After Bill Russell at the start of the year, it is the turn of his best enemy Wilt Chamberlain to be the subject of a documentary broadcast since Friday on Paramount + and from Sunday on Showtime. It is in three parts, and it was necessary to tell the incredible life and career of the man with 100 points and 20,000 female conquests. Why Goliath? Both because Wilt Chamberlain was a monster, almost mythical, but also because… nobody likes Goliath.
For Jerry West, who testifies in the documentary, “The Stilt” is ” Ione of the most misunderstood people he had ever seen. For Kevin Garnett, it was ” basketball’s first rock star“. In the documentary, it is confirmed that he has changed the relationship between players, owners and the NBA, and his salary demands have had an impact on other stars of the league, such as Bill Russell who asked the Celtics to have the same salary as Wilt Chamberlain.
An artificial intelligence used to reproduce his voice
We also learn that the owners of the Sixers had promised him shares in the franchise after winning the title in 1967. When the owner of the Sixers died, his heirs rejected the idea, and it is for this reason that Wilt Chamberlain requested his transfer to the Lakers the following season.
The documentary is a mixture of archive images, often of poor quality (recovered from YouTube…), and interviews with players from yesterday and today. As interviews with Wilt Chamberlain are rare, the directors have chosen to have some of his statements read by an artificial intelligence. According to the magazine Rolling Stonesthe device is unfortunately failed.
| Wilt Chamberlain | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 1959-60 ★ | PHI | 72 | 46 | 46.1 | 58.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 27.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 37.6 | |
| 1960-61 | PHI | 79 | 48 | 50.9 | 50.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 27.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 38.4 | |
| 1961-62 | PHI | 80 | 49 | 50.6 | 61.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 25.7 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 50.4 | |
| 1962-63 | GOS | 80 | 48 | 52.8 | 59.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 24.3 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 44.8 | |
| 1963-64 | GOS | 80 | 46 | 52.4 | 53.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 22.3 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.9 | |
| 1964-65* | All Teams | 73 | 45 | 51.0 | 46.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 22.9 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 34.7 | |
| 1964-65* | GOS | 38 | 46 | 49.9 | 41.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 23.5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 39.0 | |
| 1964-65* | PHL | 35 | 45 | 52.8 | 52.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 22.3 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 30.1 | |
| 1965-66 ★ | PHL | 79 | 47 | 54.0 | 51.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 24.6 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 33.5 | |
| 1966-67 ★ | PHL | 81 | 46 | 68.3 | 44.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 24.2 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 24.2 | |
| 1967-68 ★ | PHL | 82 | 47 | 59.5 | 38.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 23.8 | 8.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 24.3 | |
| 1968-69 | ALL | 81 | 45 | 58.3 | 44.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 21.1 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 20.5 | |
| 1969-70 | ALL | 12 | 42 | 56.8 | 44.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18.4 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 27.3 | |
| 1970-71 | ALL | 82 | 44 | 54.5 | 53.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18.2 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 20.7 | |
| 1971-72 | ALL | 82 | 42 | 64.9 | 42.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 19.2 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14.8 | |
| 1972-73 | ALL | 82 | 43 | 72.7 | 51.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18.6 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 13.2 | |
| Total | 1045 | 46 | 54.0 | 51.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 22.9 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 30.1 | ||
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
