Wilt Chamberlain put a 235lb Celtics star in a vise grip, proving his 500lbs bench press with Arnold Schwarzenegger may have been validated.
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Wilt Chamberlain can best be described as one of the earliest freaks of nature. He was a well accomplished multi-sport athlete, excelling most in track-and-field and of course, basketball. By the time he had gotten to the league, they had already become accustomed to an overtly dominant black center in the form of Bill Russell.
However, the way Wilt dominated was different from how Russell did. Russell crashed the boards, swatted shots away, and dished the ball like Cousy in the fast-break. ‘The Big Dipper’ on the other hand, was more skillful and used brute strength to get his points up.
Whether it was finger rolls over smaller defenders or posters against guys like Elvin Hayes, Spencer Haywood, and the rest, Wilt Chamberlain was an offensive machine. Getting into the numbers of it all would be asinine as quite literally everybody knows about his scoring prowess.
As mentioned before, Wilt’s dominance was a direct derivative of his brute physicality. He put this on display night in and night out, with one instance being explained by a Celtics legend.
Also read: Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell: Who shrunk in the Playoffs more?
Wilt Chamberlain manhandled a Celtics player.
By the time Wilt Chamberlain was on the Los Angeles Lakers, he wasn’t exactly his 1962 self. He could score at will but by that time, there was a noticeable, slight decrease in offensive production both due to age and due to him taking on a more Bill Russell-esque role with the purple and gold.
However, every once in a while, Chamberlain would prove himself to still be as strong as he was when in his 20s. Paul Silas recalls:
“One time, when I was with Boston and he was with the Lakers, Happy Hairston and I were about to get into a scrape. All of a sudden, I felt an enormous vise around me. I was 6’7, 235lbs and Wilt had picked me up and turned me around. He said, ‘We’re not going to have that stuff.’ I said, ‘Yes sir.’”
Seems as though benching 500lbs with Arnold Schwarzenegger really paid off when it came to stopping fights on NBA hardwood.
Also read: Wilt Chamberlain’s $600,000 coaching gig saw the Lakers sue him instead
