Wilt Chamberlain

Chamberlain at his house (google)

Bob Dylan, a musician, once said, “A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” Wilt Chamberlain never seemed to have problems with anyone, he never broke the law, never did drugs, he understood his responsibility. Wilt Chamberlain is my hero because he is the one who motivated me to start playing basketball. I was amazed how someone that tall was that athletic and strong, Yao Ming the Center for the Houston Rockets is 7'5" and he seems sluggish to me, not at all athletic.

To start off, Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain was born on August 21, 1936, he was 7’1” and 275 lbs. This is why fans nicknamed him “The Stilt”. To get in shape for his NBA career he played for the Harlem Globetrotters, this helped him get stronger and more athletic. Once he was in shape, he was drafted to the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959 (“NBA Encyclopedia”).

After his work with the Globe Trotters, fans could certainly tell Wilt was in shape, in his first NBA game he pumped in 43 points and grabbed 28 rebounds. He did not disappoint in his first year for the Philadelphia Warriors. He averaged 37.6 points a game and 27.0 rebounds. Following the 1959-1960 season, Chamberlain was named NBA Rookie of the Year (“NBA Encyclopedia”).

As you can see, Wilt is my hero because he was NBA Rookie of the Year, had four MVP’s, and is now in the Hall of Fame. It is crazy to know that he scored 100 points in one game, a record no one will break, and that he scored 4,000 points in one season. Also, despite his size and strength, Chamberlain was not an enforcer or a revenge seeker. Luckily, he knew how to control his body and his emotions and rarely got into altercations (“NBA Encyclopedia”). Not once in his 14-year career did Chamberlain foul out, that is remarkable because today you see many players foul out or even suspended.

Wilt Chamberlain after his 100 point game. (google)

After retiring at the end of the 1972-1973 NBA season, Wilt continued to be a voracious reader who also published several books and involved himself with other pursuits. Later, on October 12, 1999 Wilt had passed away at the age of 63 due to heart failure at his home (“NBA Encyclopedia”). After all the years he has been gone, everyone still talks about the legend, Wilt Chamberlain, and what he meant to the basketball universe. Everyone will remember “The Big Dipper” as they look up in the stars.