If he only won two NBA titles (in 1967 and 1972), it was the fault of Bill Russell's Celtics, Wilt Chamberlain remains one of the greatest players in history for a slew of records that are likely to never be broken. We obviously think of his 100-point game, but also his 50.4 points average over a season, or his 48.5 minutes average of playing time. Yes, thanks to overtime, Wilt Chamberlain had actually played more than the normal length of an NBA game.
An exceptional athlete, gifted in the high jump and on the track, he was such a physical prodigy that the NBA was forced to change its rules to limit his domination of the game.
A wider racket, no offensive goaltending
The combination of size, power and speed of the pivot was thus almost insoluble for defenders, especially since the racket was smaller at the time.
Like the NCAA today, it was only 12 feet wide at the time. This allowed Wilt Chamberlain to take the low post position and then use his jump and gigantic arms to slide the ball into the rim, either with a dunk or a contorted finger roll.
To limit the impact of “The Stilt”, the NBA decided to modify the racket, widening it to 4.88 meters. Wilt Chamberlain then had to start further from the circle, which would help defenders limit his effectiveness.
An athletic phenomenon, with a jump that was announced at over 1m20 (while he measured 2m16 and had a wingspan of 2m34), the pivot also forced the league to adopt offensive “goaltending”, that is to say that an attacker no longer has the right to touch the ball when it is still in the cylinder of the circle.
It was also for him that the NBA decided to prevent throw-ins that would go over the basket. Wilt Chamberlain was so powerful and his jump so impressive, even without momentum, that his teammates only had to throw the ball over the basket while waiting for him to recover it or push it into the circle.
From long jump to free throws
A poor free throw shooter, the pivot (51.1% career success) had also tried to take advantage of the rules of the time to improve his percentage. When he started in the NBA, it was possible to shoot a free throw by moving towards the circle. By taking one or two steps of momentum from the head of the racket, some assure that he could dunk the ball in the circle. In any case, he could release the ball at a very short distance from the basket.
The league therefore decided to prohibit the free throw shooter from shooting while advancing, forcing him to stay behind the line.
While the NBA has always evolved its rules, no player has forced it to adapt more than Wilt Chamberlain. Proof of his individual dominance, he who is one of the greatest athletes in the history of sports in general.
