Was Wilt Chamberlain the GOAT of basketball?

[Madmick]

Oh, btw, clarification, his shot put was apparently a feat during his high school career, not his college career. The high school shot put is 12lbs, not 16lbs.

The national record by a high schooler in that event is 81'3.5":

 

[vanillaisis]

The most impressive stat to me in Wilts 50/25 season was that he averaged 48.5 mpg. There's only 48 minutes in a game! He literally played every single minute of the games he was in.

 

[Madmick]

Gerald green gets his head above the ring but his max vert is 39"? Doesn't add up. Must be more like 45".

Indeed. That video was taken later in his career. His vertical may have increased, but one of the key lessons from that image is to understand how lower camera angles can distort one's perception of how high an athlete is.

Nevertheless, to get his head to the rim level, he would require a vertical leap of approximately 40.75" (approximately because some shoes add more height than others). With a 40.75" vertical his spike reach would 12'2". So even if he's several inches above that he is still just chasing the chalk mark on the backboard that Shaq or Dwight Howard would leave, and those guys don't have the best spike reach in NBA history.

 

[gspieler]

You guys realize training pr's are different from in-competition pr's, right? Not saying I'm taking the claims made about Wilt at face value, but when 99% of what you do in the gym goes undocumented, there's going to be a variance.

 

[chardog]

Did you timestamp the part where Arnold claims a 500lb bench press with his own mouth? I didn't see it. I don't care about a silly triceps extension that proves nothing. I'm talking about an unassisted bench press where the bar touches the chest. Besides, if Wilt claims 600 lbs, and Arnold claims 500 lbs, well, I find the discrepancy weird. It's almost like they didn't get their stories straight, and Arnold was a known bullshitter.

Timestamp me the video of Arnold talking about his bench press. I'm interested.

I'm using concrete, electronically timed 26.3-yd dash times to point out to you how many guys near his height in the NBA Combine today perform similar dash times to ~4.75s hand-timed 40-yd dashes.

Well, and the fact there isn't a photo anywhere, or a public demonstration of any kind to substantiate 50". What we have indicates a vertical in the mid-30's.

Meanwhile, he also claimed he bench pressed 600 lbs on Conan O'Brien. Ignorant and/or stupid people believe him, I'm sure.

He describes Wilt picking him up of the floor (doesn't say it was with one hand) after flattening him when he drove to the key, and Sam Jones weighed 200 lbs.

Did you think I wouldn't review this? LOL, pathetic.

6'6.75" recorded PR for Wilt as a KU competitor after three years. A 6'11" contention in that context is ludicrous.

56' is his recorded performance. Again, this is very good, but it isn't superhuman, or that impressive in the grander scheme. I just mentioned sub-200 lb men who don't specialize in the shot put have bested it. The WR for any man is 75'10".

880-yards isn't a "dash". Which video? Timestamp? You guys are so evasive with your "evidence".

In post #58 above I acknowledge some figures from his track career when he weighed 220-240 lbs that are more credible (still not verified with an official meet sheet, contemporary newspaper article reporting on the event, or anything like that). I will reprint them:
https://forums.sherdog.com/posts/158524953/
Keep in mind all of the below were performed when he was at or below his 250-pound rookie bodyweight:

• High Jump = 6'7"
• Long Jump = 22'
• Triple Jump = unconfirmed
• Shot Put = 56'
• 100m = 11.0-11.1 (conversion)
• 200m = 20.9 (conversion)
• 400m = 48.7 (conversion)
• Bench Press = ??? (never demonstrated publicly or performed in a meet, ever)

None of these are that crazy. They paint a picture of a highly impressive athlete, understandably, but not the superhuman you guys want to believe in with a 50" vertical and a 600-lb bench press who can casually heave 240-lb men above his head with one hand.

Stop being so gullible.

1:50 wilt claims 600 lb, and I'm ok with that being false.

I made no claim about Arnold benching 500 with Wilt, you are confusing what's being typed.

I made no claim about one arming KC, that was never quoted.


shot put and 880 eye witness 11:40, an Olympian

you're claim is that there were no witnesses, I've provided, still gullible......

Wilt was 7'1 barefoot, with all these accomplishments, we WAS superhuman, there's hardly any shorter than him that can match his raw physical talent in the NBA. The guy was 7'1 with a 7'8 wingspan, and if you think he wouldnt compete well with modern guys, I dont know what to tell you. One of the rare guys at 35 years old, well past his prime, was able to block Kareem's skyhook.

 

[Madmick]

More data,. These are his high school's T&F records:
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/SchoolRecords.aspx?SchoolID=6598

The triple jump would have had to have been at KU because his high school maintains their T&F records, and their school record is 40'. The national record is 52'10.5":
http://www.bvtrack.com/SJSTF/2016TrackandFieldRecords.pdf

He doesn't show up on KU's Track & Field historical Top 10 performers in any event. If he did triple jump over 50' it was less than 53':
https://kuathletics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/M_OUT_TOP_10.pdf

Meanwhile, for context, even if Wilt ran a 1:58.3 in the 880-yd, even if that's real, which converts to a 1:57.61 in the 800m, he would have finished 9th in the Pennsylvania State high school T&F championships in the event this past year. There were an additional six runners at that meet with a seed time (indicating a PR) faster than that, but who failed to put up their best time, and didn't qualify for the final heat. So his PR in that event would have made him the 15th fastest 880-yd runner in high school Pennsylvania track for a single year. This is a state with 12.8m people, or less than 4% of our national population:
http://www.piaa.org/assets/web/documents/results/spring/track-field/2019_AAA_TF_Final.htm
In fact, just for performances in the Spring of 2019, not even runner PRs, but the best times high school runners happened to notch in that season, he would have been 49th in the nation:
https://www.maxpreps.com/leaders/track-field-spring-19/middle+distance,800+meter/stat-leaders.htm

Perspective.

Come on brother! The dude's hand is above the square trying to block a shot, meaning he didn't even have a running start. Show me the 6'6 athletes doing that please. Btw your condescending tone is unnecessary bro!

I think this might be the only dude who legit touched that height...

In the NBA. James White and Antonio McDyess played in the NBA. James White is 6'7", and there is an entire article about him just barely missing the top of the backboard in a live demonstration, so he would be way above Gilmore in that photo:
James White vs. a Jumping Myth

There's no indication that was a standing leap by Gilmore. Usually defenders take at least a step. At that point it's a countermovement. Those aren't far off max vertical leaps. He's about halfway above the square, a little less if we adjust for the angle, and the halfway mark between square and top of backboard is 12'3". So he's around 12'0. You think there aren't dozens of NBA guys who could do that? Just in the most recent combine Brandon Clarke (6'7.25" tall) put up a max vert of 40.5". He has a miserable standing reach relative to his height of 8'7" with shoes on. That puts him at 11'11.5". The year before Melvin Frazier (6'6.5") put up the same 40.5" vert with a shoes-on standing reach of 8'10.5". That puts him at 12'3". I could keep going down the list.

The Cuban Javier Sotomayor, for example, was tall enough (6'5") he likely could have touched the top of the backboard with his 8'0.5" high jump WR. Currently no professional male volleyball player in the world can do it. There used to be a Harlem Globetrotter who dunked on 12'0" before Dwight named Michael Wilson, IIRC. I saw that dunk. He wouldn't have been able to get the top of the backboard.

That specialist leaper is definitely impressive, but it's the one thing he does.

 

[PRESIDENT TRUMP]

/thread

 

[Zoolander]

Hilarious. Do you believe in the Easter Bunny too?

I have no idea why you would ask me that lol. I gave you facts. Its fascinating to me that you won't simply admit that Wilt didn't only go against 6'8 working men as you stated. Swallow your pride & let's move on.

 

[Zoolander]

In the NBA. James White and Antonio McDyess played in the NBA. James White is 6'7", and there is an entire article about him just barely missing the top of the backboard in a live demonstration

I understand that man. I know all about McDyess & I know all about Flight White. I watched him go against David Lee in the McDonald's dunk contest when it aired live & ever since then I've wanted badly for him to carve out a spot in the NBA. I've followed his career ever since. I've seen his attempts at touching 13'. He was damn close. I posted the only man I'd ever seen actually touch the mark. Here's a cool vid:

White at 1:15

There's no indication that was a standing leap by Gilmore. Usually defenders take at least a step. At that point it's a countermovement. Those aren't far off max vertical leaps. He's about halfway above the square, a little less if we adjust for the angle, and the halfway mark between square and top of backboard is 12'3". So he's around 12'0. You think there aren't dozens of NBA guys who could do that? Just in the most recent combine Brandon Clarke (6'7.25" tall) put up a max vert of 40.5". He has a miserable standing reach relative to his height of 8'7" with shoes on. That puts him at 11'11.5". The year before Melvin Frazier (6'6.5") put up the same 40.5" vert with a shoes-on standing reach of 8'10.5". That puts him at 12'3". I could keep going down the list.

I think a block attempt from either a standing position (his legs tells me that could be the case) or with one step would be quite a bit different from a max vert where you can take as many steps as you like & go off one or two feet. Some guys gain as much as 9' from the run-up. & no I don't think there are dozens of NBA guys who can do that. But if there are, I'm happy to see the photos & admit that I'm wrong. But beyond all that I posted the photo just to demonstrate the caliber of athlete Wilt went against. That's not a 6'6 white school teacher. That's a beast of a man who'd fit right in in today's NBA. I think you'd agree with that.

 

[Mamba Mentality]

I have no idea why you would ask me that lol. I gave you facts. Its fascinating to me that you won't simply admit that Wilt didn't only go against 6'8 working men as you stated. Swallow your pride & let's move on.

Never said he only went against 6'8 working men. Good one!

Admit that you believe in Santa Claus now.

 

[Zoolander]

Never said he only went against 6'8 working men. Good one!

Admit that you believe in Santa Claus now.

I kind of do lol. Saint Nick was a real man!

Oh sorry, here's what you actually said:

Wilt would be so far behind in foot movements, hesitations, ball handling, post game/moves and add to the fact that he wouldn't have 6'8 hard working sheet metal producers guarding him, he'd have 6'10+ A level athletes on him.

I was way out of line attributing the phrase '6'8 working men' to you instead of '6'8 hard working sheet metal producers' lmao. Please forgive me as they're clearly two very different things

 

[Mamba Mentality]

I kind of do lol. Saint Nick was a real man!

Oh sorry, here's what you actually said:



I was way out of line attributing the phrase '6'8 working men' to you instead of '6'8 hard working sheet metal producers" lmao. Please forgive me as they're clearly two very different things

"Only".

Maybe Wilt had a blue ox?

 

[Zoolander]

"Only".

Maybe Wilt had a blue ox?

Ahh so the word 'only' is to be your saving grace lol. In that case I implore you to provide evidence of the 6'8 sheet metal producers he matched up against. Your statement implies that there were a lot of them, so it shouldn't be difficult.

Your references to myths & fairytales is strange as those stories haven't been my focus. I'm more interested in what he did to his peers on the court.

 

[Madmick]

I understand that man. I know all about McDyess & I know all about Flight White. I watched him go against David Lee in the McDonald's dunk contest when it aired live & ever since then I've wanted badly for him to carve out a spot in the NBA. I've followed his career ever since. I've seen his attempts at touching 13'. He was damn close. I posted the only man I'd ever seen actually touch the mark. Here's a cool vid:

You're the second poster on Sherdog I've encountered who claims to have watched that McDonald's Dunk Contest like an OG despite that you have never made a single mention of James White on this board before I brought him up.

 

[Zoolander]

You're the second poster on Sherdog I've encountered who claims to have watched that McDonald's Dunk Contest like an OG despite that you have never made a single mention of James White on this board before I brought him up.

This is my 3rd day posting in this forum. Why would I have brought him up? I followed him from Florida, to Cincinnati, to the NBA, overseas, back to the NBA etc etc. Watched him go between the legs from the line, behind the back from the line, 2 hands from the line & every dunk in between. I picked him to win the NBA Dunk Contest he was in & was super disappointed that he couldn't show how talented he truly was. I wish he could have participated at his peak. & I was appalled that he lost that McDonald's contest to much inferior dunker David Lee. I even had that dunk contest recorded on VHS lol. I recorded them all back then. I'm not sure why you think you're the only one who's familiar with James White. Whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you. I'm not here to try to one-up anyone or sound smart. I just love hoops. Always have

 

[Mamba Mentality]

I heard Wilt the Stilt could pick up 10 cars and throw them like rag dolls.

 

[Madmick]

This is my 3rd day posting in this forum. Why would I have brought him up? I followed him from Florida, to Cincinnati, to the NBA, overseas, back to the NBA etc etc. Watched him go between the legs from the line, behind the back from the line, 2 hands from the line & every dunk in between. I picked him to win the NBA Dunk Contest he was in & was super disappointed that he couldn't show how talented he truly was. I wish he could have participated at his peak. & I was appalled that he lost that McDonald's contest to much inferior dunker David Lee. I even had that dunk contest recorded on VHS lol. I recorded them all back then. I'm not sure why you think you're the only one who's familiar with James White. Whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you. I'm not here to try to one-up anyone or sound smart. I just love hoops. Always have

I think Wilt likes to tell stories, and I think you like to tell stories, too.

Cool story, bro.

 

[Zoolander]

I think Wilt likes to tell stories, and I think you like to tell stories, too.

Cool story, bro.

Fine by me bro! If you need to feel like the expert of the thread more power to you!

 

[Rygu]

Lol @ Wilt Chamberlain benching 600lbs.

I'd have bet $1000 he wouldn't have even got 400lbs off the bar.

 

[Mamba Mentality]

Wilt once overhead pressed Andre the Giant with one hand while making Arnold suck his dick with the other.