Coach Nick sits down with the inventor of the Triangle Offense, longtime Bulls and Lakers assistant coach Tex Winter. He discusses the history of basketball,...
One of my favorite stories: told to me by a faculty about when he was a player (6'9" center; in our university's sports hall of fame) who saw the following:
At a break in a tournament, players from various teams were trash talking about who could jump the highest. Wilt (when at Kansas) stood at the side and just watched. No one actually touched the top of the backboard. When everyone finished, Wilt walked up, jumped and grabbed the top of the backboard, did a chin up, and walked away without saying a word.
Faculty: "I was a good player; Wilt was just on a whole different level physically from any of us."
Chamberlain: best athlete (strength, endurance, jumping ability, speed)
Russell: best team leader (superlative athlete; world class in high jump)
LeBron: best all-around player (More points than MJ with a higher shooting percentage, almost 50% more rebounds, and >50% more assists)
MJ: most fun to watch, great competitor
MJ was better. Better points per game. Lebron has 300 more games and counting. MJ also led the league in a defensive category (steals) and of Defensive player of the year.
Anyway, different eras and it is hard to compare with the vastly different defensive rules.
Wilt would be an athletic freak in any era. I think most people understand that. Would he average 50 and 25? Of course not—the game has changed and become far more deep and competitive. I think he would be a superstar, leading the league in rebounds and blocked shots on an annual basis. I’m picturing something of a cross between Giannis and Gobert, a multiple-time DPOY who’d be a handful on offense and do freakish athletic things. Something like 20ppg/15 rpg/3+ bpg/4 apg. Plus hundreds of altered or just plain avoided shot attempts per season. His teams would surely do well. We would argue over Wilt vs. Jokic vs. Embiid for best center in the league, and in spite of being the weakest shooter and floor-spacer, Wilt would have a strong case.
LeBron is the better all-around, more complete player. Sure MJ was the better scorer. But ...
LeBron has higher career AVERAGES (as well as career totals) for rebounding, assists, 3 point shooting, FG shooting. LBJ led the NBA in assists one year.
LBJ averaged 30.3 at age 37; MJ never averaged over at after age 32.
The guy was a phenomenal athlete. His stats were incredible. The centers today pretty much sink. You don't think he would have a picnic against Chet Holmgren (pre-injury)?
It would not be a picnic; there is no way he would be as dominant (period) However, I do think he would definitely be the best center if not the best player in the current NBA. Wilt was as strong as Shaq, had the post moves of Olajuwon and could shoot and pass as well as the Joker. In the 1980s at age 50, Wilt would play in pick- up games against top NBA players and could hold his own. NBA teams were still offering him contracts a decade after he retired. Wilt in my mind and without question is the GOAT and I find it difficult to understand how anyone sees it differently. The thing people hold against Wilt is the fact that he only won 2 championships. Well, he did win 2 chips which is something; after paying Wilt there wasn't enough money left to sign other stars on the teams he played for.
The guy was a phenomenal athlete. His stats were incredible. The centers today pretty much sink. You don't think he would have a picnic against Chet Holmgren (pre-injury)?
It would not be a picnic; there is no way he would be as dominant (period) However, I do think he would definitely be the best center if not the best player in the current NBA. Wilt was as strong as Shaq, had the post moves of Olajuwon and could shoot and pass as well as the Joker. In the 1980s at age 50, Wilt would play in pick- up games against top NBA players and could hold his own. NBA teams were still offering him contracts a decade after he retired. Wilt in my mind and without question is the GOAT and I find it difficult to understand how anyone sees it differently. The thing people hold against Wilt is the fact that he only won 2 championships. Well, he did win 2 chips which is something; after paying Wilt there wasn't enough money left to sign other stars on the teams he played for.
Wilt was not a better passer or shooter than Jokic.
As much as I loved watching Wilt and think he was the all time best center and would be a flat out sensation in today's NBA, Jokic is a better passer and shooter.
The other point the previous poster made, trying to compliment Wilt by saying he was a strong as Shaq is funny to me. Wilt was far stronger than Shaq, not even close. I am not even sure, strength wise that Shaq at his peak was as strong as Steven Adams, who is quite strong. Wilt was at another level of strength.
Jokic is fun to watch and has some cool asymmetrical skills in the flow of the game. Embiid gets the better of him one on one, but it's a big court and Jokic finds a way to have continual relevance even when overmatched. Against the ordinary center, Jokic is pretty effective inside. Against everyone, he finds a role and a way to contribute. Magic Johnson was that way in a sense. He understood how to be useful no matter what his position was or who his teammates were.
A lot of basketball is how good you are when you are not the one guy taking the shot or the one guy who is the primary defender on him. Jokic is quite impressive and resourceful as one of the other 8 guys, all game long. In a very different way, so was Dennis Rodman and so was Scottie Pippen. Great players as part of a team. Of course, that was part of Bill Russell's greatness, brilliance as one of the other 8 guys on the court.
Wilt led the NBA in assists one year. Jokic never.
Wilt led in total assists but not assists per game. He averaged 8.6 per game and Robertson 9.7. But Oscar played about 15 less games and about 4 fewer minutes per game than Wilt.
As much as I loved watching Wilt and think he was the all time best center and would be a flat out sensation in today's NBA, Jokic is a better passer and shooter.
The other point the previous poster made, trying to compliment Wilt by saying he was a strong as Shaq is funny to me. Wilt was far stronger than Shaq, not even close. I am not even sure, strength wise that Shaq at his peak was as strong as Steven Adams, who is quite strong. Wilt was at another level of strength.
Jokic is fun to watch and has some cool asymmetrical skills in the flow of the game. Embiid gets the better of him one on one, but it's a big court and Jokic finds a way to have continual relevance even when overmatched. Against the ordinary center, Jokic is pretty effective inside. Against everyone, he finds a role and a way to contribute. Magic Johnson was that way in a sense. He understood how to be useful no matter what his position was or who his teammates were.
A lot of basketball is how good you are when you are not the one guy taking the shot or the one guy who is the primary defender on him. Jokic is quite impressive and resourceful as one of the other 8 guys, all game long. In a very different way, so was Dennis Rodman and so was Scottie Pippen. Great players as part of a team. Of course, that was part of Bill Russell's greatness, brilliance as one of the other 8 guys on the court.
Check out head to head matchups between Jokic and Gobert over the years, jokic had career best against a pretty good post defender.
Wilt led the NBA in assists one year. Jokic never.
Wilt led in total assists but not assists per game. He averaged 8.6 per game and Robertson 9.7. But Oscar played about 15 less games and about 4 fewer minutes per game than Wilt.
In 67-68, the season Wilt led in total assists, he averaged 6.6 per 36 minutes, compared with 8.7/36 minutes for Jokic in 20-21. Wilt’s career avg/36’ is 3.5 compared with 7.4 for Jokic, against a far more advanced, competitive league. When Wilt decided he wanted to pump his assists numbers in 67-68, his scoring dropped to 18.7/36’. He shot a career low 38% for free throws that season by the way. Jokic averaged 8.5 assists and 29.1 points per 36’ last season.
Jokic 29.1/8.5 against the modern NBA vs. 18.7/6.6 for Wilt against the 67-68 NBA.
Wilt being a superior shooter is yet more ludicrous. Regardless of any short YouTube clips of Wilt drilling a 20 footer in a casual one-on-one, or old-timers saying he was actually a good shooter, the fact is he had a terrible career FT % of 51%. He hoisted almost 12,000 career free throws and never improved his accuracy. Jokic on the other hand is an 83% career FT shooter. Embiid is an 81% career FT shooter. Shaq was a 53% career FT shooter.
Wilt would be an athletic freak in any era. I think most people understand that. Would he average 50 and 25? Of course not—the game has changed and become far more deep and competitive. I think he would be a superstar, leading the league in rebounds and blocked shots on an annual basis. I’m picturing something of a cross between Giannis and Gobert, a multiple-time DPOY who’d be a handful on offense and do freakish athletic things. Something like 20ppg/15 rpg/3+ bpg/4 apg. Plus hundreds of altered or just plain avoided shot attempts per season. His teams would surely do well. We would argue over Wilt vs. Jokic vs. Embiid for best center in the league, and in spite of being the weakest shooter and floor-spacer, Wilt would have a strong case.
Wilt was actually a good shooter from about 15 feet and he had a great fade-away that could not be blocked. He had no need to develop an outside shot. I think he could easily lead the league in rebounds and blocks. And if Shaq could lead the league in scoring and average 30 points per game and DeMarcus Cousins 28, why not Wilt? Who in the NBA today could stop Wilt from scoring when he was in his prime. Certainly no one could stop him one-on-one. I think he would be a top-5 player and perennial MVP candidate.
#WiltChamberlain #NBA #GOATA big special thank you once again to @70sFan for helping to uncover rare NBA footage. These highlights are from Chamberlain's sco...
DeMarcus Cousins does not make a discussion of NBA all time greats, but he is memorable for a guy with a lot of skill as a "big man" who played almost his entire career 0-10 inches off of the floor. Cousins reminds me of the big guy in a YMCA league who moves slowly in space but deftly in close quarters, plays close to the ground as if he is tied down, but scores a ton and catches rebounds than fall to him because he knows where to stand. Cousins gets his points because he is crafty at positioning, has quick hands and an alert mind for the movement of the ball.
Wilt would get his points and other stats in today's NBA from being so very athletic and being so obsessed with accomplishment, a la Russell Westbrook. Mining stats from a particular Wilt season and extrapolating it today is misleading. Wilt was a very high achiever on top of his physical attributes. Think Michael Jordan. Of the 100 best 6 foot 6 NBA starters who could run and jump, Jordan stood out by what he did on the court. Approach and intensity matters. Wilt was much the same, full of intensity, plus the blessings of size and great strength.
Wilt led in total assists but not assists per game. He averaged 8.6 per game and Robertson 9.7. But Oscar played about 15 less games and about 4 fewer minutes per game than Wilt.
In 67-68, the season Wilt led in total assists, he averaged 6.6 per 36 minutes, compared with 8.7/36 minutes for Jokic in 20-21. Wilt’s career avg/36’ is 3.5 compared with 7.4 for Jokic, against a far more advanced, competitive league. When Wilt decided he wanted to pump his assists numbers in 67-68, his scoring dropped to 18.7/36’. He shot a career low 38% for free throws that season by the way. Jokic averaged 8.5 assists and 29.1 points per 36’ last season.
Jokic 29.1/8.5 against the modern NBA vs. 18.7/6.6 for Wilt against the 67-68 NBA.
Wilt being a superior shooter is yet more ludicrous. Regardless of any short YouTube clips of Wilt drilling a 20 footer in a casual one-on-one, or old-timers saying he was actually a good shooter, the fact is he had a terrible career FT % of 51%. He hoisted almost 12,000 career free throws and never improved his accuracy. Jokic on the other hand is an 83% career FT shooter. Embiid is an 81% career FT shooter. Shaq was a 53% career FT shooter.
Well, I never said he was a superior passer or shooter than Jokic because there is no comparison. They are completely different players. However, he would be a better rebounder and much better defender. I think Shaq is a better comparison to Wilt. Shaq's free throw percentage is very similar but I think Wilt actually was the superior shooter away from the basket and he had more or a repertoire of shots.