Is Dip (Wilt Chamberlain) the most athletic human of that size of all time?

[dantheman9758]

I don't doubt that he was "long" but only 3 guys in the draftexpress database have 9"7+ reaches, it's very rare to say the least.

On his toes, and the ball is not touching the rim.

I remember Kevin McHale reportedly having a "8 foot wingspan" which isn't humanly possibly, so I take older numbers with a grain of salt.


For comparison, this man has a 9"8 to 9"9 standing reach and can do this -

Even assuming a 4 to 5" bend for the rim he's clearly reaching much higer than Wilt.

Be skeptical all u want but I've done extensive research to find these measurements. His standing reach was measured in college, it was measured to 9-6. You can analyze photographs of him in high school and as a freshman at college all u want but ur not gonna find out anything that way, it's like people who try to guess players heights with photographs - a tape measure works best. Could the publications from Wilt's time be off? Maybe. But I'll trust them over photographic guesswork with odd camera angles and other variables. A lot of players have gotten the 8 foot wingspan tag including Wilt (another being Patrick Ewing). This isn't the same kind of off looking number. I have sports articles that talk about Wilt's measurements in comparison to Kareems and Bill Russell's. They aren't just tossing around loose figures in articles like that. (btw, Russells wingspan 7-4 and height 6-9.63, and Kareems wingspan 7-5 and height 7-1.88)... these dont sound "off" at all.

 

[killacal]

The other guy is 7"5.

Guy on the far right is Hamed Haddadi (listed at 7"2 in the NBA)

I get there taller but doesn't it seem like wilt is way farther from the rim?

 

[dantheman9758]

can't learn sh*t analyzing photographs. better to spend your time researching to see if measurements were actually taken of him back then like I did

I'll trust my 9-6 number that several articles keep consistently tellin me esp cause I got footage of him doin a few putbacks where hes barely elevating beyond his tip-toes

 

[Malta]

Be skeptical all u want but I've done extensive research to find these measurements. His standing reach was measured in college, it was measured to 9-6. You can analyze photographs of him in high school and as a freshman at college all u want but ur not gonna find out anything that way, it's like people who try to guess players heights with photographs - a tape measure works best. Could the publications from Wilt's time be off? Maybe. But I'll trust them over photographic guesswork with odd camera angles and other variables. A lot of players have gotten the 8 foot wingspan tag including Wilt (another being Patrick Ewing). This isn't the same kind of off looking number. I have sports articles that talk about Wilt's measurements in comparison to Kareems and Bill Russell's. They aren't just tossing around loose figures in articles like that. (btw, Russells wingspan 7-4 and height 6-9.63, and Kareems wingspan 7-5 and height 7-1.88)... these dont sound "off" at all.

It's not quite the same as trying to guess someones height, there are guys who have the reaches (9"7 or more) being talked about and pretty much all of them can grab the rim on their tippy toes. It doesn't appear that Wilt could do that, so if he's the outlier how can the numbers truly be accurate? There aren't many variables here, the guy who I posted has a reported 9"8 to 9"9 reach, and he's holding the rim flat footed, Wilt's hands in nearly every picture aren't even coming up to the middle part of the net on his toes.

Who's to say Wilt wasn't on his toes either?

 

[Malta]

can't learn sh*t analyzing photographs. better to spend your time researching to see if measurements were actually taken of him back then like I did

I'll trust my 9-6 number that several articles keep consistently tellin me esp cause I got footage of him doin a few putbacks where hes barely elevating beyond his tip-toes

The second picture he's closer to the camera

 

[dantheman9758]

It's not quite the same as trying to guess someones height, there are guys who have the reaches being talked about and pretty much all of them can grab the rim on their tippy toes. It doesn't appear that Wilt could do that, so if he's the outlier how can the numbers truly be accurate? There aren't many variables here, the guy who I posted has a reported 9"8 to 9"9 reach, and he's holding the rim flat footed, Wilt's hands in nearly every picture aren't even coming up to the middle part of the net on his toes.

Who's to say Wilt wasn't on his toes either?

Because my sources are specifically worded "9-6 reach standing flat-footed"... I'll be gathering my research articles and reposting tomorrow so that my integrity aint lost due to 1 skeptic who thinks deceiving looking pics are more honest than the sports publications from that era. They are very specific. Spare me the photographic analysis, see my post above and you'll see you won't get anywhere doing research based on that.

 

[Just like bruddas]

aint no way you fukked more bytches than him tho

15 under my belt im 26 btw

 

[NkrumahWasRight Is Wrong]

15 under my belt im 26 btw

his claim to have had sex with over 20,000 women.

got a bit of a ways to go

 

[kareem929]

After seeing his stats, I have to question whether or not Jordan is the GOAT!! In a 80 game season this guy averaged 26 rebounds and 50 points a game!!!

NBA.com: Wilt Chamberlain Career Stats

 

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

Dude was the GOAT.

 

[MoneyTron]

He talked about how Wilt would toss Shaq around like a ragdoll if they faced each other.

Nobody's tossing prime Shaq anywhere. Let's not act like Shaq isn't a freak himself. I've never seen as 7+ foot person as coordinated as he is. And he could jump 30+ off vert.

 

[Raw Lyrics]

This guy makes an interesting argument on Yahoo.


First, the 3 second rule was introduced in 1936. Illegal defense was already in place since 1947. Wilt played in the 60's with both rules in effect.

Second, the 60's era in which Wilt played, is a more physical era. There were no sissy flagrant or handcheck fouls during that time. Refs allow those physical tactics go unpunished because the owners and NBA management believe that blood and violence is what brings people to basketball games back then. Superstar players like Wilt receive no favorable treatment from refs and in fact, refs often side with the opposing team against Wilt because they feel that he is simply too dominating. The NBA enacted rules to stop Wilt somehow.

Third, the average height of NBA centers back in Wilt's day was 6'10. Wilt towered a mere two inches over the opposition. Darral Imhoff, the center whom he dropped the 100points is 6'10. Bill Russell, the second best rebounder in league history and the center on which he grabbed a record setting 55 rebounds (but the Celtics won the game by 3 points) is also 6'10. You dont see Yao Ming endangering these records even though he has a 4 inch advantage over your average centers today. Height is not the reason for Wilt's domination w/c leads us to number 4 . . .

Fourth, the main reason as to why Wilt dominated the competition, black and white, short and tall, is because he is a superb physical specimen even with the substandard 60's training methods and nutrition of his time. In fact, Sports Illustrated in 1986 describe him as the finest athletic construction made of flesh and blood. Wilt was a shotput thrower, a champion high jumper, a track star and a triple jumper. He could benchpress 550lbs back in college. The New Jersey Nets back in the 80's were still actively wooing him back out of retirement when Wilt was already going 50 (In an 80's Lakers exhibition skirmish, Wilt at center held a Magic Johnson-lead team scoreless).

The only one who could give him any problem was this former track star and Olympic caliber high jumper named Bill Russell (In the late 70's when he was in his mid to late forties and with the Seattle Supersonics, Bill had one on one skirmishes with the Sonics players. He transformed each one into a virtual volleyball game, smacking down any would be attacks to the basket).

Fifth, if Shaq or any of today's pampered modern players have the misfortune of playing in the 60's with its outdated training methods and nutrition, theyre physical skills and abilities would be impaired to the point that they would do no better if not only slightly better, than your average 60's player. The modern players will not dominate the 60's competition who are using the same 60's training methods and nutrition as they are.

Particularly, Shaq. I doubt that 60's training methods and nutrition could hold Shaq's body fat in check like modern ones could. Anyway, lets compare Shaq and Wilt. Shaquille at 34 years old is in a physically deteriorating state. Wilt meanwhile at the same age, is still happily blocking Kareem's skyhooks, grabbing a career LOW of 18 rebs.(!),and shooting at a ridiculous percentage (iirc, it was 65%, the next year it was 72%). Wilt in his prime was dropping 50 points and 25rebs. Half of those points came from his mid range fadeaway shot . . . . what surprise that Wilt has a perimeter game? Wilt has a more varied shot selection than Shaq and also in his prime, Wilt was dunking free throws from the charity stripe with hardly any running start.

Sixth, Bill Russell is the greatest NBA player of all time.


Wilt Chamberlain vs. Shaquille O'Neal, both in their prime, who would win 1 on 1 playing against eachother? - Yahoo! Answers

 

[Just like bruddas]

got a bit of a ways to go

 

[mastermind]

This guy makes an interesting argument on Yahoo.


First, the 3 second rule was introduced in 1936. Illegal defense was already in place since 1947. Wilt played in the 60's with both rules in effect.

Second, the 60's era in which Wilt played, is a more physical era. There were no sissy flagrant or handcheck fouls during that time. Refs allow those physical tactics go unpunished because the owners and NBA management believe that blood and violence is what brings people to basketball games back then. Superstar players like Wilt receive no favorable treatment from refs and in fact, refs often side with the opposing team against Wilt because they feel that he is simply too dominating. The NBA enacted rules to stop Wilt somehow.

Third, the average height of NBA centers back in Wilt's day was 6'10. Wilt towered a mere two inches over the opposition. Darral Imhoff, the center whom he dropped the 100points is 6'10. Bill Russell, the second best rebounder in league history and the center on which he grabbed a record setting 55 rebounds (but the Celtics won the game by 3 points) is also 6'10. You dont see Yao Ming endangering these records even though he has a 4 inch advantage over your average centers today. Height is not the reason for Wilt's domination w/c leads us to number 4 . . .

Fourth, the main reason as to why Wilt dominated the competition, black and white, short and tall, is because he is a superb physical specimen even with the substandard 60's training methods and nutrition of his time. In fact, Sports Illustrated in 1986 describe him as the finest athletic construction made of flesh and blood. Wilt was a shotput thrower, a champion high jumper, a track star and a triple jumper. He could benchpress 550lbs back in college. The New Jersey Nets back in the 80's were still actively wooing him back out of retirement when Wilt was already going 50 (In an 80's Lakers exhibition skirmish, Wilt at center held a Magic Johnson-lead team scoreless).

The only one who could give him any problem was this former track star and Olympic caliber high jumper named Bill Russell (In the late 70's when he was in his mid to late forties and with the Seattle Supersonics, Bill had one on one skirmishes with the Sonics players. He transformed each one into a virtual volleyball game, smacking down any would be attacks to the basket).

Fifth, if Shaq or any of today's pampered modern players have the misfortune of playing in the 60's with its outdated training methods and nutrition, theyre physical skills and abilities would be impaired to the point that they would do no better if not only slightly better, than your average 60's player. The modern players will not dominate the 60's competition who are using the same 60's training methods and nutrition as they are.

Particularly, Shaq. I doubt that 60's training methods and nutrition could hold Shaq's body fat in check like modern ones could. Anyway, lets compare Shaq and Wilt. Shaquille at 34 years old is in a physically deteriorating state. Wilt meanwhile at the same age, is still happily blocking Kareem's skyhooks, grabbing a career LOW of 18 rebs.(!),and shooting at a ridiculous percentage (iirc, it was 65%, the next year it was 72%). Wilt in his prime was dropping 50 points and 25rebs. Half of those points came from his mid range fadeaway shot . . . . what surprise that Wilt has a perimeter game? Wilt has a more varied shot selection than Shaq and also in his prime, Wilt was dunking free throws from the charity stripe with hardly any running start.

Sixth, Bill Russell is the greatest NBA player of all time.


Wilt Chamberlain vs. Shaquille O'Neal, both in their prime, who would win 1 on 1 playing against eachother? - Yahoo! Answers

except for the bullshyt about Bill Russell, that echoes my sentiments.

I really wonder how good Wilt would have been in today's NBA with modern training and nutritional regiments. Its probably best that no one knows.

 

[FTBS]

I'm not totally convinced that he was human. Some of the shyt you hear or even see now is just ridiculous and doesn't seem realistic.