Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA rebounds record
On November 24 1960 Philadelphia Warrior Wilt Chamberlain snags 55 rebounds in a game against the Boston Celtics and sets an NBA record for the most rebounds in a single game.The seven-foot-one-inch Chamberlainoften called Wilt the Stilt a nickname he detested or The Big Dipper because he was so tall that he had to dip his head to get through the doorwaywas sportswriters and fans agree one of the best offensive basketball players of his era.He broke more than 70 NBA records.In his 14-year career in the NBA he scored 31419 points.
(The only player with a higher tally is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who played six seasons514 gameslonger than Chamberlain did.) He was the highest scorer in the NBA from 1960-1966 and led the league in rebounding for 11 of his 14 seasons.And during the 1966-67 season when his coach asked him to shoot less and pass more Chamberlain had more assists than anyone else in the league.The single-game rebound record that he set on November 24 isnt even his most impressive.In March 1962 he scored 100 of his teams 169 points in a game against the New York Knicksmore than any NBA player had (or has) ever scored in one game.
Chamberlain also holds the second-place spot on the points-in-a-single-game list78and 15 of the top 20.The Big Dipper was so commanding that the league had to change its rules to keep him away from the basket.It widened the lane to 16 feet prohibited offensive goaltending and stipulated that a free-throw shooter cant cross the line until his shot hits the rim of the basket.(Authorities meant this last rule to prevent Chamberlain from taking off at the free-throw line and dunking his foul shots.)Chamberlain was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978 the first year he was eligible and in 1997 he was elected to the NBAs 50th Anniversary All-Star Team.
He died in 1999.
