Anthony Mason was super strong. Probably could have lifted more than Oak. Shawn Kemp could be up there. Tractor Traylor??
Anthony Mason was super strong. Probably could have lifted more than Oak. Shawn Kemp could be up there. Tractor Traylor??
When Wilt ruled the earth, the second strongest big man in the NBA was Nate Thurmond. He had an incredible physique for the pre-PEDS era.
Both Nate and Artis Gilmore have a good case for the top five.
The Big Dipper wrote:
What would it be like if a prime 7'1'' 300-pounder with a 55" vertical and a 500 bench press came into the league now? I think he'd expose the NBA for the sham it is today.
That's one of the stupidest sentences I've ever seen. Was it part of the article you quoted BigDip? A 55" vertical would get the top of his head to 11'8.
The Big Dipper wrote:
...
What would it be like if a prime 7'1'' 300-pounder with a 55" vertical and a 500 bench press came into the league now? I think he'd expose the NBA for the sham it is today.
First, he'd definitely lead the NBA in rebounds. He'd average 18.
Second, he'd lead the league in blocks. He'd average six or seven.
Third, he'd lead the league in shooting percentage for guys over 15 points per game.
He'd average over 60 percent (like Lebron James is doing this season, except Wilt would done it over several seasons).
...
Do you get ANY facts right? Lebron is shooting 56% this season. Man, if you can't even get something that simple correct it is obvious that you have absolutely no respect for truth but just like cool stories.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3704/career;_ylt=As_P1VaxJxab1Fd7iikT3i3JPKB4
So, cool story bro.
randomcoach wrote:
The Big Dipper wrote:What would it be like if a prime 7'1'' 300-pounder with a 55" vertical and a 500 bench press came into the league now? I think he'd expose the NBA for the sham it is today.
That's one of the stupidest sentences I've ever seen. Was it part of the article you quoted BigDip? A 55" vertical would get the top of his head to 11'8.
After looking at this picture, 55" does not seem that ridiculous.
http://oi48.tinypic.com/2yo989g.jpgThe strength of Wilt Chamberlain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STXbuXGPdoY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrpmGuCmGnc
Arnold talks about lifting weights with Wilt.
His leaping ability
XY wrote:
I wouldnt put Wilt in the top 30 of NBA strong men. Yes he was a great athlete, but he didnt lift like guys do now. His upper body strength would not compare
Uh, Wilt lifted with Arnold back in the day. Care to try again dumb-ass?
Wilts legend grows exponentially with each year. Wilt did NOT lift consistently as players do now. Wilt dabbled in everything(and everyone) to say what a great athlete he was.
The former Governator wrote:
XY wrote:I wouldnt put Wilt in the top 30 of NBA strong men. Yes he was a great athlete, but he didnt lift like guys do now. His upper body strength would not compare
Uh, Wilt lifted with Arnold back in the day. Care to try again dumb-ass?
I once ran with Noredine Morcelli in a track workout. Doesn't make me a sub-3:50 miler.
XY wrote:
Wilts legend grows exponentially with each year. Wilt did NOT lift consistently as players do now. Wilt dabbled in everything(and everyone) to say what a great athlete he was.
He was a great athlete, period. World class volleyball player, a sub 50 440 yd sprinter, etc. Even if he didn't lift consistently, it's a testament to his natural strength that he was the strongest guy ever to play in the NBA. Plus all the stories told by former NBA players who played against him can't all be made up. I saw one of the interviews that Arnold gave when he described how Wilt would do tricep extensions at a weight that only the strongest body builders would attempto and how he could pick him up with one arm.
I think Oakley was the guy who was most PRIMARILY known for his strength, but obviously guys like Wilt and Shaq are up there.
XY wrote:
2) Jeff Ruland. Was supposed to have freakish strength. Supposedly was to have one of the best hand strength tests recorded in NBA
Dude looked and played like a linebacker.
http://img.beckett.com/images/items_stock/185226/3048007/3048072/front.jpgocho cinco wrote:
After looking at this picture, 55" does not seem that ridiculous.
http://oi48.tinypic.com/2yo989g.jpg
Ummm...yes it does. Estimating vertical leap from pics and videos that are of low quality and from ambiguous angles is absolutely absurd. There is certainly nothing in that picture that indicates a vertical greater than 40".
"Many don’t know it, but Wilt used to lift weights with Arnold Schwarzenegger and got his bench press up to over 500 lbs. He has been credited by many as having been able to bench as much as 500 pounds even during his college days, but there are not very many credible sources for this. He was a world class track and field star during those days though, competing in the 440, shot put, broad jump, and high jump."
Quote above is from many websites glorifying Wilt. Probably where many of you all are getting this stuff from. Was he really a "world class track and field star". Do you really think he benched 500lbs in college? Was he that much superior in strength to Shaq, D Howard, J Williams, A Mason, Karl Malone, J Ruland, B Wallace, etc. He was 7'1" and slender. This stuff goes right along with 2000 women. There is no doubt he was a phenom athlete, but pure strength, top 5, I doubt it
There might be some lesser players who were nevertheless extraordinarily strong. I'm older than everyone here, and I can remember seeing pictures of a guy named Len Chappell. Guy looked monstrously strong.
Terry Cummings and Alvin Robertson are two of the strongest players from what I've heard. Charles Oakley was considered the toughest player of his era (as in, the best fighter), but that doesn't necessarily make him the strongest.
Ummm, wow are you dumb. Here is Arnold himself telling the story.
2012xxx wrote:
The former Governator wrote:Uh, Wilt lifted with Arnold back in the day. Care to try again dumb-ass?
I once ran with Noredine Morcelli in a track workout. Doesn't make me a sub-3:50 miler.
Duh Link...
Don't think he was mentioned, but Kevin Willis was a beast. Remember seeing one of those Superstars competitions where he out benched a bunch of other athletes, including maybe Oakley. Would also add Moses Malone for functional strength. Generally guys that lead the league in rebounding tend to be fairly strong (Barkely, Malone, etc.).
