Posted on 03/02/2017 10:06:50 AM PST by EveningStar
Wilt Chamberlain set the single-game scoring record in the National Basketball Association (NBA) by scoring 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169–147 win over the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962, at Hershey Sports Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It is widely considered one of the greatest records in basketball. Chamberlain set five other league records that game including most free throws made, a notable achievement, as he was regarded as a poor free throw shooter. The teams broke the record for most combined points in a game (316). That season, Chamberlain averaged a record 50.4 points per game, and he had broken the NBA single-game scoring record (71) earlier in the season in December with 78 points. The third-year center had already set season scoring records in his first two seasons. In the fourth quarter, the Knicks began fouling other players to keep the ball away from Chamberlain, and they also became deliberate on offense to reduce the number of possessions for Philadelphia. The Warriors countered by committing fouls of their own to get the ball back.
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Once I was in line at Gelsons and I heard a big voice coming from over my head. I turned to look at the guy behind me and I was looking at Wilt Chamberlain’s belt buckle.
Plus he had to sleep with 10 women that night. Made for a long day. Even Laz wouldn’t be able to keep up.
Stuff of legend.
Talk about a record of our lifetimes, like Roger Maris’s 61 homers.
“Yo Wilt, I’m open.”
Wilt Chamberlain: The reason the hoop was raised to 10ft.
The thing is, there is very little record of it. It wasn’t televised, and the game was played in Hershey, PA in front of a very small crowd.
So most people probably only heard of it well after it actually happened.
Heh!
Wilt Chamberlain/Bill Russell matchups were the best basketball ever.
Yep, NBA basketball wasn’t as prominent in 1962 as it is now. And can you imagine an NBA team today, playing a game in some small town arena such as Hershey; giving up a big city home game to play in the hinterlands somewhere???
Warriors...duh
I used to watch him playing volleyball in the sand at Manhattan Beach back in 1971 and 1972. That is how he stayed in shape in the off season. He went to the volley ball court and put his name on the list of people waiting to play, just like everybody else. When one of the two player team lost a game, the next two names on the list went in and played until they lost. Wilt Chamberlain and his Joe Sixpack team mate were out on that sand all day long.
I recall reading that the game was never finished. The crowd stormed the court at the 100th point, not at the buzzer. However, I'm now reading on Wikipedia that the original radio broadcast was recovered, and the final 46 seconds of the game were actually played.
Wilt and Sony! Was Unitas there also?
In any list of most dominant athletes, Chamberlain is in the top 3 with Gretzky, Ruth. You can debate the order but the records he set were incredible. As it turns out, he was also a really bright guy, extremely well read and reasoned. The stories about him are legendary.
And in his entire career, he never fouled out.
Hersheypark Arena holds nearly 8000 people.
The Warriors’ home arena in Philly at that time
only held 5600.
Wilt was a incredible athlete, and didn't like to sit out games. In fact, in this 61-62 season, he sat out 8 minutes total. The entire season. Unreal. He average 48.5 minutes that year; he reached over 48 because of a few overtime games.
He average 45..8 minutes per game over his career. He never took a day off, and had to be in great shape for that.
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