Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain was born August 21, 1936.

Born in Philadelphia, Chamberlain attended Overbrook High School where he was highly scouted due to his menacing combination of size and athleticism.

Chamberlain went to Kansas where he was voted first-team All-American in his sophomore and junior seasons.

After dominating the college scene, Chamberlain wanted to go professional after his junior year. However, the NBA did not allow players who had not completed their studies, so Chamberlain decided to play with the Harlem Globetrotters for one year.

The Philadelphia Warriors used their territorial pick on Chamberlain in the 1959 NBA draft. Chamberlain was an immediate success in the NBA. He averaged a record-breaking 37.6 points and 27 rebounds to win Rookie of the Year and MVP, a feat that would only be achieved once more in NBA history by Wes Unsled in 1968.

Chamberlain also led his team to the playoffs that year, only to be defeated by the reigning champion Boston Celtics and Bill Russell. Chamberlain continued to dominate in the following years, famously scoring a record 100 points in a single game in 1962.

After the Warriors relocated to San Francisco, Chamberlain was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Although Chamberlain would continue rule over the game in a way that has never been seen since, he was unable to translate this into team success until 1967, when he won his first NBA title against his old team, the Warriors.

Despite finally bringing his team a championship and winning an MVP that same season, Chamberlain was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1968. There, Chamberlain would form one of the most famous duos in NBA history with Jerry West.

With the Lakers, Chamberlain continued to dominate, but was still unable to win a championship again until 1972, when the Lakers beat the short-handed New York Knicks.

In 1973, Chamberlain tried to move to the ABA as a player-coach with the San Diego Conquistadors, but was sued by the Lakers and was forced to sit out for the entire season.

Chamberlain finished with four MVPs, two titles and career averages of 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds.

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