Wilt chamberlain family
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Legends profile: Wilt Chamberlain
Go back in time and learn about Wilt Chamberlain's early years growing up, and early years in the NBA.
Chamberlain was one of the few players of his day who had the sheer strength to block a dunk. In a game against New York in 1968, Walt Bellamy, the Knicks’ 6-11, 245-pound center, attempted to dunk on Chamberlain. “Bellamy reared back,” one spectator who was there later recalled to the Philadelphia Daily News, “and was slamming the ball down when Wilt put his hand above the top of the rim and knocked the ball off the court. He almost knocked Bellamy off the court, too.”
Strength was something Chamberlain developed as a college and professional player. Photographs of him in high school show a slender, agile boy who, at 6-11, towered above the other players. In three varsity seasons at Philadelphia’s Overbrook High, starting in 1952-53, Chamberlain led the team to records of 19-2, 19-0, and 18-1. His coaches there took full advantage of his gifts. The team would practice missing free throws so that Chamberlain could grab them and score
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Wilt Chamberlain was born on August 21, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was one of 11 children of Olivia and William Chamberlain. Unusually tall for his age, Chamberlain was constantly teased about his height; he would eventually reach 7'1". Chamberlain would soon discover that his height was not a curse, but rather a blessing, as he was able to excel in the game of basketball. With his interest in the sport growing, Chamberlain attended Overbrook High School where he quickly became a basketball legend and the most heavily recruited player in the country. Eventually, he settled on the University of Kansas, where he then led the Jayhawks into the 1957 NCAA finals, losing in triple overtime to top-ranked North Carolina.
Because Chamberlain's skills were far more advanced than any of his competitors, opposing teams would often "gang guard" Chamberlain or hold the ball for long stretches of time, limiting his offensive opportunities. Frustrated by this tactic, Chamberlain left school early and joined the Harlem Globetrotters, briefly touring the country with them. In 1959, Ch
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Wilt Chamberlain
Chamberlain with the Harlem Globetrotters c. 1959 | |
| Born | (1936-08-21)August 21, 1936 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Died | October 12, 1999(1999-10-12) (aged 63) Bel Air, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 216 cm (7 ft 1 in) |
| Listed weight | 125 kg (276 lb) |
| High school | Overbrook (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Kansas (1956–1958) |
| NBA draft | 1959 / Pick: Territorial |
| Selected by the Philadelphia Warriors | |
| Playing career | 1959–1973 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 13 |
| Coaching career | 1973–1974 |
| 1958–1959 | Harlem Globetrotters |
| 1959–1965 | Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors |
| 1965–1968 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1968–1973 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1973–1974 | San Diego Conquistadors |
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