60 years ago, Wilt Chamberlain set an unbeatable record

Wilt Chamberlain set the single-game scoring record on 2 March 1962 against the New York Knicks.

Wilt Chamberlain set the single-game scoring record with 100 points against the New York Knicks on 2 March 1962. Now 60 years later, the record still stands. That is a testament to Wilt Chamberlain’s dominance. The closest anyone got to the record was Kobe Bean Bryant with 81 points. Wilt has set numerous records that still stand 50 years after he stopped playing but the most jaw-dropping ones are the 100 points in a game and averaging 50.4 points a season.

Ironically both accomplishments were achieved in the same year, 1962. What is even crazier is that Wilt didn’t win MVP that year despite putting up these monster numbers that will never be put up again. At the time it was players that voted for MVP and rumours suggest that the players did not like Chamberlain and the voting was biased.

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Wilt is one of the most underrated players ever. He has always been criticized for putting up numbers but not winning enough championships. It is fair to criticize Wilt but what has to be considered is that he had to go against the greatest dynasty ever created in the Boston Celtics and a great layer like Bill Russell. In fact, Wilt was a part of one of 2 teams that beat the Celtics, the Philadelphia Warriors and Wilt did it with one Hall of Famer in his prime, Hal Greer.

While there were good players on that Warriors team, they were either past their primes or too young. Whenever Wilt had a good coach and a decent team around him he has always delivered. The only team he was on and should have won more was with the Lakers when he had Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.

The point I am trying to make is despite not having witnessed Wilt’s greatness, when we throw around words like the GOAT, always remember that some came before the current greats. Wilt played in an era where there was double hand checking and no 3 point line. It was extremely physical and the talent pool was strained to have the best players in the league.

When coaches saw Wilt dunk from the free-throw line in college, they got the league to change the free throw rules to prevent Wilt from doing it in the league. When you have so much done to stop you from being great and yet dominate every player and team you play against, that has to respect. This is a tribute to the most dominant player that ever played the game and who had the game changed to make it harder for him to play.