“8 Teams Tried to Get Me”: Wilt Chamberlain Once Revealed the NBA Teams That Were Interested in Him in His Mid-40s

In 1959, one of the greatest players basketball has ever seen joined the NBA. Wilt Chamberlain is a legendary figure in the world of basketball.

The 7’1″ center spent 14 seasons in the NBA, averaging 30 points, 23 rebounds, and four assists per game. Numbers that are clearly out of this world.

However, The Big Dipper decided to hang up his boots in 1973, aged 37. He left the NBA holding several records as a surefire Hall of Famer. Six years later though, there were still teams that wanted him to play for them.

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Wilt Chamberlain had offers to come out of retirement and play for eight different teams including the Cleveland Cavaliers

Back in 1997, Wilt Chamberlain was in Cleveland for the All-Star game where he was set to be honored as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. While there, the two-time NBA Champion sat down for several interviews.

In one interview, Wilt was asked about rumors that he had received an offer from the Cavaliers to come out of retirement. Well, he admitted the same and even revealed that he had received not one, but eight offers from several different teams to “lace ’em up” again at the age of 43.

“The Cavs did want me, but they weren’t the only ones. They weren’t the first team, nor the last, to talk to me. Bulls, Cavaliers, Nets, Knicks twice, Sixers twice, Mavericks, Suns, Clippers. Those are all the teams who tried to get me in the last decade.”

Selected to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team… Wilt Chamberlain! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/pHN4Wg51jC

— NBA (@NBA) October 20, 2021

At the time, it made sense. The Cavs were entering a new era, under the leadership of Stan Albeck. The man who happened to be Chamberlain’s assistant coach during his coaching days in the ABA with the San Diego Conquistadors.

Unfortunately, it never came to fruition. But it certainly would have been interesting if it ever came to pass.

Wilt was interested in making a return but only because he would have been the first Hall of Famer to do so

Stan Albeck tried his level best to bring Wilt onto the team. For a time he was intrigued by the idea. Specifically, so he could be the first Hall of Famer in NBA history to come out of retirement.

What a story that would have been. But, at the end of the day, Chamberlain’s desire to come back was just not there.

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