SECTION 10 - Wilt Chamberlain: Great, but not the Greatest

Before we get started, let me just say that Wilt is a top 5 center of all time and a top 15 player of all time. He would easily be the best center in the league in today's (2005-present) game of no high-quality big men. But that being said...I do not feel Wilt Chamberlain is the greatest of all time.

In spite of his statistical accomplishments, Wilt Chamberlain won 2 championships and his non-winning playoff records against Bill Russell (1-7) and Willis Reed (0-2) were the result of multiple sub-par performances

Basketball has developed much since Chamberlain's era. In Wilt's era, teams were taking 100-110 shots per game and shooting around 40% from the field. From the mid 70s onwards, teams shot between 80-90 shots and shot 45-50% - meaning there are FAR less opportunities for pts and rebs.

After averaging more than 30 ppg for three seasons in a row (70/71 to 72/73), Kareem never averaged more than 30 ppg from his 5th season to his 20th season (73/74 to 88/89). After averaging 14 to 17 rpg for his first 7 seasons, he never again averaged more than 13.3 rpg for the remaining 13 seasons of his career, despite the fact that he was just about to enter his prime at age 28 after his first 7 seasons. Kareem won two scoring titles in Wilt Chamberlain's era, and never won a scoring title for the rest of his career. 

• Kareem had 2 scoring titles in Wilt Chamberlain's era in his 2nd and 3rd year player. He had ZERO scoring titles after Wilt's era was finished, even after entering his prime.
• Kareem had 3 straight seasons of 30+ ppg in Wilt Chamberlain's era as an inexperienced 2nd to 4th year player. He had ZERO back to back season of 30+ ppg after Wilt's era was finished, even after entering his prime.
• Kareem had 3 straight seasons of 16+ rpg in the era of Wilt Chamberlain (as a inexperienced 2nd to 4th year player). He had ZERO back to back 15+ rpg seasons after that Wilt's era was finished, even after entering his prime.

Kareem's production declined greatly as the NBA
slowly developed heading into the 70s.

A study showed that Dennis Rodman, who I feel is the greatest rebounder of all time, had a much much higher total rebound percentage in his best seasons (30%) to Wilt and Russell's (20-21%). Rodman's rebound percentage destroyed Wilt and Russel - so if he played in the same era as Wilt/Russell or vice versa, he easily crushes them both in rebounding. In Rodman's advanced era, teams shot much more efficiently, and took 20-30 less shots on average - making rebound opportunities far less available than in Wilt's weak era. 

Since the 80s, the league's teams have never averaged more than 44 rpg, compared to the range of 50.6 to 73.5 rpg averaged in Wilt's era. If in an entire game, there are only 44 rebound opportunities, it would be hard for Wilt by himself to obtain 55 rebounds in a game like he did against Bill Russell in the 1960s. 

When put in context, Rodman's rebounding was superior to Russell and Chamberlain's

What's more impressive? Grabbing 18.7 rebounds a game in a league where there are an average of 43.7 opportunities (1991/92 season), or grabbing 27.2 rebounds a game in a league with an average of 73.3 opportunities (1960/61 season)? Also remember that Rodman never played more than 40.3 minutes per game in a season while Chamberlain played 42 to 48.5 mpg in every season of his career. Russell also played more than 40 mpg in 10 out of his 13 seasons. 

Those higher minutes, along with the fact that rebound opportunities from excessive bricking were much higher in Russell and Wilt's era, make it obvious that Wilt and Russell should have higher rebounding statistics. In context, their rebounding is not as good as Rodman's, however.

Take a look at the vastly higher proportion of rebounds that Dennis Rodman gets compared to the likes of Russell and Wilt. You can view the original source here.

Wilt also only won his second ring because the Knicks' Willis Reed was injured and didn't play in the 1972 NBA Finals. What happened when Willis Reed did play against Wilt? Wilt ended up with an 0-2 playoff record against Willis in the 1970 and 1973 NBA Finals. Wilt also had a 1-7 playoff series record against Bill Russell.

Also, Wilt had many Hall of Famers by his side - Jerry West, Goodrich, Greer, Cunningham, Elgin Baylor, Thurmond, Guy Rodgers, Chet Walker. His own teammate Jerry West was so good, even when the Lakers lost in 1969, West showed up his teammate Chamberlain by winning the Finals MVP by averaging 38-5-7. No excuse can be made that Wilt didn't have help like Iverson with the 2001 Sixers or Moses with the 1981 Rockets.

Wilt's supporting cast was good enough that 
even when he lost the championship his teammate
Jerry West won the Finals MVP.

Chamberlain would be good no doubt, and the best center in today's league, but he is not going to dominate with 50-25 like he did in the 50s/60s. He would still be a 25-15-4 type of center, still an amazing player, at least for the regular season. Again, we'll get to this later.


Wilt had help to be successful in his career, but he was not as successful as his inflated stats would indicate. In all of Wilt's scoring title seasons, he never won a championship. His high scoring numbers benefited himself, but not his team. Wilt had 7 regular season scoring titles, but he only led the playoffs in points per game ONCE in 1964, and he lost in 5 games against the Celtics that year.


In only his second season, Kareem outplayed the experienced Chamberlain and eliminated him from the Playoffs. The next year, the Lakers did eliminate Kareem's Bucks in 6 games on the way to Wilt's last championship, thanks to Oscar's injuries, but Kareem averaged 34 pts a game in that series to Chamberlain's mere 11, although Chamberlain did outrebound him. 


Wilt's playoff disappointments also make it hard for me to support his claim as the greatest.

1) "Oh well look at Wilt’s numbers they are crazy – 50 and 25, 4x MVP, 100 pt game, 48.5 minutes."

Stats are misleading if they are not put in context. As proven before, these numbers were the results of an era with excessive shot attempts - which led to more scoring and rebound opportunities.  Kareem's numbers also declined after Chamberlain's era was over, as seen above. Soon, we will put all these numbers in context and prove Wilt's high numbers were not a good thing for team basketball

Wilt would be a Hall of Fame all-time great in any era. 
But his numbers by themselves do not make him the greatest

2) "Wilt led the league in assists"

Wilt led the league in TOTAL assists, not in assists per game. Oscar Robertson led the league in assists per game with 9.7 while Wilt had 8.6 assists per game. And again, Wilt's assists record comes with a caveat

"Wilt is a very goal-oriented person, and and under Alex (Hannum) he wanted to win a title and become the first center to lead the league in assists. He liked to pass to Hal Greer or myself, because we just caught it and shot it. Chet Walker usually caught the ball, took a dribble or two and then shot it - no assist for Wilt (under the assist rules of that time). So Wilt preferred to give the ball to us.
- Billy Cunningham

Wilt went out of his way to chase his assist stats - going as far as to AVOID passing to Hall of Fame teammate Chet Walker because he would most likely not get an assist from Walker under the format of recording assist statistics at the time. 

"He said in training camp that he wanted to lead the league in assists. He thought that would be cool. Of course, we all thought that would be cool too. But he didn't want us to run. He wouldn't throw outlet passes off rebounds. Only Billy or Chet were allowed to run out and score on the fastbreak if they got long rebounds.

"Wilt wanted to be involved in every half-court play, so he stood there in the middle and all of us would run around him and he tried to pile up his assists. You've got to remember that assists were kept much more strictly back then. There was none of this stuff like today where you can take three dribbles and a head-fake and it counts. You got assists if you caught the pass and made the shot. So that meant Wilt would only pass it to guys who could catch and shoot -- Luke, Billy sometimes, Wali, Hal and me. In my case, he'd try to get me to just go backdoor for a layup, because he didn't trust me to do much else. And he'd never pass it to Chet Walker, because Chet always had to be pump-faking or use a dribble and take away the assist.

- Matt Guokas 

Wilt leading the league in assists was another a statistical achievement, but it comes back to haunt him in the 1968 Playoffs against the Celtics, which we will get to later. 

Wilt did lead the league in assists for a
season, but not apg, and it was the
effect of selfish stat-padding

3) "Wilt didn’t have enough help and he had to deal with the 60s Celtics"

Wilt had several hall of famers to help him in his career; Jerry West, Goodrich, Greer, Cunningham, Elgin Baylor, Thurmond, Guy Rodgers, Tom Gola, Chet Walker.

And he only needed to play 8-17 teams over the course of his career so he had it easy. In spite of that Wilt only won twice, and he needed Willis and Oscar's injuries in 1972 to help him.

Even when Wilt failed, Jerry West was so good he won the Finals MVP over Chamberlain. He even dropped a 43-13-12 triple double in Game 7 of the 1969 Finals, but Wilt still lost with that help.

4) "He changed the way the game was played"

If Jordan, Shaq, Olajuwon, etc. played in Wilt’s era they most likely also would have changed the game drastically. Wilt just was the first one born in the right place at the right time. The game would have been changed regardless of whether or not Wilt came along.

There is a pretty well-known quote by Wilt.

"If Michael was here right now, I would say to him: When you are so great that the league tries to change the rules in an attempt to stop you, then you can claim you are the best ever. Every rule change I have seen during your career has been meant to enhance your game"
 - Wilt Chamberlain

But he was wrong

"This season, some say, they're going after Jordan with the NBA rulebook. There's a new rule in the NBA this season that prohibits teams from placing three or more players above the top of the key, away from the ball. A violation results in a loss of possession.

Officially it's Section 32 Paragraph 15, but around the league it`s getting to be known as "the Michael Jordan rule."
 
This rule change did not prevent the use of zone defense in Jordan's era as it may imply in the article, however.

In reality, Jordan was so great that the opposition was allowed to get away with more than usual against him.




To all of this, Bulls coach Phil Jackson and league operations vice president Rod Thorn are dubious.'' They`re just trying to diminish Michael Jordan`s talent and scoring,'' said Jackson. ''They`re thinking of him as a one-man team demolisher, but he`s playing with hands all over him, getting bumped and grabbed. If anything, we don`t feel he`s getting the protection he should be.''

- Chicago Tribune, 1990

"I often tell him it's comparable to Michael [Jordan]. Michael would get fouled on every play and still have to play through it and just clear himself for shots instead and would rise to that occasion." 
- Phil Jackson during the 2001 Finals, comparing Shaq's dominance to Jordan's
Jackson said he believed Michael Jordan was fouled on every play when he coached the Bulls. He said coaches and players would tell the referees, "Don't give him those cheap calls." Jackson said the referees seemed to agree and didn't give Jordan the calls because he "was good enough to do it anyway." "You just watch it in amazement," Jackson said.
- By Broderick Turner
- The Press-Enterprise, January 2008


So there you have it, Wilt. According to your own criteria, Jordan can surely call himself the best ever.

5) "Because the league was so small, Wilt had to play the best (like Russell) night in and night out"

If Wilt played the best team many many times, that means he also had to play the WORST teams many many times. Here is an example we brought up earlier

In his 50-26 season (1961/62), Wilt's team had a solid 49-31 record, but 10 of those wins came against the absolute worst team in the league (18-62 Chicago Packers). Without his 10-0 record against the absolute worst team in the league, Wilt's team had a regular 39-31 record. If not for the benefit of playing the worst teams in the league many many times, Wilt's team's record would not have looked as well.

And, if this does make Wilt so great, how come in the playoffs (when only the best teams are left) Wilt's numbers decreased? Let's take a look at Wilt's playoff opponents, when it matters most, adjusting teams up to 1967 for 82 games.

Jordan played 2 losing teams in his playoff career, and no 0.500 teams. Wilt played 4 teams at 0.500 or worse and 3 losing teams. 27 of Jordan's 37 opponents (73%), almost 3/4 had 50+ wins, whereas 14 of Wilt's 29 opponents (48%), just under half had 50+ wins. More evidence that Jordan played far superior competition. 

1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1967 - all but 1 team in the Western Division had a losing record 

1967 - 7 out of the 10 teams (70%) in the league had a losing record when Wilt won his first title.

More than half of Wilt's opponents were sub-50 teams, and Jordan is 10-0 against sub-50 teams in his playoff career. Wilt was 2-6 vs 60+ win teams to Jordan's 7-2. Wilt beat 2 60+ win teams in his entire career, whereas Jordan beat 2 60+ win teams in 3 separate title seasons (1993, 1996, 1997) as well as one more in 1998. 

Jordan beat either 3 50+ win teams or 2 60+ win teams in each of his last 5 championship runs, sometimes both. Wilt never beat 3 50+ win teams or 2 60+ win teams in any playoff run, even in the years that he played 3 playoff opponents. Wilt faced 3 sub-50 teams in the 1969 Playoffs, a luxury that Jordan never had.

6) "Oh well wilt had so many physically amazing accomplishments - he had X amount bench press, he could run this fast, he could jump X inches."

So what? James White could touch the top of the backboard. Kevin Willis could bench 400+. Neither of these guys dominated the league. Physical talent itself doesn't get you far in the NBA anymore like it did in Wilt's era. This is basketball not Mr. Olympia or track and field.

Wilt's stat padding came as a huge detriment to his team consistently throughout his career

Wilt's great INDIVIDUAL stats did NOT help his TEAM 
In Wilt's 7 scoring title seasons - the highest scoring numbers of his career, Wilt's teams had 

• A 22-30 playoff record (0.423 win%)
• Only 1 Finals appearance (1964, lost 1-4 to Celtics)
• And 0 championships.

Not including the 1969/70 season in which Wilt only played 12 games, in Wilt's lowest scoring seasons, the last 6 of his career, Wilt's teams had

• A 55-35 playoff record (0.611 win%)
• 4 Finals appearances (1967, 1969, 1972, 1973)
• And 2 championships (1967, 1972)

• When Wilt returned in the 1970 playoffs averaging 22 ppg, the Lakers had an 11-7 playoff record and made the Finals
• Including the 1970 playoffs Wilt's teams had
• A 66-42 playoff record (0.611 win%)
• And 5 Finals appearances with his no-longer detrimental high-scoring

This is all proof that the only way for Wilt's teams to have success was for him to cut down on his high scoring numbers. It's no coincidence that Wilt's won his very first championship in the very first season that he did not win a scoring title - 1967.

1962/63 season - Wilt averages a 45-24, while his team has a 31-49 record and MISSES the playoffs. In Wilt's back to back and 50-26 and 45-24 seasons combined, Wilt's teams had an 80-80 record.

In his 50-26 season (1961/62), Wilt's team had a solid 49-31 record, but 10 of those wins came against the absolute worst team in the league (18-62 Chicago Packers). Due to less teams in the league, Wilt had the luxury of playing the weakest competition in the league very often in the regular season. Without his 10-0 record against the absolute worst team in the league, Wilt's team had a regular 39-31 record.

Unfortunately for Wilt, he didn't have the luxury of feasting on weaker teams several times a year in the playoffs, and his regular season accomplishments did not help when only the better teams remained. Later on we will see how Wilt's 50-26 regular season performance translated in the 1962 playoffs, when it actually matters, against the Celtics.

Wilt played in all 160 games, and averaged 48.5 and 47.6 minutes those seasons. This is CLEAR evidence of stat padding. No team in history goes through a season without enduring multiple blowout games, so it is obvious with Wilt rarely stepping off the floor that he was padding his stats. A good example is the March 7, 1962 game between the Celtics and Sixers, in which the Celtics won 153-102, yet Wilt played the whole game.

In BOTH Wilt's 50 and 45 ppg seasons, his teams were DEAD LAST in opponents' points allowed - the absolute WORST defense in the league. After the 1961-62 season, Wilt only delivered 22 in Game 7 of the 1962 EDF when it mattered against the Celtics, and they lost.

Compare this with Jordan who won the scoring title in EACH of his 6 title years while the Bulls' defense was always top 10 in ppg allowed (Top 5 in every title season except 1996/97). Jordan's scoring won NBA titles. Wilt's 2 best scoring seasons, also the 2 highest individual scoring seasons in NBA history, won the title of worst defense in the league.

Conclusion: Jordan's teams win with his scoring, and it does not cost their defense. Wilt, on the other hand, hurts his team - and especially their defense, with high scoring. Also, Wilt had 7 regular season scoring titles, but he only led the playoffs in ppg ONCE in 1964, and he lost in 5 games against the Celtics. We'll see later on how Wilt failed to meet expectations in the 1964 playoffs.

"Wilt"ing in the Playoffs, where it actually matters
The playoffs is where it matters most, not the regular season. How will Chamberlain do when it actually matters? Let's take a look.

Wilt's 100 point photo is the perfect summary of his regular season career.
This shot of Wilt after blowing Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals
is the perfect summary of his playoff career

In the 1960 playoff series between Russell and Chamberlain, the normally non-offensive Russell had games of 19, 26, 17, and 25 points. Russell never averaged 19 ppg in a regular season of his career. Wilt's lack of defensive impact as he goes for individual accomplishments is evident.

• Game 1 - Wilt drops 44, but goes 8/14 from the FT line. Celtics win by 6 as Wilt misses 6 FTs

• Game 4 - must win game with Celtics already up 2-1. The regular season scoring champ (38 ppg) only puts up 24 in the must-win game, with 6/11 (55%) FT as Celtics win by 8 and take a 3-1 lead

• Game 6 - once again, the 1959/60 scoring champ (38 ppg) only drops 26 points, 10/16 (63%) from FT line, and the Celtics win by 2 with Wilt's huge scoring dropoff and 6 missed FTs

In 1961 Wilt got swept in the first round 3-0 by the Syracuse Nationals. The Nationals had a 38-41 record, and still swept Wilt's 46-33 Warriors.

• Game 2 - Wilt does good scoring with 32 points, but goes 6/10 (60%) FT and the Nats win by ONE point while Wilt misses four free throws

• Game 3 - Wilt drops 33, but another bad day at the FT line 7/14 (50%). Nats only win by 3 while Chamberlain costs his team 7 free points.

In 1962 Wilt won the scoring title (50 ppg), yet he lost the Game 7 of the 1962 EDF against the Celtics and got outscored by Sam Jones 28 to 22. Where was the 100 points and 50 ppg when it actually mattered? Sam Jones also hit the game winner over Wilt as the Celtics won Game 7, 109-107. 

• Once again, keep in mind that the 1961/62 Sixers had the absolute worst defense in the league, and it was reflected in Russell's high scoring.

• In the 1962 playoff series alone Bill Russell had games of 31, 31, and 29 pts in the series. Bill Russell never in his career averaged 19 ppg in a season, but he averaged over 20 ppg vs Wilt in both the 1960 and 1962 playoff series - in spite of the fact that Russell was a team-first player who usually did not need to score to dominate a game (à la Bird).

• In 9 playoff meetings against Russell, Wilt's ppg decreased from his regular season every time, while Russell's increased on multiple occasions.

Game 1 - Wilt held in check; Celts Cop

• "With Russell doing a defensive masterpiece on Wilt Chamberlain...Boston settled the contest early as it launched the defense of its world title. Russell, a picture of coordinated movement rising to the Chamberlain challenge held Wilt to 12 points in the first half. Chamberlain wound up high scorer with 33 points only after the issue was no longer in doubt."

Game 3 - Boston Clinches Contest Early (Russell Outplays Wilt, Celtics Take 2-1 Edge)

• "Bill Russell stole Wilt Chamberlain's thunder... Russell outscored and out rebounded scoring king Chamberlain in the crucial first half after being outplayed Wilt in Philadelphia Tuesday night. Though the 7-2 Chamberlain wound up leading all scorers with 35, most of them came too late for the visitors. Russell tallied 21 points to Wilt's 13 in the opening half and grabbed 14 rebounds to Chamberlain's 11. The big Celt finished up with 31 points. A typically brilliant play by Bob Cousy and Russell enabled the Celtics to open up their big spread before the first half ended...That gave Boston a 13 point bulge, 62-49, and the Celts proceeded to run the Warriors ragged the remaining four minutes. Boston led by 21 at intermission, 76-55."

• Pay special attention to this part - "Russell outscored and out rebounded scoring king Chamberlain in the crucial first half"
• Wilt was the 1961/62 REGULAR SEASON scoring and rebounding champion (50-25), but Russell outdid him in both categories when it MATTERED MOST.

Game 5 - Fights Mark 119-104 Triump by Champions (Celtics put clamp on Chamberlain; Gain 3-2 Lead in East NBA Playoffs)

• "Bill Russell put the clamps on Wilt Chamberlain... Russell scored 29 points to Chamberlain's 30. Bill blanketed Wilt so well that the NBA scoring king had only four of 13 field goal tries, 11 points and outrebounded 11-9 by his tormentor in the first half. Russell also contributed numerous blocked shots and assists to the decision...When Philadelphia closed the gap to eight points at the start of the second period, the Celtics turned on a burst in which they outscored the Warriors 17-4"

• ONCE AGAIN - "Russell scored 29 points to Chamberlain's 30. Bill blanketed Wilt so well that the NBA scoring king had only four of 13 field goal tries, 11 points and outrebounded 11-9 by his tormentor in the first half." 
• Russell delivered the points and rebounds when it MATTERED, unlike REGULAR SEASON scoring/rebound champ Wilt Chamberlain

Game 7 - Jones Sinks Winning Two For Celtics

• "Jones fired the winning basket over giant Wilt Chamberlain with two seconds left for the 109-107 victory Thursday night...Russell, 6-10 center whose spectacular blocks of shots and passes in the fourth quarter helped Boston's comeback, agreed (with Auerbach). "Toughest series I've ever had to play in," said Russell...Though Russell held Chamberlain to 22 points and had the rebounding edge 22-21, Wilt was outstanding defensively...while rookie Tom Meschery took scoring honors with 32 points
• ONCE AGAIN - "Russell held Chamberlain to 22 points and had the rebounding edge 22-21...rookie Tom Meschery took scoring honors with 32 points"
• Where is the regular season scoring/rebounding champ's numbers when it actually matters, in the must-win Game 7 of the 1962 EDF?
• The only thing that carried over from Wilt's 1961/62 regular season to Game 7 was his poor defense. After "leading" his 1961-62 team to the absolute WORST opponent's ppg in the league, he had the game-winning and season-ending shot nailed in his face by Sam Jones, a perfect way to begin a string of 4 consecutive Game 7s in which Sam Jones outscored Wilt all 4 times (1962, 1965, 1968, 1969), with Wilt losing all 4 times.

Wilt = 24.5 rpg in 47 mpg for the playoffs

Russell = 24.9 rpg in 45 mpg for the playoffs

Russell delivered the rebounds when they mattered, in less minutes, compared to Wilt

In 1963, Wilt averaged 45-24 in the season and won the scoring + rebounding titles, but his team didn't get a ticket to the playoffs with the worst defense in the league (most opponents' ppg allowed) for the 2nd consecutive season.

In the 1964 Finals vs the Celtics, the Sixers are trailing the series 2-1. Wilt goes 3/8 (38%) from FT line, and the Warriors only lose by 3 points as Wilt missed five free throws. Wilt's free throw struggles dug the Sixers into a 1-3 hole and they never recovered. 

In the 1965 EDF vs Celtics, during Game 7, everyone remembers when Havlicek stole the ball. What they do not remember, is that scoring champion Wilt Chamberlain was once again outscored in a Game 7 by Sam Jones (37 to 30) just like in Game 7 of 1962 (28 to 22). Russell also dropped 15-29-8 on Chamberlain with an unofficial 6 blocks.

Wilt at the free throw line went 6-13 (46%), and the Celtics won by just one point. In many games where the deciding factor was a few points, Wilt's free throws cost them, just like his 7 missed FTs did here.

Sam Jones outplaying Wilt in the big moments and Game 7s
is a recurring theme throughout Wilt's career

In 1966, the number 1 seed Sixers host the Celtics, and are trailing 2-1 in the series. Wilt only has 15 points, 1-4 from the FT line and the Celtics win that game by a slim 6 points as the Sixers now trail 3-1.

• Willt, the scoring champ, was outscored by Havliceck (27), Jones (22), Russell (18), and Siegfried (18), and his own teammates Greer (25), Bianchi (20), and Walker (16) in the must-win Game 4.

• In Game 5, Wilt has 46 points, but... Wilt missed 17 free throws (8/25) in an 8 points loss

1967 is the first season that Wilt does NOT lead the league in scoring. Wilt's Sixers win the championship, and finally beat Bill Russell's Celtics along the way after he stopped jacking up shots to win individual scoring titles.

Wilt NEVER won a championship in a scoring title season, or as the number 1 scorer in the Finals (Number 5 option in 1967, Number 3 option in 1972). The only time Wilt was the number 1 scoring option in the Finals (1964), his team lost in 5 games.

Even in the 1967 Finals, we see that Wilt's overrated high scoring was still not helpful.

• Wilt had 15.0 ppg in the 4 wins
• Wilt had 23.0 ppg in the 2 losses
• Conclusion: Wilt's teams can ONLY win if he does not take over the scoring load
• To be fair, the lack of scoring in this Finals is not dogging on Wilt. I only bring this up to show that Wilt's scoring titles and individualistic records had to be sacrificed for him to benefit his team
• Wilt had one of the greatest Finals performances of all time, with 18-29-7 on 56% shooting

Even when Wilt won his first title, it came in one of the weakest seasons in NBA history, when 7 of 10 teams in the league (70%) had a losing record.

It is a misconception that Wilt willingly adapted his role to suit the needs of the team. The fact is that Coach Alex Hannum forced Wilt to do so, against Wilt's wishes. Here is an excerpt from The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball

"Chamberlain made it clear he did not like to be told what to do. He complained to reporters about Hannum's strategy, and Hannum insisted to the same men that Chamberlain was going to have to change

The tension built until one night... Hannum and Chamberlain got into a violent locker-room argument and avoided coming to blows only when other players interevened. Hannum, deciding a showdown was necessary, ordered the other players out, then took off his jacket.

"You've been fighting me as a coach all the way," Hannum said. "Now fight me as a man."

Chamberlain glared at Hannum for a long moment and then folded, saying, "Aw, I can't fight you, Alex."

...Despite grudgingly yielding to Hannum's authority, he still resented the coach, and complained about him to Guy Rodgers, one of his closest friends on the team. But Rogers thought Hannum's strategy was obviously paying off. Rogers wanted to see the Warriors win, and it vexed him that Chamberlain seemed willing to put his own pride ahead of the best interests of the team

"You've got to bow down, Wilt," Rodgers told Chamberlain. "Admit it, cat, that we're a much better club with you feeding us part of the time and then getting back to protect our basket."

Wilt finds success for the first time in his career in 1967 after succumbing to the wishes of his coach. Does this trend continue? 

In 1968 (right after the 1967/68 season in which Wilt chased the assists record, as we saw earlier) Wilt's defending champ and number 1 seed Sixers are up 3-1 on the Celtics. What happens? Wilt loses the 3-1 lead as the Celtics won 3 straight, including 2 on Wilt's home court, and Wilt only drops 14 in Game 7. Once again is Wilt outscored by Sam Jones 22 to 14 for their 3rd consecutive Game 7 meeting - when it actually matters. 

The worst part about Game 7 of 1968? Wilt shot 6-15 (40%) at the FT line, and the Celtics only won by 9 points with Wilt's 9 missed free throws. Wilt's "wilting" when it mattered is the reason Wilt lost, not his teammates.

In 1969 - Wilt's teammate, the logo, Jerry West averaged 38-5-7 in the series - without a 3pt line - and won Finals MVP. Lakers must have won, right? Not quite.

Game 6, with the Lakers leading the series 3-2, the great Wilt has a mere 8 points to Russell's and Sam Jones' 9 points apiece. 6 of Wilt's 8 points came from the free throw line (6/10 shooting). With Wilt's extremely poor offensive showing, the Celtics won by 9.

The series is now tied 3-3 heading back to LA. Wilt has a chance to redeem himself in Game 7. Surely he will make up for it this time, right?

In Game 7, West drops 43-13-12, and the Lakers still lost. What happened?

Well first of all, Sam Jones outscored Wilt in their 4th consecutive Game 7 meeting, 24 to 18. Wilt dropped only 18 points and went 4-13 (30%) at the FT line, and the Celtics only won by two points. Did Wilt not have enough help with Jerry West's insane 43-13-12 (and without a 3pt line)? Were his nine missed free throws the fault of Jerry West?

Wilt got hurt halfway through the 4th quarter and with Wilt on the bench, the Lakers cut the 102-96 lead to 103-102, and only lost by 2 points thanks to Wilt's 9 earlier bricks at the FT line. 

How fitting of the great 60s Celtics dynasty to end in the 1969 Finals with Sam Jones outscoring Wilt in back to back Games 6 and 7, and the fourth consecutive Game 7 meeting in a row (1962, 1965, 1968, 1969) between the two, Wilt choking at the free throw line once again just like in 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, and 1969, Wilt quitting, the Lakers making a run with him off the floor only to lose by a mere 2 points in spite of Wilt's 9 bricks at the FT line, and his Hall of Fame teammate Jerry West doing everything he can to carry his team to the ring, dropping 43-13-12 in Game 7 and winning Finals MVP, only for Chamberlain to fail him.

In 1968 (3-1 lead) and 1969 (3-2 lead) alone, Wilt was 0-5 vs Bill Russell in closeout games. That's the most "dominant" player in history?

Wilt's scoring NEVER benefited his team during this scoring champ seasons, and when his team needed him to score in the post-scoring title years of his career, he failed to step up - just like when Sam Jones outscored him in all four Game 7 meetings.

This pretty much sums up what Bill Russell did to Wilt
throughout his career in the playoffs (7-1 record over Wilt)

Well, we always heard the excuse that the odds were unfairly stacked against Wilt, and he couldn't win because of Russell (but we saw countless times that the real reason Wilt couldn't win, was because of Wilt himself.) Now with Russell retired, surely the great Chamberlain will no longer have any chance of losing, right? After all, Russell's Celtics were the only reason Wilt was limited to 1 ring during the 60s according to Wilt fans.

In 1970, enter Willis Reed. The 1970 NBA Finals vs the Knicks was basically a lesson for Wilt at Willis Reed University. Through his first 4 healthy games, Willis averaged 32 ppg on Wilt's defense before his Game 5 injury. In Games 1-4 when Willis was healthy, Wilt averaged only 19 ppg. As usual, Wilt's regular season scoring doesn't show up when the stakes were highest, but his often lacking defense carries over.

With Willis Reed injured and missing Game 6, Wilt finally takes advantage and has 45 points and 27 rebounds to tie the series 3-3. Of course, the 45 points only show up when the Knicks' best player and interior defender is injured and not playing

What happens in Game 7? Willis comes back in Game 7 of the 1969 Finals. Willis comes back in Game 7, fights through his injury, and hits the first 2 buckets to inspire the Knicks on to a blowout win in Game 7 to the title as Wilt loses in yet another Game 7 of his career, and Willis Reed gets the Finals MVP.

With Willis Reed's 27 minutes in Game 5, he only scored 4 points but his defensive presence shut down Wilt to 4 points on 2/7 (29%) FG and 4 turnovers when Willis Reed guarded him in Game 7. Wilt finished 21 points, but most of his points came without Reed on him, or when the game was already over - just like we saw in 1962 EDF Games 1-3-5. Willis on one leg shut down Wilt, right after Wilt had a 45-27 outburst with no Willis Reed in Game 6.

The Knicks won by 14. Guess what Wilt's stats were at the free throw line in Game 7, with the NBA Finals at stake? 21 points with 1-11 (9%) FT shooting. If Wilt made his free throws, the Lakers would have actually been in the game. But just like he did countless times against the Celtics, he cost his team with his habitual choking at the line.

What is the excuse now?

• There was no Bill Russell to impede Wilt, as Wilt fans claim this is the reason he had a lack of rings

• no Sam Jones to outscore him in Game 7, like he did in all 4 Game 7s against Wilt, plus the game winner in 1962

• Willis Reed, the best player and interior defender on the Knicks, was injured and hardly played for the last 3 games (injured after only 8 minutes in Game 5, 0 minutes played in Game 6) of the series after lighting up Wilt for 32 ppg in the first 4 healthy games - and he also contained Wilt to 19 ppg in those 4 games.

• A hobbled and injured Willis Reed played 27 minutes in Game 7, and his defensive presence was enough to contain Wilt to 21 points after Wilt destroyed the Reed-less Knicks in Game 6 with 45-27

• and Wilt STILL put up a 1-11 (9%) brickfest at the FT line, when making the FTs would make the 14 point deficit much more feasible to overcome

Willis Reed picked up where Russell left off in his playoff schooling of Wilt.

What happens in 1971? Wilt's Lakers lost to Kareem's eventual champion Bucks in 1971, with Wilt's teammate Jerry West missing the whole series due to injury. We see what happens to Wilt without Jerry West. Kareem and Oscar sent him packing in 5 games, with all 4 losses coming by 18+ points.

Now comes 1972. With Jerry West returning to the Lakers, Wilt is able to beat Kareem's Bucks in the 1972 WCF, even though Kareem outscored him in the series, 35 to 11 ppg. Why is that? The second-greatest PG of all time, Oscar Robertson of the Bucks was playing through injury the whole series and performed far below his usual standards as a result.

Then in the 1972 NBA Finals, Wilt's Lakers BEAT the Knicks in 5 games. Wilt averages 19 ppg + 23 rpg on 60%, and wins Finals MVP. BUT, Wilt won his 2nd ring with Willis Reed missing the entire 1972 Finals due to knee injury. Wilt beat the Knicks with their best player and best interior defender missing.

In 1973, Wilt and the Lakers have a chance to prove that their victory over the Reed-less Knicks in 1972 was not a fluke. But what happens? With Willis Reed back in the lineup, his interior defense and presence contains Wilt to 12 ppg + 19 rpg on 52% for the entire 1973 Finals after he averaged 19 ppg + 23 rpg on 60% in his Finals MVP performance against the Reed-less 1972 Knicks.

With Willis Reed's interior presence and defense returning, he also helped decrease Wilt's regular season FG% from 73% (NBA regular season record) to only 52% in the 1973 Finals - a 21% decrease. Incredible defense. On the other hand, however, Willis Reed in the 1973 NBA Finals averaged 16-9-3 on 49% after only averaging 11-9-2 on 47% in the regular season for his 2nd Finals MVP, and 2nd Finals victory over Wilt in as many meetings to retire him.

The Lakers win Game 1, and then get swept in the next 4 to lose a the 1973 Finals in 5 games. Willis Reed won the Finals MVP for the second time, earned a 2-0 playoff record against Wilt Chamberlain, all while only playing 30 minutes a game. Wilt's horrible free throw shooting resurfaces ONCE AGAIN.

Game 2 - Wilt has 5 points 1-9 (11%) FT shooting, and the Knicks only win by 4 points. If he made just over half of his free throws the Lakers would have a great chance to win the game. 

Game 3 - Wilt has 5 points and 1-4 (25%) FT shooting. The Knicks only won by 4 points. If Mr. 7-time scoring champ and 50 ppg brought up his points when they MATTERED, this could have been another loss avoided.

Game 4 - Wilt has only 13 points with a better 5/7 (71%) FT, and the Knicks only win by 5. For the 3rd straight game, if Wilt picked up his offensive production like he did in Game 6 of the 1970 Finals with Willis Reed injured (45 pts and 27 rebs), the Lakers would have been in great position to tie the series at 2-2, but instead Wilt blows the must-win game and the Knicks take a 3-1 lead which essentially ends the series.

Game 5 - Wilt has a good offensive game! 23 points BUT a 5/14 (36%) FT shooting. He missed 9 free throws. Guess how many points the Knicks won by? Yup. Only 9 points. Wilt's career ends choking away an elimination game in the Finals at the FT line, like he did so many times throughout his playoff career.

Bill Russell - Far Greater Than Chamberlain

The main difference between Russell and Chamberlain, along with wins over stats, is playoffs vs regular season. Regular season stats and accomplishments do not matter nearly as much as playoffs.

The majority of Russell's career was spent
smoking Wilt in their playoff meetings

Many bring up Russell's low regular season FG% and ppg, but Russell changed his role as needed to win for his team. His regular season low FG% and low scoring is irrelevant, because he adapted his game when it mattered and won the Finals while playing multiple different roles

1962 Finals - Russell dropped 23-27-6 on 54%, led his team in pts/rebs

1963 Finals - Russell dropped 20-26-5 on 47%

1965 Finals - Russell dropped 18-25-6 on 70%, NBA Finals record for FG%

1966 Finals - Russell dropped 24-24-4 on 54%, led his team in pts/rebs

Wilt has never put up NBA Finals numbers, where it actually matters, as impressive as these performances by Bill Russell. Wilt NEVER led his team in rebounds and points at the same time while winning an NBA Finals, unlike the genius Russell. That's because Russell's scoring helped his team, Wilt's team had a 22-30 playoff record during his 7 scoring title seasons

Russell could win titles while playing multiple roles and leading his team in scoring in the Finals - he also led his team in assists in the 1969 NBA Finals, only Jerry West had more assists than Russell in the series. Wilt never won the title while leading his team in scoring. Nowhere near as versatile as Russell when it came to winning. 

It was not until Alex Hannum forced Wilt to stop his stat-padding scoring records in 1967 and focus on rebounding, defense, and setting up his teammates that Wilt's team found success. 

More examples of Russell outperforming Wilt when it mattered

• Wilt = 1972/73 regular season FG% record with 73%, but lost in the 1973 Finals with 52% shooting (21% FG difference)
• Russell = highest NBA Finals FG% - 18-25-6 on 70% in 1962

• Wilt has 55 rebs in the regular season vs Russell (and lost)
• But Russell has the NBA Finals record for rebounds in a game (40, twice in 1960 and 1962)

• Wilt = highest regular season rpg
• Russell = highest playoffs rpg, and in less minutes than Wilt

• Russell = 2 highest NBA Finals rpg - 29.5 rpg in 1959 and 28.8 rpg in 1961 Finals
• Wilt's highest in the Finals was 28.5 rpg in 1967

• Wilt = led his team in scoring and rebounding 7 straight seasons, but had a 22-30 playoff record in those years with 0 NBA titles
• Russell = led his team in scoring and rebounding in 1962 and 1966 NBA Finals, and got the win

Wilt's performance always declined
when going against the ultimate
team player - Bill Russell

In playoff meetings between Russell and Chamberlain, Wilt's scoring went down each time

Wilt = 37.6 ppg in 1959/60 season
Wilt = 30.5 ppg vs Russell in 1960 EDF
(- 7.1 ppg)

Wilt = 50.4 ppg in 1961/62 season
Wilt = 33.6 ppg vs Russell in 1962 EDF
(- 16.8 ppg)

Wilt = 36.9 ppg in 1963/64 season
Wilt = 29.2 ppg vs Russell in 1964 Finals
(- 7.7 ppg)

Wilt = 34.7 ppg in 1964/65 season
Wilt = 30.1 ppg vs Russell in 1965 EDF
(- 4.6 ppg)

Wilt = 33.5 ppg in 1965/66 season
Wilt = 28.0 ppg vs Russell in 1966 EDF
(- 5.5 ppg)

Wilt = 24.1 ppg in 1966/67 season
Wilt = 21.6 ppg vs Russell in 1967 EDF
(- 2.5 ppg the only time he beat Russell)

Wilt = 24.3 ppg in 1967/68 season
Wilt = 22.1 ppg vs Russell in 1968 EDF
(- 2.2 ppg)

Wilt = 20.5 ppg in 1968/69 season
Wilt = 11.7 ppg vs Russell in 1969 Finals
(- 8.8 ppg)

And this is without factoring in that Wilt likely padded his stats in blowout situations, like we saw in the 1962 EDF.

Russell - a genius who molded his came to fit the needs of multiple title runs

Wilt - less of a helpful impact on his team's success.

Wilt's stat padding continued on multiple occasions during the playoffs

This is simply icing on the cake. The four photos you see below are newspaper articles regarding Wilt's stat padding against the Celtics in Games 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the 1962 EDF Finals. Keep in mind these playoffs are right after Wilt's 50-25 season with 100 points in a game and leading his team to the worst defense in the league.

 

In case you do not feel like clicking on the photos and reading the tiny print, here are the transcripts for the selected games of the 1962 EDF. This is just a repeat from the 1962 section of Wilt's amazing choke playoff performances up above.

Game 1 - Wilt held in check; Celts Cop

• "With Russell doing a defensive masterpiece on Wilt Chamberlain...Boston settled the contest early as it launched the defense of its world title. Russell, a picture of coordinated movement rising to the Chamberlain challenge held Wilt to 12 points in the first half. Chamberlain wound up high scorer with 33 points only after the issue was no longer in doubt."

Game 3 - Boston Clinches Contest Early (Russell Outplays Wilt, Celtics Take 2-1 Edge)

• "Bill Russell stole Wilt Chamberlain's thunder... Russell outscored and out rebounded scoring king Chamberlain in the crucial first half after being outplayed Wilt in Philadelphia Tuesday night. Though the 7-2 Chamberlain wound up leading all scorers with 35, most of them came too late for the visitors. Russell tallied 21 points to Wilt's 13 in the opening half and grabbed 14 rebounds to Chamberlain's 11. The big Celt finished up with 31 points. A typically brilliant play by Bob Cousy and Russell enabled the Celtics to open up their big spread before the first half ended...That gave Boston a 13 point bulge, 62-49, and the Celts proceeded to run the Warriors ragged the remaining four minutes. Boston led by 21 at intermission, 76-55."

Game 5 - Fights Mark 119-104 Triump by Champions (Celtics put clamp on Chamberlain; Gain 3-2 Lead in East NBA Playoffs)

• "Bill Russell put the clamps on Wilt Chamberlain... Russell scored 29 points to Chamberlain's 30. Bill blanketed Wilt so well that the NBA scoring king had only four of 13 field goal tries, 11 points and outrebounded 11-9 by his tormentor in the first half. Russell also contributed numerous blocked shots and assists to the decision...When Philadelphia closed the gap to eight points at the start of the second period, the Celtics turned on a burst in which they outscored the Warriors 17-4"

Game 7 - Jones Sinks Winning Two For Celtics

• "Jones fired the winning basket over giant Wilt Chamberlain with two seconds left for the 109-107 victory Thursday night...Russell, 6-10 center whose spectacular blocks of shots and passes in the fourth quarter helped Boston's comeback, agreed (with Auerbach). "Toughest series I've ever had to play in," said Russell...Though Russell held Chamberlain to 22 points and had the rebounding edge 22-21, Wilt was outstanding defensively...while rookie Tom Meschery took scoring honors with 32 points"

Summary

"Wilt's incessant search for individual records indicated to me that he never really understood how the game should be played. Russell had much more intensity than Wilt, and skills that were better-suited to basketball. Russell made us better players. Wilt, in my opinion, had the opposite effect."
- Bob Cousy

"Wilts greatest idiosyncrasy was not fouling out. He had never fouled out of a high school, college or professional game and that was the one record he was determined to protect. When he got that fourth foul, his game would change. I don't know how any potential victories he may have cheated his team out of by not really playing after he got into foul trouble"
- John Havlicek

Ask yourself why Russell has 11 championship rings and Wilt has only two. Wilt will say that Russell had great players around him. He did. But the players would leave, new ones would come in and Boston would still win. The one constant was Russell. He would adjust to any situation. The difference between Russell and Wilt was this. Russell would ask, 'What do i need to do to make my teammates better?' Then he'd do it. Wilt honestly thought the best way for his team to win was for him to be in the best possible setting. He'd ask, 'What's the best situation for me?"
- Butch Van Breda Kolff - coach of the 1968 and 1969 Lakers

"I'll say what most players feel, which is that Wilt is a loser...He is terrible in big games. He knows he is going to lose and be blamed for the loss, so he dreads it, and you can see it in his eyes; and anyone who has ever played with him will agree with me, regardless of whether they would admit it publicly. When it comes down to the closing minutes of a tough game, an important game, he doesn't want the ball, he doesn't want any part of the pressure. It is at these times that greatness is determined and Wilt doesn't have it. There is no way you can compare him to a pro like a Bill Russell or a Jerry West...these are clutch competitors."
- Rick Barry

"I have the impression that Wilt might have been more secure with losing. In defeat, after carefully covering himself with allusions to his accomplishments, he could be magnanimous."

- Bill Bradley

"Wilt played the game as if he had to prove himself to someone who had never seen basketball. He pointed to his statistical achievements as specific measurements of his basketball ability, and they were; but to someone who knows basketball they are, if not irrelevant certainly nonessential. The point of the game is not how the individual does, but rather the team wins."

- Bill Bradley

"To Bill (Russell), every game ... was a challenge, a test to his manhood. He took the game so seriously that he threw up in the locker room before almost every game. But I tend to look at basketball as a game, not a life or death struggle. I don't need scoring titles or NBA championships to prove that I'm a man. There are too many other beautiful things in life ... to get that emotionally wrapped up in basketball. I think Bill knew I felt that way, and I think he both envied and resented my attitude. On the one hand, I think he wished he could learn to take things easier, too; on the other hand, I think he may have felt that with my natural ability and willingness to work hard, my teams could have won an NBA championship every year if I was as totally committed to victory as he was. I wish I had won all those championships, but I really think I grew more as a man in defeat than Russell did in victory."

- Wilt Chamberlain in his autobiography, Wilt. In so many words, Wilt admitted he didn't care about winning nearly as much as Russell

"If I had to pick a center [for an all-time best team], I would take Olajuwon. That leaves out Shaq, Patrick Ewing. It leaves out Wilt Chamberlain."

- Michael Jordan

The following quotes can be seen in this video

"If he had one third of Russell's intensity, God, he would have been even more awesome than he was"
- Bob Cousy

"Chamberlain was concerned about Chamberlain. He was in love with his stats."

- Red Auerbach - who coached Russell's Celtics

"He got a stat sheet at half time and he'd come over and question whether or not he got enough rebounds"
- Chick Hearn

"It wasn't a matter of Wilt vs. Russell with Bill. It was a matter of who won."
- John Havlicek

"Bill Russell understood how to make his team better. I don't think Wilt ever really understood that"

- Paul Westphal

A slightly quicker recap of Wilt's playoff career

• Wilt has 2 NBA titles (one with Reed injured, 0-2 when Reed played in 1970 and 1973)
• All 7 scoring title regular seasons, as well as his regular season assist record, resulted in playoff failures for Wilt. Wilt only led the playoffs in ppg once, and he lost in 5 games to the Celtics that year in 1964
• Wilt = 47% FT career FT shooter in the playoffs. Imagine how many of those close playoff games Wilt's teams could have won if he delivered the points at the line?
• Wilt FT in the NBA Finals = 124/326, a 38% shooter. Once again, imagine how many close games in the Finals Wilt's bricking cost him?

And when Wilt's teams needed him to score, he failed to deliver when it mattered

All Game 7s vs Celtics (Wilt 0-4 record, outscored by Sam Jones in all 4 games)

Sam Jones averaged 28 ppg to Wilt's 21 ppg in these Game 7s

• 1962 = Wilt 22 pts, Sam Jones had 28 pts + game winner in Wilt's face
• 1965 = Wilt 30 pts, Sam Jones 37 pts, Russell 15-29-8 + unofficial 6 blocks
• 1968 = Wilt 14 pts, Sam Jones 22 pts
• 1969 =  Wilt 18 pts, Sam Jones 24 pts - Wilt lost even with West's 43-13-12

1960 playoff series between Russell and Chamberlain, Russell dropped games of 19, 26, 17, and 25 points. Russell never averaged 19 ppg in a regular season of his career.

• Game 1 - Wilt drops 44, but goes 8/14 from the FT line. Celtics win by 6 as Wilt misses 6 FTs

• Game 4 - must win game with Celtics already up 2-1. The regular season scoring champ (38 ppg) only puts up 24 in the must-win game, with 6/11 (55%) FT as Celtics win by 8 and take a 3-1 lead

• Game 6 - once again, the 1959/60 scoring champ (38 ppg) only drops 26 points, 10/16 (63%) from FT line, and the Celtics win by 2 with Wilt's huge scoring dropoff and 6 missed FTs

In 1961 Wilt got swept in the first round 3-0 by the Syracuse Nationals. 

• Game 2 - Wilt does good scoring with 32 points, but goes 6/10 (60%) FT and the Nats win by ONE point while Wilt misses FOUR FREE THROWS

• Game 3 - Wilt drops 33, but another brickfest at the FT line 7/14 (50%). Nats only win by 3 while Chamberlain costs his team 7 free points.

In 1962 (50 ppg 25 rpg) Wilt won the scoring + rebound titles, yet he lost the 1962 Game 7 to the Celtics and got outscored by Sam Jones, with the game winner in his face.

1963 - 45-24 averages, but missed playoffs and wins the scoring/rebounding title at the cost of making his team have the absolute worst defense in the league

1964 Finals vs Celtics - In a must-win Game 4 and the Warriors trailing 1-2

Game 4 - Wilt goes 3/8 (38%) from FT line, Warriors only lose by 3, fall behind 3-1 and eventually lose the series

1965 EDF vs Celtics

Game 7 - Wilt 6-13 (46%) at the FT line, and the Celtics won by just 1 point as Havlicek stole the ball. Outscored by Sam Jones for 2nd consecutive Game 7

1966 EDF vs Celtics, Celtics up 2-1, must-win Game 4

Game 4 - 33.5 ppg regular season scoring champ has 15 pts and 1-4 (25%) FT as Celts win by only 6. Good job delivering the points when they matter. Celts up 3-1 now.

Game 5 - Wilt has 46 points, but Wilt shot 8/25 (32%) from the line. 17 free points that were lost in a game decided by 8 points

1967 - Wilt's Sixers won the championship after he stopped jacking up shots to win scoring titles. Wilt NEVER won a championship in a scoring title season, or as the number 1 scorer in the Finals (Number 5 option in 1967, Number 3 option in 1972). The only time Wilt was the number 1 scoring option in the Finals (1964), his team lost in 5 games. 

In the 1967 Finals 

Wilt's 15.0 ppg in the 4 wins

Wilt = 23.0 ppg in the 2 losses

Conclusion: Wilt's teams can ONLY win if he does not take over the scoring load. Wilt's 7 years of scoring titles only cost his teams.

1968, Wilt's defending champ Sixers up 3-1 on the Celtics. Wilt blows the 3-1 lead, Celtics win 3 straight, including 2 on Wilt's homecourt, and drops 14 in Game 7, and once again outscored by Sam Jones for the 3rd straight Game 7 meeting between them.

1968 Game 7 vs Celtics - Wilt 6-15 (40%) at the FT line - Celtics won by 4 pts and Wilt missed 9 FTs

1969 Finals vs Celtics - Wilt blows it again even with teammate Jerry West dropping 38-5-7 in the series 

1969 Game 6, Lakers up 3-2

Wilt 8 pts to Russell and Sam Jones' 9 apiece, Lakers lost, series tied 3-3

1969 Game 7 

• West drops 43-13-12 and still loses 
• Game 7 vs Celtics in 1969= Wilt 4-13 (30%) at the FT line, Celtics win by 2

With Wilt off the court, the Lakers cut the 102-96 lead to 103-102 before losing by only 2 points. Wilt's 9 missed free throws came back to hurt them.

In 1968 (3-1 lead) and 1969 (3-2 lead) alone, Wilt was 0-5 vs Bill Russell in closeout games

1970 Finals vs Knicks - Lesson at Willis Reed University

• Through his first 4 healthy games, Willis averaged 32 ppg on Wilt's defense before the Game 5 injury, Wilt was contained to 19 ppg in those games by Reed
• With Willis' injury and missing Game 6, Wilt has 45 points to tie the series 3-3
• Willis comes back in Game 7, fights through his injury unlike Wilt in Game 7 of 1969, and hits the first 2 buckets to spur the Knicks on to a blowout as Wilt loses in yet another Game 7 of his career, and helps contain Wilt to 21 points.

Wilt's Lakers lost to Bucks in 1971 - West missed the whole series and couldn't carry Wilt like 1969

Lakers beat Bucks in 1972 when West returns and with injuries to Oscar. In 1972, however, Wilt only won his 2nd ring because Willis Reed wasn't there in the 1972 Finals due to injury. Without Reed's interior presence, Wilt's 2nd ring was handed to him on a silver platter by Willis' injury and he dropped 19 ppg and 23 rpg on 60% to win Finals MVP.

Willis Reed returned in 1973 and what happened to Wilt when he once again met the Willis-lead Knicks in the Finals? He had a much more humane 12 ppg and 19 rpg on 52% as Willis dispatched him in 5 games and won his 2nd Finals MVP at Wilt's expense, giving him a 2-0 playoff record over Wilt, and ultimately retired Chamberlain.

More

SECTION 1 - Players From Jordan's Day Against 2000s Defenses

- Looking at how the Jordan Era players had an easier time in the modern era

SECTION 2 - How Washed-up Jordan Did Against the Top Defenders of the "Advanced, More Athletic, Superior" 2000s Era

- Looking at how a 38-40 year old Jordan himself schooled the 2000s defenders

SECTION 3 - Jordan's "Weak" Defensive Competition Compared to Lebron/Kobe's "Advanced" Competition
- Proving the vast superiority of individual defenders of Jordan's era compared to the 2000s

SECTION 4 - The "Jordan Never Faced Zone" Myth

- Destroying the myth that Jordan never played zone defense

SECTION 5 - The Myth That 80s/90s Defenses Can't Contain Modern Players Without the 80s/90s Rules

- Proof that 80s/90s players would still have success guarding 2000s players without the 80s/90s rules

SECTION 6 - The Myth of Jordan's Inability to Deal with 80s Teams, and the Truth About Expansion

- Looking at how Jordan did against the 80s teams and why expansion did not make it easier to win championships

SECTION 7 - "Jordan Played Weak Competition in the 80s/90s"

- Proof that Jordan's Competition was 80s-quality and far better than the 2000s era

SECTION 8 - The Myth that Jordan Was Not As Valuable to His Teams' Success

- Looking at the truth of how the Bulls did without Jordan, and how other great teams did without their stars.

SECTION 9 - "Jordan Got All the Calls"

- Did Jordan really get any more special treatment than other superstars? Nope.

SECTION 10 - Wilt Chamberlain: Great, but Far From the Greatest

- Exposing the myths behind the great, but misunderstood, Wilt Chamberlain

SECTION 11 - The "Lebron is a 6-8 250 Freight Train and too Big/Strong/Fast to be Guarded in the 80s/90s era" Myth

- Looking at how Lebron got locked down by defenders of the 2000s era and comparing them to the vastly superior 80s/90s

SECTION 12 - Lebron: The Most Overrated Defender of All-Time

- Destroying one of the media's biggest misconceptions regarding Lebron's solid but vastly overrated defense

SECTION 13 - "Lebron Doesn't Have Enough Help, and No One Can Carry a Team Like Him"

- Lebron fans think no player in history could succeed if their teammates don't step up, and that Lebron is the only one who has carried a team on his back. Is that really the case?

SECTION 14 - Jordan vs Lebron: The Truth

- The real Jordan vs Lebron comparison

SECTION 15 - Jordan vs Kobe: The Truth

- The real Jordan vs Kobe comparison

SECTION 16 - Jordan (and Hakeem) vs Kareem

- Kareem is great, but he is not even the greatest center of all-time, let alone the greatest of all-time.

SECTION 17 - The Truth about Michael Jordan Without Scottie Pippen

- The full context behind Jordan's struggles without Pippen

SECTION 18 - Michael Jordan's Wizards Years

- A look at how Jordan turned the Wizards around before his knee injury caught up to him

SECTION 19 - The Case for Jordan as the Best Perimeter Defender of All-Time

- Looking at Jordan's defensive impact in detail, both as a team player and 1 on 1 defender

SECTION 20 - Why Jordan Would Accomplish More In Cleveland and Miami than LeBron

- Looking at the strong evidence supporting that Jordan would have achieved more than what LeBron has in Cleveland and Miami 

SECTION 21 - Hakeem Olajuwon: The Greatest Center of All-Time
- Hakeem Olajuwon is the best center of all-time, and there is strong evidence to prove it

SECTION 22 - Chris Paul: The Most Overrated Point Guard Of All-Time
- Chris Paul is an extremely overrated playoff performer and defender, and isn't even a top 5 PG of his own era, let alone all-time

SECTION 23 - Kevin Johnson: The Most Underrated Point Guard Of All-Time
- Kevin Johnson is an extremely underrated and under-appreciated point guard, who should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer and considered a top-10 point guard of all-time

SECTION 24 - The Three Greatest Playoff Runs of All-Time
- Analyzing the three greatest individual playoff runs in NBA history

SECTION 25 - The Worst Finals Performances of All-Time
- Analyzing the worst performances in NBA Finals history

SECTION 26 - Jordan vs Russell
- Comparing the two players who won the most championships as the best player on their team

SECTION 27 - The Five Greatest Coaches of All-Time
- Taking a look at the greatest coaches in NBA history

SECTION 28 - The Least Deserving Finals MVPs of All-Time
- Taking a look at the players who least deserved to win their Finals MVPs

SECTION 29 - Refuting 10 Myths About Michael Jordan
- Refuting certain myths about Jordan, as well as abridging of some of the main points in earlier sections for easier reference.

SECTION 30 - The 20 Greatest Conference Finals Runs of All-Time
- Ranking the 20 greatest playoff runs in which a player played 3 rounds before losing prior to the NBA Finals

SECTION 31 - The 1970s: The Weakest Decade of the NBA's Post-Infancy
- Why the 1970s was the weakest decade of any era from 1960-present

SECTION 32 - The 10 Worst Supporting Casts on NBA Finals Teams (1960-Present)
- Examining the worst supporting casts on teams that reached the NBA Finals

SECTION 33 - The 10 Greatest Rookie Playoff Runs of All-Time
- The most impressive playoff runs in which rookies led their team to at least one series win