“For some of Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor’s triple-doubles, you’d think they had the worst game in the world”: When Wilt Chamberlain explained how NBA basketball got diluted in quality over his lifetime

Wilt Chamberlain cited the examples of his former teammates Jerry West and Elgin Baylor to explain how in his view, NBA basketball got diluted.

One of the main complaints that many old heads have with the modern game is its statistical, analytics aspect. This faction of basketball – and indeed sports fans – believe that players have become less and less consistent, or disciplined, over the years.

This worldview of modern basketball wouldn’t have spread if it wasn’t a generational thing. It seems that tons of viewers from certain generations uniformly avoid the contemporary NBA in a conscious fashion. Now, why is it that way?

Wilt Chamberlain definitely had an explanation for why fans from his time fell out of love with NBA basketball.

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One of the salient features that differentiate the 50s and 60s basketball from eras that came later is the lack of emphasis on stats. In fact, scoreboard keepers didn’t introduce the concept of assists till after Bob Cousy revolutionized the PG position.

Steals and blocks came into official book-keeping during the mid-70s. This meant that points and rebounds would be the only stats any player could’ve chased. At such a time, Oscar Robertson set the game afire with his spate of triple-doubles for the Cincinnati Royals.

Despite his statistical achievements, and those of Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Bill Russell their 1961-62 MVP. Neither Chamberlain’s 50 point, 25.7 rebound average nor Oscar’s triple-double average swayed the media from such a view.

Wilt Chamberlain talks about how his contemporaries Jerry West and co wouldn’t pursue stats

However, it became clearer later that NBA media got lazy, complacent and became more of a sales force for the league itself. Wilt Chamberlain broke it down in the following fashion:

“Why would someone doing a game for – let’s say NBC – do nothing but applaud the players and praise who they are? Their checks kinda depend upon that. They’re like salesmen I mean, and they’re selling the ’97 game.”

“They’re not going to be selling the 56 All-Star game, or the 57 All-Star game. They’re gonna be selling TODAY’s game. They gotta keep people watching, so they’re gonna say wonderful things about these teams, and wonderful things about players.”

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“Media createst the impression that ‘Oh, he had a triple-double!’ – he did something spectacular. Some of these triple-doubles that Jerry West or Oscar Robertson or Elgin Baylor had, they would think they had the worst day in the world!”

Wilt Chamberlain wasn’t out of place when he said the media is diluting the modern game of basketball. ESPN has been the primary culprit in driving stat-driven basketball analysis, making the game hollow in the general public’s minds.