1. Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlin was born on August 21, 1936, in Philadelphia, PA. Known as
"Wilt the Stilt" for his 7' 1" frame, Chamberlin was a Harlem Globetrotter then
joined the Philadelphia Warriors. He achieved an average of 30.1 points per game
over his career, and holds the record for the most points scored in one game.
Chamberlain was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978.
Professional basketball player, businessman, author. Born August 21, 1936, in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Known as "Wilt the Stilt" and the "Big Dipper," Wilt
Chamberlain was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He scored more
than 30,000 points during his professional career.
Chamberlain was a standout player at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. He
played on the school's varsity team for three years, scoring more than 2,200 points
in total. Standing at 6-feet 11-inches, Chamberlain physically dominated other
players. He eventually reached his full height of a staggering 7-feet 1-inch tall.
Many of his nicknames were derived from his stature.
When it came time for college, Chamberlain was sought after by many top college
basketball teams. He chose to go to the University of Kansas, making his college
basketball debut on the Jayhawks in 1956. Chamberlain helped the team make it to
the NCAA finals in 1957. The Jayhawks were defeated by North Carolina, but
Chamberlain was chosen as the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
Continuing to excel, he made the all-America and all-conference teams the
following season.
Leaving college in 1958, Chamberlain had to wait a year before going professional
due to NBA rules. He chose to spend the next season performing with the Harlem
Globetrotters before landing a spot on the Philadelphia Warriors. In 1959,
Chamberlain played his first professional game in New York City against the
Knicks, scoring 43 points. His impressive debut season netted him several
prestigious honors, including NBA Rookie of the Year and NBA Most Valuable
Player. Also during this season, Chamberlain began his rivalry with Celtics
defensive star Bill Russell. The two were fierce competitors on the court, but they
developed a friendship away from the game.

2. Chamberlain's most famous season, however, came in 1962. That March, he scored
his first 100-point game. By season's end, Chamberlain racked up more than 4,000
points, becoming the first NBA player to do so, scoring an average of 50.4 points
per game. At the top of his game, Chamberlain was selected for the All-NBA first
team for three years in a row—1960, 1961, and 1962.
Chamberlain stayed with the Warriors as they moved out to San Francisco in 1962.
He continued to play well, averaging more than 44 points per game for the 1962-
1963 season and almost 37 points per game for the 1963-1964 season.
Returning to his hometown in 1965, Chamberlain joined the Philadelphia 76ers.
There he helped his team score an NBA championship win over his former team.
Along the way to the championship, he also assisted the Sixers in defeating the
Boston Celtics in the Eastern Division Finals. The Celtics were knocked out of the
running after eight consecutive championship wins. Crowds gathered to watch the
latest match between two top center players: Chamberlain and Bill Russell.
Traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1968, Chamberlain again proved that he was a
competitive, successful athlete. He helped the Lakers win the 1972 NBA
championship, triumphing over the New York Knicks in five straight games, and
was named the NBA Finals MVP.
By the time he retired in 1973, Chamberlain had amassed an amazing array of
career statistics. He played in 1,045 games, and achieved an average of 30.1 points
per game. This average was the NBA record until Michael Jordan broke it when he
retired in 1998. To this day, Chamberlain still holds the record for the highest
number of points scored in a single game, and remains notable for never fouling
out of an NBA game.
After his retirement, Chamberlain explored other opportunities. He published his
autobiography, Wilt: Just Like Any Other 7-Foot Black Millionaire Who Lives Next
Door in 1973. He tried coaching for a time, and was a popular pitchman for
commercials. Chamberlain later branched out in acting, appearing in the 1984
action film Conan the Destroyer with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Still, his feats as a player were not forgotten. In 1978, Chamberlain was inducted
into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named one of the top all-time 50 NBA

3. players in 1996. In 1991, Chamberlain claimed another, more unusual distinction,
when he wrote in his book A View from Above that he had slept with more than
20,000 women during his lifetime.
Chamberlain died of heart failure on October 12, 1999, at his Los Angeles home.
He once said that "no one cheered for Goliath," but the response to his passing
proved that to be false. "Wilt was one of the greatest ever, and we will never see
another like him," said basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. His former rival Bill
Russell told the press that "he and I will be friends through eternity