“Shaquille O’Neal is good, but he ain’t Wilt Chamberlain!”: Why 7 footer Wilt The Stilt should be included in the GOAT conversation

Nithin Joseph | 14/07/2022
"Shaquille O'Neal is good, but he ain't Wilt Chamberlain!": Why 7 footer Wilt The Stilt should be included in the GOAT conversation

Wilt Chamberlain has one of the craziest career stat lines in NBA history. Yet, fans and analysts do not mention him in the GOAT discussion!

One of the most popular debates amongst NBA fans and analysts alike is the ‘GOAT’ debate. Till the end of time, the discussion of who deserves the title of ‘greatest’ will rage on.

Over the past three decades, a few names have been thrown into the mix. The most consistent ones are Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Yet, one player who has been criminally overlooked is Wilt Chamberlain. The Big Dipper was a dominant force who averaged a monstrous 30 points, 22 rebounds, and four assists per game!

Also Read: “Wilt Chamberlain could not only block your shot, he could catch it!”: Wilt the Stilt played like he had gravity on easy mode throughout his career

Unfortunately, the same excuses surrounding his opponents, the era he played in, and the rules at the time are brought up in order to block his entry into the debate. However, do any of these excuses hold merit?

Wilt Chamberlain played in one of the tougher eras of basketball and deserves to be in the GOAT discussion

Wilt ‘The Stilt’ played in the NBA from 1959 to 1973. Over the span of his 14-year career, he dominated opponents both on offense and defense.

However, he is constantly undermined when discussing the ‘greatest players of all time’. This is simply because the majority believe he played in an era that didn’t have the rules of today’s NBA and was filled with weak players. Unfortunately for the haters, this is far from the truth.

Rules like the 24-second rule and the three-second rule were already in place. Not to mention the stiff competition from the likes of Bill Russell, Jerry Lucas, and Bob Pettit. Richard JT of Bleacherreport says it best.

“Wilt Chamberlain had more competition back in his day than there is today. The biggest misconception on Wilt is that he dominated because the game had no competition, which is just wrong and senseless.”

Even at the age of 59, Goliath could bench more than a prime Shaquille O’Neal. Safe to say he should be mentioned in the same line as MJ, Kareem, and King James.

Also Read: “I learnt from Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become better!”: 7-footer Shaquille O’Neal claims to be more dominant than his predecessors

Post Edited By: Tonoy Sengupta
Bill Russell Kareem Abdul Jabbar LeBron James Michael Jordan Shaquille O'Neal Wilt Chamberlain

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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