10 Unbelievable But True Stories from the Life of Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain is, without a doubt, one of the greatest players that the NBA will ever see. He’s a literal and figurative giant in the world of basketball, and even though his stats are legendary, there are definitely some things you still didn't know about Wilt Chamberlain.

10.At One Point He Was Going to Box Muhammad Ali(!!!)

This match couldn't have ended well, right? A fight between one of the tallest professional athletes at the time and one of the greatest boxers ever known sounds great on paper, but it would have been a disaster. This almost-fight was going to happen after Ali returned from his three-year exile and needed some cash, but it never occurred because during a press conference for the BOOKED MATCH that was set to take place on July 26, 1971, at the Houston Astrodome, Ali answered ever question with the word, "Timbeeeeer." After a few minutes of this, Chamberlain left the press conference, spoke with his lawyers, and called the match off.

9.He Broke a Player's Toe with a Slam Dunk

Many NBAologists have said that the reason Chamberlain faired so well in the league was because he played during a "weak era" of the game. While that's one of the most ridiculous (and disrespectful) things you can say about a group of players that paved the way for the modern era, it might be a little true. According to legend, Chamberlain once dunked a ball so hard that it went through the basket, hit Hall of Famer Johnny "Red" Kerr in the foot and broke his toe. Either Kerr wasn't getting enough calcium or Chamberlain was getting way too much.

8.He Never Fouled Out of a Game

In the modern era of the NBA, where trash talk and super aggressive dudes seem to be the flavor of the week, it's important to remember that Wilt Chamberlain never fouled out of an NBA game. That's crazy. You'd think that because he was so famous when he was playing that guys would just be gunning for him the entire time. Maybe players didn't think that way during his era, or maybe everyone was just too scared of Wilt.

7.He Declared "No More Layups" and He Meant It

In the '80s, long after his retirement from the NBA, Chamberlain paid a visit to the men's gym on the UCLA campus to take part in a pickup game with the coach of the Bruins, Larry Brown. According to Brown,

Magic Johnson used to run the games, and he called a couple of chintzy fouls and a goaltending on Wilt. So Wilt said, "There will be no more layups in this gym," and he blocked every shot after that. That's the truth, I saw it. He didn't let one (of Johnson's) shots get to the rim.

Can you imagine having that kind of power to your game?

6.He Got a Double Triple Double in 1968

To get a double triple double you have to accumulate a double-digit number total in three of five statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots) in a game. On February 2, 1968, Chamberlain scored 22 points, 25 rebounds, and 21 assists in a 131-121 Sixer win over the Pistons.

The strange thing about this is that if Chamberlain was playing circles around the rest of the players, then why weren't audiences seeing more of this kind of behavior? Maybe it has something to do with Wilt not wanting to show off. Or maybe he always had the flu.

5.After He Retired from the NBA He Got Really Into Volleyball

You have to stay busy, even if you're a former NBA All Star who probably could have used some rest. After he retired in 1974, Chamberlain became a board member of the International Volleyball Association, a pro coed volleyball league that never really got off the ground. And he wasn't just on the board! Chamberlain joined the the Seattle Smashers' front line and played well enough to be inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame. Truly his greatest accomplishment.

4.Wilt Chamberlain Hated Being Called "Wilt the Stilt"

How would you like it if you had a nickname that boiled down to one thing about your physical appearance? Even if it was something that made you super popular, having your greatest accomplishment being perceived as simply existing as a tall/short/hairy/albino/whatever person has to be frustrating. It turned out that Wilt Chamberlain really didn't like being called "Wilt the Stilt." Late in life he was known to say that "no one liked Goliath."

3.Chamberlain's Professional Career Began as a Harlem Globetrotter

It turns out that one of the most important parts of Chamberlain's rise to the top of the NBA is the fact that they didn't draft him as early as they could have. Because of a rule that said that the NBA didn't allow players who hadn't graduated college (my, how times have changed), Chamberlain decided to go and play with the Harlem Globetrotters from 1958-1959 for the sum of $50,000 (which is about half a million dollars today, if you adjust for inflation) until he could be drafted by the 76ers. Do you think he ever tried that basketball on a string trick while he was playing for the Lakers?

2.The NBA Had to Change Their Rules Thanks to Wilt

Chamberlain was such a dominating player in the NBA that rules had to be changed in order to make the game somewhat more fair for people who were playing against him. Not only did the key have to be widened to lessen Chamberlain's effectiveness in the paint, but for a while he was also trying a move where he would jump while doing a free throw and release the ball in a dubious manner across the foul line. After a season or so of doing that the NBA finally put a stop to his not-so-great free throw method.

1.Yes, He Really Did Sleep with Around 20,000 Women (He Says)

Perhaps the most famous Wilt Chamberlain's legend is the story of the 7'1" NBA superstar sleeping with something like 20,000 women. Maybe it was 20,001, maybe it was 19,999, but when you've bedded that many people, who's really counting?

In his book A View from Above, Chamberlain made the outrageous claim that he'd slept with thousands of women, but he made sure to let the readers know that he wasn't trying to break up any marriages: "I made a conscious effort to find out [if a woman was married]. Even as a single man, infidelity has no place in my life."