greer, Arizin, Thurmond)

Russell team mates combined for 26 all-star games in his career; Wilt's for 24.

[B]Baylor was in the downside of his career when he playing with Wilt age 34 plus. Was still great but he wasn

[PistonsFan#21]

Bill Russel is just a Dikembe Mutombo type of player. He just happened to win many rings because he was on a great team in a league with only 8 or less other teams. Can you imagine if today's Boston celtics played in a league agaisnt teams like Nets, New York, Minnesota, Thunders, Raptors and Warriors all year long? They would win 11 championships too.