[84] Winning 62 games, the Sixers easily took the first playoff berth of the 1968 NBA Playoffs. [2], The rookie Chamberlain then shocked Warriors' fans by saying he was thinking of retiring. "[54], In Chamberlain's third season, the Warriors were coached by Frank McGuire, the coach who had masterminded Chamberlain's painful NCAA loss against the Tar Heels. He became the first player to break the 3,000-point barrier and the first and still only player to break the 2,000-rebound barrier for a single season, grabbing 2,149 boards. "[90] The greatest problem was his tense relationship with Lakers coach Butch Van Breda Kolff: pejoratively calling the new recruit "The Load", he later complained that Chamberlain was egotistical, never respected him, too often slacked off in practice and focused too much on his own statistics. But when Greer attempted to inbound the ball, John Havlicek stole it to preserve the Celtics' lead. In his first year, he played for the Jayhawks freshman team under coach Phog Allen, whom he admired. [77] The motivation for this move remains in dispute. "He was more inquisitive than anybody I ever knew. [45] The teams split the first two games, but in Game 3, Chamberlain got fed up with Heinsohn and punched him. [124] Even far beyond his playing days, Chamberlain was a very fit person. Their relationship remained mostly strained until the end. In the third overtime, the Tar Heels scored two consecutive baskets, but Chamberlain executed a three-point play, leaving KU trailing 52–51. In what Cherry calls a tumultuous locker room meeting, Hannum addressed several key issues he observed during the last season, several of them putting Chamberlain in an unfavorable light. He then multiplied that number by the number of days he had been alive at the time minus 15 years. "[5] Gottlieb coaxed Chamberlain back into the NBA, sweetening his return with a salary raise to $65,000[48] (equal to about $562,000 today). In 1999, he died from congestive heart failure. [157] Russell and Chamberlain were friends in private life. Kosloff and Chamberlain worked out a truce, and later signed a one-year, $250,000 contract. By doing this, he won Chamberlain's respect. In his second year with the Lakers, under new coach Joe Mullaney, Chamberlain began the season strongly, averaging 32.2 points per game and 20.6 rebounds per game over the first nine games of the season. [5], Chamberlain had a history of heart trouble. Winning the regular season with 66 wins, the Bucks were seen as favourites against the depleted Lakers; still, many pundits were looking forward to the matchup between the 34-year-old Chamberlain and the 24-year-old Alcindor. Hall-of-Famers who played with Chamberlain—Warriors: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, one of the NBA's greatest on-court rivalries, all-time record for rebounds in a single game, List of career achievements by Wilt Chamberlain, rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career minutes played leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association franchise career scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association players with most points in a game, List of National Basketball Association single-game playoff scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association players with most rebounds in a game, List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game, List of National Basketball Association top individual scoring season averages, List of National Basketball Association top rookie scoring averages, List of National Basketball Association top individual rebounding season averages, List of National Basketball Association top rookie rebounding averages, List of National Basketball Association top individual field goal percentage seasons, List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 30 or more rebounds in a game, List of basketball players who have scored 100 points in a single game, List of National Basketball Association annual minutes leaders, List of National Basketball Association annual rebounding leaders, "Sexual claim transformed perception of Wilt", "Chamberlain, Wilt(on) Norman – Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures-HighBeam Research", "Chamberlain rated greatest in court game", "Helen Kutsher, Pampering Matriarch of a Grand Borscht Belt Resort, Dies at 89", "Syracuse Nationals at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, November 4, 1959", "New York Knicks at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, November 10, 1959", "Philadelphia Warriors vs Detroit Pistons Box Score, January 25, 1960", "New York Knicks at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, February 25, 1960", "Players to have recorded 50 points and 30 rebounds in the playoffs", "Philadelphia Warriors at Syracuse Nationals Box Score, October 22, 1960", "Boston Celtics at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, November 24, 1960", "Philadelphia Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, November 29, 1960", "Anthony Davis breaks Wilt's All-Star scoring record, earns MVP honors". Among the members of the team were: Florence Griffith, before she set the current world records in the 100 meters and 200 meters; three time world champion Greg Foster;[119] and future Olympic Gold medalists Andre Phillips, Alice Brown, and Jeanette Bolden. [91] In the 1969 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers dispatched Chamberlain's old club, the San Francisco Warriors 4–2 after losing the first two games, and then defeated the Atlanta Hawks and met Chamberlain's familiar rivals, Bill Russell's Boston Celtics. At the 1965 All-Star break Chamberlain was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, the new name of the relocated Syracuse Nationals. [91] Playing through his problems, Chamberlain averaged 20.5 points and 21.1 rebounds a game that season. Bill Russell regularly feared being embarrassed by Chamberlain,[34] Walt Frazier called his dominance on the court "comical",[122] and when 6-ft 11-in, 250-pound (in his early years)[168] Hall-of-Fame center Bob Lanier was asked about the most memorable moment of his career, Lanier answered: "When Wilt Chamberlain lifted me up and moved me like a coffee cup so he could get a favorable position. Be sure to complete your look with a Wilt Chamberlain hat and more accessories. Wilt is most famous for his NBA Record 100 Point Game. "[76], In the 1967 NBA Playoffs, the Sixers yet again battled the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Division Finals, and again held home court advantage. The press called it an even matchup in all positions, even at center, where Bill Russell was expected to give Chamberlain a tough battle. After his stint with the Conquistadors, Chamberlain successfully went into business and entertainment, made money in stocks and real estate, bought a popular Harlem nightclub, which he renamed Big Wilt's Smalls Paradise, and invested in broodmares. In addition, Chamberlain drove a Ferrari, a Bentley, and had a Le Mans-style car called Searcher One designed and built at a cost of $750,000 in 1996.