Wilt Chamberlain was that person, he of the gigantic on court accomplishment and even more eye popping off the court conquests. Wilt was so far ahead of his time, his name should've been Marty McFly.
There was no one who could guard him. Bill Russell was perhaps the greatest defender of all time and his teams had success against Chamberlain, but the Dipper always got his. Their supporting casts were not equal in the least bit.
Wilt gets his due as an all time great, but he is rarely mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. Despite the fact that he averaged 30 points and 23 rebounds per game...for his career. Not a season, not a playoff series, but a 14-year career.
So why not Wilt when the VERY best players of all-time are discussed? Chamberlain's biggest negatives on his body of work is that he ONLY won two championships and he ONLY won four MVP awards.
ONLY...keep that word in your mind as you read the rest of this article.
The most comparable player to Chamberlain since his retirement after the 1972-73 season is the recently retired Shaquille O'Neal. From the first moment he shattered a backboard or even before that, as he terrorized mortal college student athletes while playing three years at LSU, Shaq was a giant.
In his prime, no player affected every possession he was on the floor like O'Neal. With all due respect to the game's greatest player, Michael Jordan, Shaq had the ability to impact the game in more ways than MJ.
I can feel you getting upset with the MJ reference. So many people behave as if referencing Mike in comparison to anyone is like holding a picture next to the Shroud of Turin and checking for a resemblance.
Though M...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
