The poor coverage at the time Wilt Chamberlain played in the NBA has contributed to preserving his image as an almost mythical figure in the league’s history. The 7-foot-1 big man is the record holder for most points in an NBA game with 100 and other similarly insane feats, which has contributed to his mysticism. That’s partly why the two-time NBA Champion was often viewed as a larger-than-life figure, even by posterity.
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Isiah Thomas can be seen exuding that same disbelief of Chamberlain’s size during a TNT broadcast in the early 1990s, where he was asked about meeting Chamberlain. The Hall-of-Fame point guard couldn’t contain his admiration for The Big Dipper’s otherworldly height, even though some of his peers were as tall as him.
Thomas said, “There’s 7-foot and then I think there’s Wilt… I mean he’s a different kind of 7-feet. He’s not the Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing type of 7-feet. He’s Wilt Chamberlain 7-feet.”
Isiah Thomas on meeting Wilt for the first time: God he’s big….There’s 7-foot and then I think there’s Wilt… I mean he’s a different kind of 7-feet. He’s not the Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing type of 7-feet. He’s Wilt Chamberlain 7-feet. pic.twitter.com/VaUNoTntou
— Andy Roth (@arhooptalk) November 4, 2024
Thomas’ words suggest that there is a significant height difference between Chamberlain with the likes of Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon. However, that is physically impossible. Ewing and Olajuwon are both 7 feet exactly, which means the difference between them and Wilt is a mere inch.
The statement from Thomas was undoubtedly hyperbolic, yet it further established Chamberlain’s myth-like existence. The real reason behind this myth around Wilt’s height is that the former Lakers superstar dominated the league back in the day when he hardly had any peers close to his height.
Therefore, those stories of dominance embellished his size and manipulated the minds of players from posterity about the mythical stature of Wilt.
There may be other reasons as well because there is a possibility that the NBA had employed tactics to make Wilt appear larger than life. The evidence that support this claim is in ‘Who’s Running the Asylum? Inside the Insane World of Sports Today’, a book written by Wilt Chamberlain. In it, he reveals that the NBA lied to fans regarding different aspects of his career.
“I weighed 310 to 315 lbs more or less but never 275. I was listed as being 7-foot-1 and occasionally 7-foot-2 but I never reached either of those altitudes. I am exactly 7 feet plus 1/16 of an inch,” Chamberlain wrote.
Wilt’s words indicate the fabrication of his physical features by the NBA. There is no solid evidence that this happened to be the case. However, it makes sense why the NBA would’ve created a masterful marketing plan to draw fans to witness an unbelievable player.
Wilt helped grow the league with his stature
Wilt embraced the fans’ perception of him being a larger-than-life figure to the highest degree.
Professional bodybuilding legend, Arnold Schwarzenegger shared a story revealing the extreme weight that Chamberlain would lift on tricep extensions. He said, “Even the big guys, the strongest guys, would do let’s say, 120lbs, let’s say, tricep extensions pulling down right? He would come and he would do 150-170lbs, Wilt Chamberlain. That’s how strong he was.”
Reports state that Chamberlain could lift 500 lbs during his bench press at the peak of his physical form.
Despite his big stature, Wilt was one of the fastest players during his NBA career as well. He boasted a time of 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Chamberlain also claimed his vertical is an absurd 50 inches, although that may be inaccurate.
Chamberlain passed away in 1999, which left many questions unanswered. However, Wilt’s mythical presence continues to live on in the basketball world.
