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Wilt Chamberlain is a professional basketball player from the United States. Additionally, Wilt Chamberlain played center in the NBA for 14 years and is widely considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Early life
Wilton Norman Chamberlain, better known as Wilt Chamberlain, was born in October 21, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America. At the time of his death, he was 63 years and has an American nationality.
Furthermore, he belongs to African American ethnicity and has the birth sign of Leo. He was the son of William Chamberlain (father) and Olivia Ruth Johnson (mother). Professionally, his father was a welder and his mother was a housewife.
Wilt Chamberlain grew up with six siblings whose names are Barbara Lewis, Margaret Lane, Oliver Chamberlain, Selina Gross, Wilbert Chamberlain, and Yvonne Chamberlain. He was a frail child who nearly died of pneumonia as a child and missed an entire school year as a result.
Death
Unfortunately, in the October 12, 1999, Wilt Chamberlain died of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles and, at the time, was 63 years old.
College career
Wilt Chamberlain was more of a track athlete as a child and never really liked basketball. But when he grew up, he discovered a passion for basketball because it was very common in Philadelphia.
He played basketball when he was a student at Overbrook High School. At that time he was already over 6 feet tall, so playing basketball gave him a competitive advantage over other players. In 1957, he made his college basketball debut. The following year, he led the “Jayhawks” to the NCAA championship.
Additionally, he left university in 1958 to pursue a basketball career. However, he was prevented from doing so because he needed to finish college to be able to play in the “NBA.” He was paid $50,000 to play for the Harlem Globetrotters, who hired him.
Career
Philadelphia Warriors
On October 24, 1959, Wilt Chamberlain made his professional basketball debut with the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks. He had 28 rebounds and scored an astonishing 43 points during the game.
Because he was the first “NBA” player to score 100 points in a game, the 1962 season was significant. He finished the season averaging 50.4 points per game. In San Francisco, he continued to play for the Warriors, averaging 37 points per game in the 1963-1964 season.
“Philadelphia 76ers” (Sixers)
He returned to his hometown in 1965 and joined the “Philadelphia 76ers” (Sixers), where he faced the “Boston Celtics.” The “Sixers” returned in the 1967 “NBA Playoffs”, winning 4 of 5 games after being defeated the previous season.
Chamberlain had a great individual performance and contributed significantly to his team’s victory. The San Francisco Warriors competed against the Sixers in the 1967 NBA Finals (originally Philadelphia Warriors). He once again helped his team to victory.
“The Los Angeles Lakers”
In 1968, he was traded to the “Los Angeles Lakers” for a total of $250,000, net of taxes. In a six-game tournament in which the Lakers won four, he helped his club defeat the San Francisco Warriors during the 1969 NBA Playoffs. However, the Boston Celtics, the well-known and former rival of the team, they defeated them. In the 1972 NBA Finals, he captained the Lakers and led them to a five-game winning streak over the New York Knicks.
Subtitle: Wilt Chamberlain playing basketball (Source: Instagram)
He played in his final NBA season in 1972-1973. Despite his performance in the final against the “Knicks,” which included 23 points and 21 rebounds, his team came up short.
Retirement
The ‘San Diego Conquistadors’, a franchise of the ‘ABA’ (American Baseball Association that later merged with the NBA), signed him as a player-coach in 1973. However, the ‘Lakers’ sued him because his contract with them was still in force. , preventing him from joining another team. Shortly afterward he announced his retirement from the NBA.
He tried his hand at several other ventures after leaving the game; He made money in stocks and real estate, founded a nightclub, and made several commercial appearances. He contributed to the expenses of the professional track and field and volleyball teams. His new passion was volleyball and he thrived in it. In 1974, he joined the board of directors of the “International Volleyball Association”. In 1976, he tried his hand at acting after serving as president of the “International Volleyball Association.” He was also executive producer of the film “Go For It.” In 1984, he co-starred in the film ‘Conan the Destroyer’ alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Achievements
As a legendary basketball player, Wilt Chamberlain has earned several honors and awards throughout his life. He is the only ‘NBA’ player who averages 30 points and 20 rebounds per season. Additionally, he is the first player to score 100 points in a single game. He was inducted into the ‘Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’ in 1978 as a result of his achievements.
He was named one of the ’50 Greatest Players in NBA History’ in 1996. Wilt has won two ‘NBA Championships’ in his career and has been named ‘MVP’ four times for his regular season achievements. Furthermore, he was named ‘MVP’ for his performance in one of the ‘NBA Finals’.
Caption: Wilt Chamberlain with a legendary professional boxer, Mohammad Ali (Source: Instagram)
Net worth 2024
He was an American basketball player who, at the time of his death, had a net worth of $10 million. Additionally, he was the first player to earn at least $100,000 a year and later, while playing for the Lakers, he earned over $1.5 million.
civil status
Wilt Chamberlain never married. It was reported that he had had several affairs with women. In 1973, he co-wrote and published his autobiography, “Wilt: Like Every Other 7-Foot Black Millionaire Who Lives Next Door.” In 1991 he published his autobiography, ‘A View from Above’, in which he revealed information about his personal life.
Wilt Chamberlain – Body Measurements
Wilt Chamberlain is 7 feet 1 inch tall and weighs around 125 kg. Also, this basketball has black hair with dark brown eyes and there is no other information about the other body measurements of him.
Wilt Chamberlain – Social Networks
At this moment basketball players are no longer in this world. So, this legendary baseball player is not present on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn