Wilt Chamberlain

At 63 years old, Wilt Chamberlain has this physical status:

Wilton Norman Chamberlain (August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American basketball player who played as a center and is considered one of the top players in history.

He played for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, both in Philadelphia and San Francisco (NBA).

He competed for the University of Kansas and later for the Harlem Globetrotters before playing in the NBA.

Chamberlain was 7 ft. 1 in (2.16 m) tall, and weighed 250 pounds (110 kg) as a rookie before he climbed to 275 and finally to over 300 pounds (140 kg) with the Lakers. Chamberlain holds several NBA records in scoring, rebounding, and durability.

He is the only player to score 100 points in a single NBA game or average more than 50 points in a season.

He won seven scoring, eleven rebounding, nine field goal percentage titles, and led the league in assists once.

Chamberlain is the only NBA player to average at least 30 points and 20 rebounds per game in a season, which he won seven times.

He is also the only NBA player to score at least 30 points and 20 rebounds per game over the course of his career.

Despite a string of losses in the playoffs, Chamberlain had a fruitful career, winning two NBA championships, one NBA MVP award, and one NBA Finals MVP award, and a selection of 13 All-NBA First and Second teams.

In 1978, he was enrolled in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 1996, he was named one of the top players in NBA history.

He screamed at "Goliath" and "Wilt the Stilt," two of his heights.

During Chamberlain's high school days, a Philadelphia sportswriter coined the terms.

He liked "The Big Dipper," which was inspired by his friends who saw him dip his head as he passed through doorways.

Chamberlain played volleyball in the short-lived International Volleyball Association, and he is inducted into the IVA Hall of Fame for his contributions after his professional basketball career came to an end.

He was an excellent businessman, wrote many books, and appeared in Conan the Destroyer.

He was a lifelong bachelor and became well-known for his boast of having sexual relations with up to 20,000 people.

Early years

Chamberlain was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 21, 1936, into a family of nine children, the son of Olivia Ruth Johnson, a domestic worker and homemaker, and William Chamberlain, a welder, custodian, and handyman. He was a frail boy, almost dying of pneumonia in his early years, and he missed a year of school as a result. Chamberlain was not interested in basketball in his early years because he thought it was "a game for sissies." Chamberlain High walked the 440 yards in 49.0 seconds and 880 yards in 1:58.3, took the shot 53 feet, 4 inches, and long jumped 22 feet. "Basketball was king in Philadelphia," Chamberlain said, so he eventually took up the sport.

Chamberlain was a tall boy, with a height of 6 ft 0 (1.83 m) at age 10, and he was 6 foot 11 in (2.11 m) when he enrolled in Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. Chamberlain had a natural advantage over his peers; he was known for his scoring skills, his physical fitness, and his shot-blocking abilities by the time. Chamberlain was "scary, flat-out frightening," according to ESPN analyst Hal Bock, only one of the center position had his level of athleticism, stature, and stamina. "No other player played better," Chamberlain said. "Wilt the Stilt," "Goliath," and his favorite, "The Big Dipper," were both born during this time in his life.

Personal life

Chamberlain was the first big earner of basketball; he immediately became the NBA's highest-paid player. During his Lakers years, he was basketball's first player to make more than $100,000 a year and earned an unprecedented $1.5 million. As a Philadelphia 76er, he could afford to rent a New York apartment and commute to Philadelphia. In addition,, he would often stay out late into the night and wake up at noon.

Chamberlain's estate was valued at $25 million after his death in 1999.

Based on non-identifying papers from his adoption and details from his biological mother, a man named Aaron Levi came forward in 2015 claiming to be Chamberlain's son. Levi's assertion is not conclusive because Chamberlain's sister refused to provide DNA results for testing.

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High school career

Chamberlain, the upcoming NBA teammate of Chamberlain, averaged 31 points a game during the 1953 high school season, leading his team to a 71-62 victory over Northeast High School of Guy Rodgers. Overbrook captured the Philadelphia Public League title and secured a berth in the city championship game against the West Catholic High School champion in the same Catholic league. He scored 34 points. The Panthers lost 54-42 in a game that West Catholic quadruple-teamed Chamberlain the entire game, despite his 29 points. He maintained his prolific scoring against Roxborough in his second Overbrook season. The Panthers won the Public League title after beating Northeast once more in a game in which Chamberlain scored 40 points and later won the city championship by defeating South Catholic 74-51. He was a 32-goal and led Overbrook to a 19-0 record. He served as a bellhop in Kutsher's Hotel during summer vacations. Milton and Helen Kutsher, who had been married for a lifetime with Chamberlain, were "his second set of parents," according to their son Mark. Red Auerbach, the Boston Celtics' coach, noticed the gifted teenager at Kutscher's and had him play one-on-one against University of Kansas (KU), a NCAA Most Outstanding Player honoree. Born was so distraught that he dropped a promising NBA career and became a tractor engineer, recalling: "I figured I wasn't going to make it to the pros" as Chamberlain triumphed 25-10. Auerbach intended him to attend a New England university so he could draft him as a Celtic territorial pick, but Chamberlain did not respond.

He continued his high scoring in Chamberlain's third and final Overbrook season, scoring 74, 78, and 90 points in three straight games. The Panthers won the Public League for the third time, defeating West Philadelphia 78–60; in the city championship game, they met West Catholic once more. Chamberlain led Overbrook to an 83–42 victory after scoring 35 points. Chamberlain had coached Overbrook to two city championships, collected a 56-3 record, and tied Tom Gola's high school scoring record by scoring 2,252 points per game, averaging 37.4 points per game. More than two hundred universities attempted to recruit basketball players after his last Overbrook season. Among other things, UCLA gave Chamberlain the opportunity to become a film actor, the University of Pennsylvania wanted to buy diamonds, and Chamberlain's Panthers coach Cecil Mosenson was even offered a coaching job if he could convince him. Robert Allen Cherry's 2004 biography of Chamberlain states that Chamberlain wanted a change and didn't want to go to or near Philadelphia, and snubbed New England due to racial segregation; leaving the Midwest as the country's probable choice. Chamberlain announced that he would play college basketball at Kansas after visiting KU and consulting with the school's respected college coach Phog Allen.

Chamberlain played numerous professional games under the pseudonym George Marcus from the ages of 16 to 17. There were recent reports of the games in Philadelphia newspapers, but he tried to keep them private from the Amateur Athletic Union.

College career

Chamberlain's journey to KU in 1955 appeared in a journal. In his first year, he played for the Kansas Jayhawks under new head coach Allen, whom he adored. Chamberlain was also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, where he served as the president of his pledge class. Chamberlain's freshman team debut had a lot of anticipation, and he delivered; the freshman squad was pitted against the varsity, a squad that was expected to win their conference this year. Chamberlain controlled his older college classmates by scoring 42 points (16–35 from the field, 10–12 on free throws), grabbing 29 rebounds, and registering 4 blocks. As the coach turned 70 shortly after and pulled out of KU rules, Chamberlain's chances of playing under Allen ended. Chamberlain had a bad relationship with Allen's replacement, Dick Harp, fuelled by resentment and disappointment. Cherry is uncertain if Chamberlain would have voted for KU if he had known Allen would resign.

Chamberlain made his varsity debut as a center on December 3, 1956. In an 87–69 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats, he scored 52 points and grabbed 31 rebounds, smashing both all-time Kansas records and a team featuring Joe Ruklick, Chamberlain's next NBA teammate. Monte Johnson, a teammate, testified to his athleticism, that Chamberlain had "unbelievable endurance and speed... and was never tired." "He dunked so fast that a lot of players' fingers jammed [between Chamberlain's hand and the rim]." Chamberlain reportedly broke Johnny Kerr's toe with a slam dunk. By this time, he had developed a variety of offensive weapons that had made his name, including his finger roll, his jump shot in fadeaway, which he could also hit as a bank shot, and his shot-blocking. The Jayhawks were led by a talented lineup of starters, including Maurice King, Gene Elstun, John Parker, Ron Lonesky, and Lew Johnson, a team still playing the ball the last three and a half minutes without the possibility of scoring a basket, which was still possible in the days before the shot clock was introduced in 1984. Chamberlain showcased his diverse athletic abilities at Overbrook. In the Big Eight Conference track and field championships for three years in a row, he finished the 100-yard dash in 10.9 seconds, shot-putted 56 feet, triple jumped more than 50 feet, and captured the high jump in the Big Eight Conference track and field championships for the third year in a row.

In the 1957 NCAA Division basketball tournament, twenty-three teams were selected to participate. The Midwest Regional was held in Dallas, Texas, which at the time was segregated. The Jayhawks defeated the all-white SMU Mustangs in their first game, and KU player John Parker later said, "The audience was ferocious." We were spat on, pelted with rubble, and exposed to the worst racial epithets possible." After being forced to escort the Jayhawks out, the KU won 73–65 in overtime. The next game against Oklahoma City was also traumatic, with KU winning 81-61 under heavy racial abuse.

Chamberlain's Jayhawks thrashed San Francisco Dons by 82 percent, with Chamberlain scoring 32 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and missing at least seven blocked shots, as the game video is uncertain if an 8th block took place or not due to Chamberlain's erring defensive intimidation. Chamberlain displayed his increasingly versatile offensive moves, including jump shots, put-backs, tip-ins, and his turnaround jump shot. He was much more comfortable and efficient at the foul line than he would later be in his professional career. He had spectacular foot speed throughout the game and led the fast break, including blocking a shot near the basket and then outracing the field for a layup. His performance gave Kansas an insurmountable lead, but he stayed on the bench for the final 3:45 minutes of the game. Chamberlain was selected on the first team of NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans and led the Jayhawks to the NCAA finals against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Coach Frank McGuire of Tar Heels used various unconventional tactics to thwart Chamberlain in that game. Tommy Kearns, the world's youngest player, was sent to rattle Chamberlain and the Tar Heels for the remainder of the night, with one defender in front, one behind, and a third arriving as soon as he got the ball.

The Jayhawks shot only 27 percent from the field, against 64% of the Tar Heels, and trailed 22-30 at halftime, with their fixation on Chamberlain. North Carolina led 40–37 with ten minutes to go and stalled the game as they passed the ball around without having the intention of scoring a basket. The game was tied at 46 at the end of regulation after several Tar Heel turnovers. In the second overtime, each team scored two points in the first overtime, while Kansas froze the ball in return, leaving the game tied at 48. The Tar Heels scored two straight baskets in overtime, but Chamberlain executed a three-point play, leaving KU trailing 52-51. Kansas was up by a point after King's basket; Tar Heel Joe Quigg was fouled on a drive with ten seconds remaining and made his two foul shots. Harp ordered Ron Loneski to pass the ball into Chamberlain in the low post, but the Tar Heels won the game. Despite the loss, Chamberlain, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds, was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Cherry says that this defeat was a watershed in Chamberlain's career because it was the first time his team lost despite him putting up outstanding individual basketball records. He later admitted that this was the most difficult of his life.

The Jayhawks' matches were even more frustrating for him in Chamberlain's junior year, 1957-58. Knowing how dominant he was, the opponents resorted to freeze-ball tactics and routinely used three or more players to cover him. "It was not fun basketball; we were just out chasing people throwing the basketball back and forth," teammate Bob Billings said. Chamberlain averaged 30.1 points for the season and helped the Jayhawks to an 18-0 record, with three of the losses occurring while out of town with a urinary infection. The Jayhawks' season ended after KU finished second in the league and at the time only conference winners were allowed to the NCAA tourney. It was a small consolation that he had been named an All-American once more, as well as future NBA Hall of Fame and Oscar Robertson, as well as long rival Rodgers. He left college and wrote "Why I Am Leaving College" to Look for $10,000, a substantial sum when NBA players made $9,000 in a single season. He averaged 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds per game in two seasons at KU, while giving Kansas 1,433 points and 877 rebounds and winning the Big Seven Championship. By the time Chamberlain was 21, well before he became a professional, he had already been included in Time, Life, Look, and Newsweek.

Critics argued that either wanted to leave the very white Midwest or was embarrassed by not being able to bring home the NCAA basketball tournament championship title. Chamberlain returned to Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1998, to participate in a jersey-retiring service for his No. 81. 13. Around this time, he has been quoted as saying, "There's been a lot of talk" since people have been trying to get my jersey number removed, but I have a hankering about the University of Kansas. That's completely ridiculous.

Professional career

Chamberlain wanted to be a pro footballer before completing his senior year after his traumatic junior year. The NBA did not recognize players until after their college graduation class had been completed and Chamberlain was barred from playing in the league for a year; he decided to play for the Harlem Globetrotters in 1958 for a sum equal to about $470,000 in 2019. Chamberlain joined the Globetrotters team in Moscow in 1959 and made history by playing in Moscow; the team enjoyed a sold-out tour of the Soviet Union. General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev welcomed them at the beginning of a game at Lenin Central Stadium in Moscow. Globetrotter captain Meadowlark Lemon collapsed to the ground, and Chamberlain threw him several feet high into the air and trapped him like a doll for one particular Globetrotter skit. Later, the 210-pound lemon described how Chamberlain was "the best athlete ever lived."

Chamberlain used to play for the Globetrotters in the offseason and fondly recalled his time with them, not because he was no longer wanted or asked to smash records, but rather one of many entertainers who loved to entertain the crowd. His No. 9 is set to be on March 9, 2000. The Globetrotters had left 13 people dead.

Chamberlain made his NBA debut on October 24, 1959, playing for the Philadelphia Warriors. When he signed for $30,000, equal to about $279,000 in 2019, Chamberlain's rookie deal, he became the NBA's highest paid player. In comparison, the top earner for the Celtics, Bob Cousy of the Celtics, made $25,000, the same figure Eddie Gottlieb used to buy the Warriors franchise in 1952.

Chamberlain was part of a Philadelphia Warriors squad coached by Neil Johnston and included Hall-of-Fame guards Tom Gola and Paul Arizin, as well as Chamberlain's old rival Rodgers; oddly, all five starters were Philadelphians. In his first NBA game against the New York Knicks, the rookie Chamberlain scored 43 points and grabbed 28 rebounds. In a 124-113 victory over the visiting Syracuse Nationals, Chamberlain scored 41 points and a then-career high 40 rebounds in his third game. Philadelphia defeated the Boston Celtics of Hall-of-Fame, who had snubbed several years ago, and Bill Russell, who was hailed as one of the game's best defensive pivots, in his fourth game. Chamberlain defeated Russell by 30 points against 28 points in what was the first of many Chamberlain-Russell match-ups, but Boston won the game and the Chamberlain–Russell rivalry would become one of the best of all time. The two celebrities became close off the court, much like later rivals Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. In a 126-125 victory over the visiting Knicks on November 10, 1959, Chamberlain scored 39 points and a new career-high 43 rebounds. Chamberlain achieved a rare feat in the NBA on January 25, 1960, scoring at least 50 points and 40 rebounds in an NBA game. Chamberlain gained 58 points, 42 rebounds, and 4 assists during a game against the Detroit Pistons. His 58 points were a then-career high for him, and he tied it on February 21, when he scored 58 points and 24 rebounds over the visiting Knicks.

Chamberlain averaged 37.6 points and 27 rebounds in his first NBA season, notably surpassing previous regular-season records as a rookie. He only needed 56 games to score 2,102 points, breaking Bob Pettit's all-time scoring record, who needed 72 games to score 2,101 points. Chamberlain set eight NBA records, as well as being named NBA Rookie of the Year and NBA MVP for the season, a feat matched only by fellow Hall-of-Famer Weseld in the 1968–69 NBA season. Chamberlain closed out his rookie season by winning the 1960 NBA All-Star Game and the NBA All-Star Game MVP award, but it was also evident that he was a bad free-throw shooter, with only half of his foul shots. Chamberlain's free-throw issues grew worse as time went along, and he confessed to being "a psychopath" on the subject.

The Warriors entered the 1960 NBA playoffs and defeated the Syracuse Nationals, bringing up a match against the Celtics, the Eastern Division champions. Cherry reveals how Celtics coach Auerbach ordered his forward Tom Heinsohn to commit personal fouls on Chamberlain; when the Warriors fired foul shots, Heinsohn grabbed and pushed Chamberlain to discourage him from running back quickly. His aim was that the Celtics would throw the ball in such a way that the prolific shotblocker Chamberlain was not yet back in his own basket, and Boston could have a quick fastbreak basket. The teams split the first two games, but Chamberlain became bored with Heinsohn and punched him during Game 3. Chamberlain hurt his hand in the scuffle, and Philadelphia lost the next two games. Chamberlain won by 128-107 over the Celtics with his hand up and 35 rebounds in a 128-107 win, extending the series to a Game 6. He is the first and only NBA player to record 50 points and 35 rebounds in a NBA playoff game as of the 2019 NBA playoffs. The Warriors lost the series 4–2. Heinsohn scored the decisive basket in Game 6 with a last-second tip-in.

The rookie Chamberlain shocked Warriors' followers by announcing that he was considering retirement. He was sick of being double-teamed, or even triple-teamed, and teams were being called back by players with serious personal fouls. Chamberlain was afraid he'd lose his heat in a day. Heinsohn, a Celtics forward, said, "Most of the fouls against him were hard fouls — he took the most brutal beating of any player ever." In addition, Chamberlain was portrayed as a wonder of nature, mocked by the followers and mocked by the media. "Nobody roots for Goliath," Quoting coach Alex Hannum's account of his situation. Gottlieb brought Chamberlain back to the NBA, sweetening his return with a salary increase to $65,000, or about $595,000 in 2019.

In a 133–123 road victory over the Syracuse Nationals, Chamberlain's 1960–61 NBA season began with a 42-point and 31-rebound effort. In a 132–129 home loss to the Russell-led Boston Celtics on November 24, 1960, Chamberlain recorded a NBA-record 55 rebounds, along with 34 points and 4 assists. In a 122–121 road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on November 29, Chamberlain scored 44 points, 38 rebounds, and a then-career high 7 assists.

Chamberlain's averaged 38.4 points and 27.2 rebounds per game during his rookie season. He was the first player to crack the 3,000-point plateau, and the first and still only player to crack the 2,000-rebound record for a single season, grabbing 2,149 boards. Chamberlain was the best in his first field goal percentage title and was so strong that he scored almost 32% of his teammates' points and got 30.4% of their rebounds. Chamberlain failed to convert his game into a team win, this time losing in a three-game sweep against the Nationals. Cherry said that Chamberlain was "difficult" and that did not respect coach Johnston, who was unable to control the star center. Gottlieb wrote, "My mistake was not finding a solid-handed coach." [Johnston] wasn't up for big time at the time.

The Warriors were guided by McGuire, the coach who had masterminded Chamberlain's humiliating NCAA loss to the Tar Heels in 1961-62. Chamberlain's averaged 50.4 points and grabbed 25.7 rebounds per game in a year where they had never been threatened. In Hershey, Pennsylvania, he shot 36 of 63 from the field and made 28 of 32 free throws against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962. Chamberlain's 4,029 regular-season points made him the only player to crack the 4,000-point record; the only other NBA player to crack the 3,000-point barrier was Michael Jordan, who had 3,041 points in the 1986–87 NBA season. With 2,052, Chamberlain broke the 2,000-rebound record once more. In addition, he was on the hardwood for an average of 48.53 minutes, playing 3,882 of his team's 3,890 minutes. Since Chamberlain played in overtime games, he averaged more minutes per game than the current 48 and would have reached the 3,890-minute mark if he had not been suspended in one game after picking up his second technical foul with eight minutes remaining to play.

His remarkable performances in the season coincided with Wilt, 1962, a 2005 book by Gary M. Pomerantz, who used Chamberlain as a metaphor for Black America's revolt. In addition to Chamberlain's regular-season appearances, he scored 42 points in the 1962 NBA All-Star Game, a record that was not broken by Anthony Davis in 2017. The Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Division Finals in 1962, meeting a team that both Cousy and Russell dubbed the best Celtics team of all time. Every team won their home games, so the series was split at three games. With 16 seconds to go, Chamberlain tied the game at 107, but Celtics shooting guard Sam Jones took the series for Boston with a clutch shot with two seconds remaining. Chamberlain was chastised for averaging 50 points but not winning a trophy in later years. Warriors coach McGuire said in his defense that "Wilt has been simply awesome" and that the Warriors lacked a consistent second scorer, a designer, and a second big man to put the Warriors together, as well as a second big man to take on Chamberlain.

Gottlieb sold the Warriors franchise, equal to $7.61 million in 2019, to a group of businessmen led by Marty Simmons from San Francisco, who then migrated to the San Francisco Warriors under new coach Bob Feerick. The Warriors' team broke apart this season, as Arizin decided to resign rather than move to the West Coast, and Gola was homesick, asking a trade to the lowly New York Knicks halfway through the season. Chamberlain continued his string of statistical achievements, averaging 44.8 points and 24.3 rebounds per game this year, with both secondary scorers departed. Despite his individual success, the Warriors lost 49 of their 80 games and missed the 1963 NBA playoffs.

Chamberlain welcomed yet another new coach in Alex Hannum, as well as promising rookie center Nate Thurmond, who has since joined the Hall of Fame. Hannum, an ex-soldier who later joined the Basketball Hall of Fame as a mentor, was a crafty psychologist who emphasized defense and death. Ultimately, he was not afraid to stand up to the obnoxious Chamberlain, who was known not to engage with coaches he did not like. And the Warriors went all the way to the 1964 NBA Finals, with valuable rookie Thurmond leading 36.9 points and 22.3 rebounds per game. They lost 4–1 again in a series in which Russell's Boston Celtics defeated Russell Russell's Boston Celtics. Cherry says that not only Chamberlain, but also Hannum in particular deserved praise because he had basically taken the poor 31-49 team from last year, plus Thurmond, and turned it into a NBA Finals contender.

Chamberlain, one of New York City's most popular players of the famed Rucker Park basketball court, met a tall, talented 17-year-old who played there in the summer of 1964. Lew Alcindor was welcomed into his inner circle and aspired the ten-year-old Chamberlain quickly. The two will later develop an intensely personal antipathy. The Warriors got off to a slow start in 1964-1965, but then ran into financial difficulties. Chamberlain was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, the new name of the relocated Syracuse Nationals, during 1965 NBA All-Star Weekend. The Warriors received Paul Neumann, Connie Dierking, and Lee Shaffer, who chose to retire rather than reveal to the Warriors, were given the option to pay more to the Warriors. "Chamberlain is not an easy man to love," owner Franklin Mieuli said when Chamberlain left the Warriors, the San Francisco crowds soon learned to love him. People came to see Wilt lose, so it's not difficult to hate him."

Chamberlain found himself on a promising Sixers team with guards Hal Greer, a future Hall-of-Famer, and versatile role players Larry Costello, Chet Walker, and Lucious Jackson after the trade. Cherry admits that there was some tension within the team as Greer was the previously undisputed leader and was unable to give up his position, and that Jackson, a talented center, was now being ordered to play power forward after Chamberlain blocked the center position; however, as the season progressed, the three players began to work better. He did not care about the Sixers' coach Dolph Schayes because in his view, Schayes had made several dismissive remarks when they were rival players in the NBA.

Chamberlain's overall performance was outstanding, with 34.7 points and 22.9 rebounds per game. The Sixers defeated the Cincinnati Royals coached by All-American Robertson in the 1965 NBA playoffs, and they met the Boston Celtics, the city's old adversary. Even at center, where Russell was supposed to give Chamberlain a tough fight, the media characterized it as a dead match in all positions, even at center. The two teams split the first six games, and the last game was played in the Celtics' Boston Garden due to the better season record. Chamberlain scored 30 points and 32 rebounds in Game 7, while Russell accounted for 16 points, 27 rebounds, and eight assists.

Chamberlain's final minute saw him defeat Boston with two quick free throws and slam dunked on Russell, bringing Boston's advantage down to 110-109 with five seconds remaining. Russell botched the inbounds pass, hitting a guy-wire across the backboard and releasing the ball to the Sixers. Coach Schayes called timeout and decided to play against Greer rather than Chamberlain because he was afraid the Celtics would intentionally foul him because he was a poor foul shooter. When Greer tried to inbound the ball, John Havlicek stole it to hold the Celtics' lead. Russell's staff denied Chamberlain of the title for the fifth time in seven years. That was the time when people started referring him to him as a loser, according to Chamberlain. Chamberlain conducted an interview titled "My Life in a Bush League" in which he mocked his teammates, mentor, and NBA administrators in a May 1965 issue of Sports Illustrated. Chamberlain later expressed surprise that in hindsight, he could see how the interview was instrumental in damaging his public image.

The Sixers suffered heart disease when Ike Richman, the Sixers' co-owner, as well as Chamberlain's confidant and lawyer, died of a heart attack while attending a road game in Boston in 1965-66. Chamberlain received his second MVP award and the Sixers' 55-27 regular-season record. Chamberlain defeated opposition by 33.5 points and 24.6 rebounds per game during the season, leading the league in both directions. Chamberlain stopped a dunk attempt by Baltimore Bullets player Gus Johnson so hard that he dislocated Johnson's shoulder in one particular game. Chamberlain's service to the cause was questionable off the courtroom, as Chamberlain, a late sleeper, died in New York City and preferred to commute to Philadelphia rather than living there, and he was only available during the afternoon for training. Schayes did not want to offend his best player, so he called the daily workout at 4 p.m. This enraged the staff, who preferred an early start to have the afternoon off, but Schayes later said, "There is no other way." Irv Kosloff, the Sixers' owner after Richman's death, begged with Wilt to move to Philadelphia during the season, but was turned down.

The Sixers defeated the Boston Celtics once more in the 1966 NBA playoffs and had home-court advantage for the first time. Boston won the first two games on the road, defeating 115–96 and 114–93; though Chamberlain played within his normal range, his supporting cast shot under 40%. "The Celtics played like champions and the Sixers just played," sports writer Joe McGinnis said. For the road victory, he had 31 points and 27 rebounds. Chamberlain said he was too drained to attend a joint team practice the next day, and he refused Schayes' invitation to show up and shoot a few foul shots with the team. Boston defeated 114-108 in Game 4! Prior to Game 5, Chamberlain skipped practice and was unobtainable. Schayes defended him as "excused from sport," on the outside, but his coworkers were more forgiving and were much less forgiving. Chamberlain scored 46 points and grabbed 34 rebounds in Game 5, but the Celtics took the game 120-111. Cherry is critical of Chamberlain because, although admitting to being the only Sixers player to play in the series, he says his unprofessional, egotistical conduct was a bad example for his teammates.

The friendly yet unsatisfie Schayes was replaced by a familiar face, the crafty but firm Alex Hannum, prior to the 1966–67 NBA season. Hannum addressed several key topics he encountered during the previous year, some of which put Chamberlain in an unfavorable light, according to Cherry. Walker, a sixers forward, testified that players were required to take Chamberlain and Hannum apart on several occasions in order to prevent a fistfight. Hannum "never backed down" and "showed who was the boss," Billy Cunningham, a fellow forward. He gained Chamberlain's love by doing this. When emotions eased, Hannum told Chamberlain that he was on the same page in aiming for a title, but Chamberlain had to "act like a man" both on and off the court to stop this from happening. He advised basketball that he should change his style of play. Hannum wanted Chamberlain to focus more on defense rather than on offense, as demonstrated by Greer and newcomer Cunningham.

Chamberlain was less dominant during his 50.4 points per game season, taking only 14% of the team's shots (but was still very effective, with an average of 24.1 points per game). He led the league in rebounds (24.2), ended third in assists (7.8), had a record-breaking.683 field goal accuracy, and played solid defense. His success was reflected by a streak of 35 straight made field goals over the course of four games in February. Chamberlain received his third MVP award for his efforts. The Sixers roared to a then-record 68-13 season, with a record breaking 46–4 start. In addition, the now egocentric Chamberlain began to praise his colleagues, lauding tireless work by making Greer a deadly jumper and a rare outsider scorer. Chamberlain welcomed the team to restaurants and paid the entire bill, knowing that he earned ten times more than the others. Greer, who was considered a consummate professional and who often clashed with him due to his demeanor, praised the new Chamberlain: "You knew in a minute that the Big Fella [Chamberlain] was ready to go... and everybody would follow."

As described by writer Wayne Lynch in Season of the 76ers, a 2002 book centered on Chamberlain, the Sixers' was a memorable season. Chamberlain won his first NBA championship, and the Sixers had the best regular-season record, and Chamberlain's first NBA championship; he described the team as the best in NBA history. In the 1967 NBA playoffs, the Sixers met the Boston Celtics once more in the Eastern Division Finals, with home-court advantage. The Sixers defeated Boston 127–112, led by Greer's 39 points and Chamberlain's unofficial quadruple double, with 24 points, 32 rebounds, 13 assists, and 12 unofficially counted blocks. The Sixers defeated the Celtics 101–102 in overtime in Game 2, and player-coach Russell chastised the Celtics for taking low percentage shots from further outside. Chamberlain took 41 rebounds and helped the Sixers beat 115–104 in Game 3. With a 121–117 victory, the Celtics saved Game 4 from a sweep. Russell said, "Right now, he (Wilt) is playing like me [to win]." As he was approaching his first real loss of his career, Russell said. The Sixers defeated the Celtics 140–116 in Game 5, snaping Boston's historic run of eight consecutive NBA titles. Chamberlain scored 29 points, 36 rebounds, and 13 assists, and was lauded by Celtics' Russell and K. C. Jones.

The Sixers were pitted against Chamberlain's former team, the San Francisco Warriors of Thurmond, his one-time backup and future Hall-of-Fame center, and forward Rick Barry in the 1967 NBA Finals. Both the Sixers won the first two games, with Chamberlain and Greer taking credit for defensive dominance and clutch shooting, respectively, but San Francisco took home two of the next three games, so Philadelphia was down 3–2 prior to Game 6. With 15 seconds remaining, the Warriors were trailing 123–122 in Game 6. Thurmond and Barry were supposed to do a pick and roll against Chamberlain and whoever would guard Barry; however, the Sixers foiled it because Barry ran through Thurmond's pick and ran to the basket, making it impossible to shoot; however, Thurmond was shielded by Chamberlain, which made it impossible to pass. The Sixers won the championship after Barry botched his shot attempt. "It's awesome to be a part of the best team in basketball," Chamberlain said in the six games, despite not losing at least 23 points and 28.7 rebounds per game against Thurmond.

Matters between Chamberlain and Kosloff, the Sixers' sole surviving owner, continued to deteriorate in the 1967-68 NBA season. This war had been raging for a long time. Chamberlain said in 1965 that he and the late Richman had forged an agreement that would guarantee him 25% of the company until he ceased his career. Despite the fact that there is no written evidence for or against Schayes and Sixers counsel Alan Levitt, it appears that Chamberlain was correct. In any case, Kosloff turned down the proposal, leaving Chamberlain tense and eager to jump to the American Basketball Association (ABA) after his term came to an end in 1967. Kosloff and Chamberlain broke a truce and then agreed to a one-year, $250,000 contract.

On the hardwood, Chamberlain continued his focus on team play, scoring 24.3 points and 23.8 rebounds in a game for the season. Chamberlain reportedly had a quintuple-double on March 18, 1968, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers by 158–128. 32 points, 14 assists, 24 blocks, and 11 steals. Chamberlain also scored the most points in a triple-double, an NBA record set by Russell Westbrook in 2017 and surpassed by James Harden in 2018. For the third straight season, the 76ers had the highest record in the league. Chamberlain also made history by winning the season as the top assist, his 702 beating runner-up point guard, and future Hall of Fame Lenny Wilkens' total by 23. Chamberlain recalled his service to legendary home-run hitter Babe Ruth, who ruled the league in sacrifice bunts, but denied the belief that he could not and would not pass the ball. Chamberlain captured his fourth and final MVP titles for these feats. Stan Lorber, his team physician, scored at 25,000 points, making him the first-ever player to score that many points. The Sixers earned their first playoff appearance in 1968 NBA playoffs after winning 62 games. They were pitted against the New York Knicks in the 1968 Eastern Division Semifinals. The Sixers lost sixth man Cunningham with a broken hand, and Chamberlain, Greer, and Jackson were grappling with inflamed feet, bad knees, and pulled hamstrings, respectively. Chamberlain had 25 points and 27 rebounds in Game 6, the Sixers defeated the Knicks 115-97, putting the Sixers ahead 3–2 in a game 6; he had a fruitful run in which he led both teams in points (153), rebounds (145), and assists (38).

The Sixers faced the Boston Celtics in the 1968 Eastern Division Finals, this time as reigning champions. Despite the Sixers' injury struggles, coach Hannum was able to "take the Celtics in less than seven games," and he referred to the Celtics' age, a team formed around Russell and Jones, who were both 34 years old. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., assassination of eight of the ten starters on the Sixers and Celtics, shocked the world on April 4, with eight of the ten starters on the Sixers and Celtics being African-American, prompting calls to cancel the series. The Sixers lost 127-118 on April 5 in a game called "unreal" and "devoid of emotion." Chamberlain called out to the outraged demonstrators who were igniting fires around the country after Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral and said the King would not have allowed him. Philadelphia continued the series with a 115–106 victory and won Games 3 and 4, with Chamberlain's backup center Wayne Embry often playing Russell, prompting the press to speculate that Russell was worn down. The Sixers seemed to be on target to win the series ahead of Game 5 as no NBA team had beat a 3–1 deficit before; rather, the Celtics resurgent, winning the next two games 122–104 and 114–106, respectively, owing to a spirited John Havlicek and the Sixers' poor shooting.

The Sixers defeated the Philadelphia crowd by 100–96 in Game 7, the first time in NBA history that a team has lost a series after leading 3–1. Cherry claims that the Sixers shot poorly (Greer, Jones, Walker, Jackson, and Jackson all fired a total of 74 shots), while Chamberlain grabbed 34 rebounds and shot 4-of-9 for a total of 14 points. Chamberlain did not attempt a single shot from the field in Game 7's second half. Cherry believes there is a strange pattern in this game, as in a typical Sixers game, Chamberlain fired the ball 60 times in the low post but not 23 times in Game 7, with seven in the third quarter and twice in the fourth quarter. Chamberlain later blamed coach Hannum for the lack of touches, a charge that was denied by Hannum. Cherry believes that Chamberlain, who has always regarded himself as the greatest player of all time, should have been outspoken enough to demand the ball.

In the playoff series against the Celtics, Chamberlain was 1–6. Coach Hannum wanted to be closer to his family on the West Coast after the season; he moved the Sixers to coach the Oakland Oaks in the newly formed ABA. Chamberlain later pleaded for a trade and Sixers general manager Jack Ramsay traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Darrall Imhoff, Archie Clark, and Jerry Chambers. The motives for this change are also uncertain. Chamberlain was furious at Kosloff for breaking the suspected Chamberlain-Richman pact, according to sportswriter Roland Lazenby, a journalist close to the Lakers. According to Ramsay, Chamberlain tried to join the ABA after Hannum left and coerced the trade. Cherry addresses a variety of personal reasons, including the fact that he had grown too large for Philadelphia, visited fellow celebrities, which were abundant in Los Angeles, and then longed for the opportunity to date white people, which was also true for a black man in Los Angeles but impossible to imagine back then.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Sixers' trade began on July 9, 1968, making it the first time a reigning NBA MVP was traded the next season. Jack Kent Cooke, the current Lakers top earner, gave Chamberlain an unprecedented deal, netting him $250,000 after taxes, or about $1.9 million in real value; in comparison, former top earner Jerry West was paid $100,000 before taxes (roughly $780,000 in real value).

Chamberlain was part of a team featuring fellow All-American forward Baylor and the Hall-of-Fame guard West, as well as backup center Mel Counts, forwards Keith Erickson, and Johnny Egan, and talented 5'11" guard Johnny Egan during the 1968-19 NBA season. Butch van Breda Kolff, coach Butch van Breda Kolff, was worried about the absence of a second guard next to West, as well as the lack of speed and quickness. Clark and Gail Goodrich, who drafted the Phoenix Suns in 1968, were killed on defense due to his [lack of] size... but if I don't play him, we'll look like a bunch of trucks." Chamberlain was not a natural king or a faithful follower, which made it impossible to integrate him. "We were fine friends, but... [in] black culture... you never let the other guy one-up you," he later said about Baylor's team captain. His biggest issue was his closeness with Van Breda Kolff. He later argued that Chamberlain was egotistic, never respected him, and that too often was pressed too much on his own statistics. Van Breda Kolff was described as "the dumbest and worst coach ever" by Chamberlain. "Butch catered to Elgin and Jerry, and that is not a smart way to get to Wilt's side," Erickson wrote, "And this was not a good way to get to know his Wilt's family... the friendship was doomed from the start."

Chamberlain had a difficult and often frustrating season. Van Breda Kolff benched him several times during his career; Chamberlain, a perennial scoring champion, had two games in which he scored only six points and then only two points; in mid-season, he scored just six times and then only two points. Chamberlain had 20.5 points and 21.1 rebounds in a game that season, despite being battling his addictions. Since taking Chamberlain, Cooke was thrilled because ticket sales increased by 11%. The Lakers defeated the San Francisco Warriors' old team in the 1969 NBA playoffs after losing the first two games and then beating the Atlanta Hawks, and then the Columbus Cardinals met Chamberlain's hometown rivals, Russell's Boston Celtics. The Lakers were favored to win the first two games but lost the next two. Chamberlain was chastised as a non-factor in the series, and Russell had no desire to neutralize him. In Game 5, Chamberlain scored 13 points and grabbed 31 rebounds, leading Los Angeles to a 117-104 victory. The Celtics won 99-90 in Game 6, in which Chamberlain had 18 rebounds and 4 assists but only 8 points. Cherry criticizes his results, saying that if "Chamberlain" had come up big and put up a normal 30 point scoring night, the Lakers would have most likely have won their first championship at Los Angeles.

In anticipation of a Lakers win, Game 7 featured a bizarre scene because Cooke balloons were inflated in the rafters of the Forum in Los Angeles. The Celtics were inspired by this display of arrogance. The Lakers led the Lakers 96-7 in Game 7, who had lost 91–76 after three quarters. The Lakers recovered from their comeback, but Chamberlain strained his knee after a bounce back and had to be replaced by Counts. With three minutes remaining, the Lakers trailed 103–102 but lost the game 108–106, but they were the first player to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team. Many people wondered why Chamberlain skipped the final six minutes after the game. He had scored 18 points (hitting seven of his eight shots) and grabbed 27 rebounds, much better than the ten points of Counts on 4-of-13 shooting. Russell, among other things, denied Chamberlain's injury and accused him of being a narcotic, according to Russell, "any injury short of a cracked leg or a broken back is not sufficient." Despite their earlier feuds, Van Breda Kolff came to his defense, insisting that the often-maligned Chamberlain was hardly able to move before the end. Van Breda Kolff was regarded as "pig-headed" for benching Chamberlain and later resigned as Lakers coach, and soon became Lakers coach Robert Breda Kolff. Cherry says that two journalists, "Wilt" because he wouldn't take over and Van Breda Kolff because he wouldn't give in."

Chamberlain's first nine games of the season were a success in the 1969–70 NBA seasons, averaging 32.2 points and 20.6 rebounds per game. He sustained a serious knee injury during his ninth game, a complete breakdown of the patellar tendon at the base of his right kneecap, and he missed the next two months before beginning to play in the final three games of the 82-game regular season, in which he struggled to reach 20 rebounds per game. Despite getting off to a good start, he still managed to post a season-average 27.3 points, 18.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.

The Lakers were charged with returning to the 1970 NBA playoffs, where they were defeated by the New York Knicks in the 1970 NBA Finals, stacked with future Hall-of-Famers Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, and Walt Frazier. Cherry claims that Reed, a prolific mid-range shooter, was a bad matchup for Chamberlain. Chamberlain was often too slow to tackle Reed's preferred high-post jump shots after losing lateral quickness as a result of his injury. In Game 1, the Knicks dominated a 124–112 victory, in which Reed scored 37 points. Chamberlain scored 19 points, grabbed 24 rebounds, and blocked Reed's shot in the final seconds, leading to the Lakers to a 105-103 victory. West took the game at 102 after hitting a 60-foot shot at the buzzer, tying the game at 102; the Knicks won the game 111-108. Chamberlain scored 18 points and grabbed 25 rebounds in Game 4 and tied the series at 2. Reed pulled his thigh muscles and seemed to be done for the game, with the Knicks trailing by double digits. Chamberlain now should have dominated against young Knicks backup centers Nate Bowman and Bill Hosket Jr., or forwards Bradley and DeBusschere, who gave up more than half of a foot against him, according to conventional wisdom. Rather, the Lakers gave up their 13-point halftime lead and relinquish to the tenacious Knicks defense, with 19 second-half turnovers, and only two key scorers (Chamberlain and West) fired the ball in the entire second half only three and twice, respectively. In what was described as one of the best comebacks in NBA Finals history, the Lakers lost 107–100.

Chamberlain scored 45 points, grabbed 27 rebounds, and almost tied the series in a 135–113 victory in Game 6, but the Knicks looked doomed ahead of Game 7 in New York City; however, Reed, who famously hobbled up court, scored the first four points and led his team to one of the most memorable playoff upsets of all time, seemed to be doomed. At halftime, the Knicks led by 27 points, but Chamberlain was unable to stop a third straight defeat in Game 7. Chamberlain was chastised for his inability to control his injured colleague, but Cherry claims his achievement, coming back from a career-threatening injury, was too late to be remembered.

The Lakers made a big splash in the 1970–71 NBA season by signing future Hall-of-Fame guard Gail Goodrich, who came back from the Suns after playing for the Lakers until 1968. Chamberlain had 20.7 points, 18.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, leading the NBA in rebounding once more, although the Lakers had the Pacific Division championship. The handicapped Lakers were regarded as underdogs in the 1971 NBA playoffs against Baylor after losing to an Achilles tendon tear that effectively ended his career and particularly after losing West after a knee injury. The Bucks were seen as a favorite against the depleted Lakers in the regular season, winning with 66 victories; nevertheless, many pundits were looking forward to the match between the 34-year-old Chamberlain and the 24-year-old Alcindor. In Game 1, Alcindor defeated Chamberlain 32–22, while the Bucks won 106–85. Despite Chamberlain's score of 26 points, four more than his Milwaukee counterpart, the Bucks won again in Game 2 in Game 2. When Erickson, West's stand-in, had an appendectomy and was out for the season prior to Game 3. In a 118–107 win, rookie Jim McMillian had 24 points and grabbed 24 rebounds, but the Bucks defeated the Lakers 117-94 to take the 3–1 series lead. Milwaukee beat the Milwaukee by 116–98 in Game 5 to close the game out at home. Despite losing, Chamberlain was praised for his courage against MVP Alcindor, who was not only 10 years old but healthy.

Chamberlain challenged Muhammad Ali, the heavyweight boxing champion, to a contest in the playoffs. In the Houston Astrodome, the 15-round match would have occurred on July 26, 1971. Chamberlain trained with Cus d'Amato but later pulled the much-anticipated confrontation against Ali against Joe Frazier in a fight scheduled for early 1971, which became Ali's first professional defeat, allowing Chamberlain to legally withdraw from the match. Chamberlain said in a 1999 interview that D'Amato had been approached twice before, in 1965 and 1967, and that Ali had each received $5 million for the war. Ali refused to be coerced by this potentially lethal opponent and instead played psychological games to smear Chamberlain's confidence with public boasts of "Timber!" for his part.

and "The tree will fall!"

Chamberlain said no. In 1965, he consulted his father, who had seen Ali fights, but said no. Cooke had given Chamberlain a record-breaking deal, but Cooke refused to give up what Cooke described as "this boxing foolishness." Jim Brown, the former NFL quarterback of Chamberlain, served as the head of the team in 1967; Ali's boss, Jabir Herbert Muhammad, pulled out of the Ali-Chamberlain match, which was supposed to take place at Madison Square Garden.

Bill Sharman, the Lakers' former Celtics star guard, was hired as head coach in the 1971–72 NBA season. Sharman started morning shoot-arounds, in which the perennial latecomer Chamberlain regularly participated, in comparison to earlier years with Schayes, and transformed him into a defensive-minded, low-scoring post defender in the style of his old rival Russell. In addition, he told Chamberlain that he would use his rebounding and passing skills to quickly bring fastbreaks to his coworkers. Chamberlain was appointed the Lakers' new captain despite no longer being the main scorer. After rupturing his Achilles tendon, former captain Baylor resigned, leaving a void Chamberlain was left empty. Sharman had hoped to divide this role at first, but West refused, claiming he was injury-prone and eager to solely focus on the game. Chamberlain accepted his new positions and scored an all-time low 14.8 points per game, but the rebound crown was also won with 19.2 rebounds per game, leading the league with a.649 field goal percentage. The Lakers embarked on an unprecedented 33-game winning streak en route to a then-record 69 victories in the regular season, but the streak ended in a strangely dissonant event. According to Flynn Robinson, after the record-breaking streak, Lakers owner Cooke wanted to honor each of his players, who were awaiting perhaps a trip to Hawaii with a $5 pen set. In reaction, Chamberlain had everyone bury all the pennies in the middle of the floor and stepped on them.

The Lakers thrashed the Chicago Bulls in 1972, then went on to face the Milwaukee Bucks, a young center and regular-season MVP (formerly Lew Alcindor). Chamberlain's match against Abdul-Jabbar was praised by Life as the best matchup in all sports. In six games, Chamberlain will help the Lakers beat Abdul-Jabbar and the Bucks. Particularly, Chamberlain was lauded for his work in Game 6, in which the Lakers defeated the Lakers by ten points after trailing by ten points in the fourth quarter; Chamberlain scored 24 points and 22 rebounds, played all 48 minutes, and beat the younger Bucks center on several late Lakers quick breaks; he was praised for his efforts in Game 6. It was "the best ball-busting performance I've ever seen," West said. Chamberlain did so well in the series that Time said: "In the N.B.A. (Chamberlain) effectively outplayed basketball's newest superstar, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who spent 11 years as a youth, in his Western division championship series with Milwaukee, "never to lose."

The Lakers returned to action against the New York Knicks in 1972 NBA Finals, a team that was shorthanded after losing the 6'9" Reed to injury and undersized 6'8" Jerry Lucas was battling against the 7'1" Chamberlain. Lucas, a professional outside shooter from New York, defeated Game 1, taking nine of his 11 shots in the first half alone. Chamberlain put Lucas into foul action in Game 2, which the Lakers won 106–92, and the Knicks lost defensive power forward Dave DeBusschere due to injury. For another Lakers victory, Chamberlain scored 26 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in Game 3. Chamberlain was playing with five fouls late in the game, in a tense competition. Chamberlain continued to play aggressive defense against the possibility of fouling out, and blocked two of Lucas' shots in overtime, showing those wrong who said he only played for his own statistics and not for his own figures. He collapsed on his right hand and was supposed to have sprained it, but it wasn't really broken. Chamberlain's hands were packed into thick pads that were traditionally reserved for defensive linesmen in American football; he was offered a painkilling shot but declined because he was afraid his hands would lose his shooting touch if his hands became numb. As announcer Keith Jackson counted the blocks during the broadcast, Chamberlain scored 24 points, 29 rebounds, 8 assists, and 8 blocked shots in Game 5. Although blocked shots were not a common NBA statistic at the time and would not be officially counted until the season, Chamblerlain's retirement in 1973 shows he averaged 8.8 blocks per game. The Lakers won their first championship in Los Angeles with a 114-100 victory, thanks to Chamberlain's all-around effort. Chamberlain was named the NBA Finals MVP, and he was lauded for leading the Knicks in Game 5 while injured.

Chamberlain's last season in 1972–73 was supposed to be his last, but he didn't know it at the time. The Lakers lost substance in his last season, as Happy Hairston was injured, Robinson and LeRoy Ellis had left, and veteran West was plagued by injury. Chamberlain's averaged 13.2 points and 18.6 rebounds, but it was enough to win the rebounding title for the 11th time in his career. In addition,, he shot a new NBA record of 0.727 for the season, beating his own record of 0.683 from the 1966–67 season. It was the ninth time Chamberlain would lead the league in field goal percentages. The Lakers won 60 games in the regular season and one against the New York Knicks in 1973, a franchise that featured a healthy lineup led to a rejuvenated Reed, while the Lakers were now limited by numerous injuries. The Lakers started off with a 115–112 victory, but the Knicks won Games 2 and 3; things got worse when Weststrained his hamstring. In Game 4, the Lakers were no match for New York. Despite Chamberlain scoring 23 points and grabbing 21 rebounds, the vain, but injured West and Hairston had poor performances, and the Lakers lost the game 102-93 and the series 3–2. Chamberlain's last game of his NBA career came after the Knicks closed the game with a late flourish led by Phil Jackson and Earl Monroe.

Coaching career

Chamberlain was signed as a player-coach for a $600,000 salary in 1973 by the San Diego Conquistadors, ABA's NBA rival league. The Lakers filed a lawsuit against their former player, which prevented him from playing because he owes them the option year of their deal. Chamberlain's assistant Stan Albeck, who recalled, "Chamberlain has a great feel for pro basketball... but boredom is a component of basketball." He didn't have the patience." The players were divided on Chamberlain, who was perceived as competent but then became more involved with the promotion of his autobiography Wilt: Just Like Every Other 7-Foot Black Millionaire Who Lives Next Door than with teaching. He had to leave a game in order to sign autographs for the book. The Conquistadors failed against the Utah Stars in the Division Semifinals in his single season as a coach. Chamberlain retired from professional basketball after the season, but the team's modest Golden Hall, a 3,200-seat stadium, was dissatisfied with the meager attendance, which was in addition to his dissatisfied by the team's meager attendance.

Post-NBA career

Chamberlain's Conquistador experience turned into success and entertainment, gained experience in stocks and real estate, and invested in broodmares. Chamberlain also sponsored his personal development volleyball and track and field teams, as well as providing high-level teams for girls and women in basketball, track, volleyball, and softball, and earned money by being in ads for TWA, American Express, Volkswagen, Drexel Burnham, Le Tigre Clothing, and Foot Locker. Volleyball became Chamberlain's new passion after his basketball career. He served as a member of the newly founded International Volleyball Association (IVA) in 1974 and 1975, becoming a brilliant hobby volleyballer during his Lakers days. The IVA All-Star game was televised solely because Chamberlain was involved in it; he rose to the challenge and was named the game's MVP, as a testament to his popularity; as a result, he was crowned the game's MVP. Before the league was banned in 1979, he appeared in occasional games for the IVA Seattle Smashers. Chamberlain marketed the sport so much that he was voted to the IVA Hall of Fame, and he became one of the few athletes to be honoured in various sports.

Chamberlain shifted to film in 1976, establishing a film production and distribution firm to produce his first film, titled Go For It. He formed Wilt's Athletic Club, a track and field club in southern California, and was coached by UCLA assistant coach Bob Kersee in the early days of his career, beginning in the 1970s. Florence Griffith, the current Olympic gold medalists, and Andre Brown, Alice Brown, and Jeanette Bolden were among the team's participants. All in all, he said 60 athletes with aspirations of increasing to 100. Chamberlain said he was considering returning to athletic competition in masters athletics while actively supporting the sport in 1982. He said he had only been defeated in the high jump once by Olympic champion Charles Dumas, and that he had never been defeated in the shot put, including beating Olympic champion Al Oerter.

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