Drafted territorially by the Warriors (from Philadelphia), Wilt Chamberlain quickly distinguished himself in the NBA. In fact, he did it from his first meeting, on October 24, 1959. At the time, if he was only 23 years old, he was already considered a phenomenon by many people. observers.
63 years ago to the day, therefore, the one who was then only a rookie faced the Knicks in the prestigious Madison Square Garden, for his debut in the League. And these will be memorable to say the least since “Wilt the Stilt” will compile 43 points and 28 rebounds, 17/27 on shots, without resting a single second! Dominant from start to finish, he offered a real show of force in front of amazed New York spectators.
Carried by their young star, the Warriors obviously leave with the victory in this record evening. Record because, to date, no player has scored and captured as many, if not more, points and rebounds than Wilt Chamberlain for his first game in the NBA!
As for the rookie season of the one who will become “the 100-point man”, it will be just as historic since he will end it with 37.6 points and 27.0 rebounds on average. Top scorer and rebounder in the League, he also won the Rookie of the Year trophy and, above all, that of MVP. Since then, only Wes Unseld (1969) has achieved such a feat in his first year!
If he will not manage to be champion in the process, Wilt Chamberlain will however have left his mark on the NBA from the 1959/60 financial year. A legend is born and its rise has only just begun.
