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Rare Wilt Chamberlain Photos
Rare Wilt Chamberlain Photos
During his 14-year NBA career, Wilt Chamberlain racked up his share of accolades including scoring an unprecedented 100 points during the Philadelphia Warriors win over the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962. Here are some rarely seen photos of the Big Dipper, from college to the pros and beyond. Wilt was born in Philadelphia in 1936 and was one of nine children raised by William and Olivia Chamberlain a racially-mixed middle-class neighborhood. In fourth grade (when this photo was taken), he developed severe pneumonia that nearly killed him.
Chamberlain played for his high school basketball team the Overbrook Panthers. He would go on to score 2,252 points during his high school career.
By the end of Chamberlain's high school basketball career, more than 200 colleges were eyeing him. Ultimately the University of Kansas and coach Phog Allen won him over.
Chamberlain loses his shoe during a 1957 game against Colorado. During his college career he averaged over thirty points per game and was twice selected to All-American teams.
Chamberlain was also a member of the Track and Field team while at Kansas. He ran the 100-yard dash in 10.9 seconds, shot-putted 56 feet and won the high jump in the Big Eight track and field championships three straight years.
In his two seasons playing for the Jayhawks, Chamberlain, shown playing chess during his college days, scored an impressive 1,433 points and helped Kansas the title game against North Carolina in 1958.
Chamberlain jumps rope before a 1959 practice.
Chamberlain is greeted by Philadelphia Warriors teammates and fans after pouring in a NBA record 100 points in a 169-147 victory over the Knicks.
Having hit 6 feet when he was 10 years old, Chamberlain was treated like a star in his hometown of Philadelphia. In 1955, he took his height and fame to Kansas.
Barely able to fit his 7-foot-1 frame under the desk, Chamberlain is seen here sitting in class at the University of Kansas in 1957. Chamberlain would play for the Jayhawks and also become a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity while at Kansas.
During his junior year at Kansas, Chamberlain grew frustrated as opponents often triple- or quadruple-teamed him. Though he averaged 30.1 points that season and was again named an All-American, the Jayhawks lost to North Carolina in the national championship game.
Chamberlain's first foray into the pros brought him to the then-Philadelphia Warriors in 1959. With the Warriors, the Philadelphia native became the first player to break the 2,000-rebound barrier in a single season.
Chamberlain holds a Spalding basketball during the opening of a Sporting Goods store in 1960.
Chamberlain, who hosted a college radio show called "Flippin' with the Dipper," works on his vocal skills. Click here to sing him singing By the River.
Chamberlain practices his percussion skills in his New York city apartment.
Drums aren't the only instrument Chamberlain can play. In this photo, Wilt works on his guitar playing.
Chamberlain was as known for his massive stature as he was for his smooth moves on the court. Nicknamed "Wilt the Stilt," "The Big Dipper" and "Goliath." Imagine seeing him in a New York City subway station.
Before his five-season stint with the Lakers, Chamberlain called Philadelphia home. "The Stilt" played for the Sixers alongside Hall-of-Famer Hal Greer and Chet Walker. Chamberlain would cap off his Sixers stint with a record 21 assists for the team.
Chamberlain poses with United States president Richard Nixon with and Maryland governor Spiro T. Agnew during an event in Mission Bay, Calif. Chamberlain was a supporter of Nixon and helped tout the president's ideas on "black capitalism."
Playing alongside multiple future Hall of Famers in Los Angeles, Wilt always managed to find someway to stand out -- if not by his on-court accolades, by his off-the-court attire.
Wilt and his dog take a jog along the beach in California. Keeping up with Chamberlain's long strides couldn't have been easy for a dog.
If he wasn't grabbing a rebound or tipping in a bucket, Wilt was usually lounging around ... in this pose.
In addition to basketball, Chamberlain had a love for volleyball. He became president of the International Volleyball Association and was later named to the sport's hall of fame.
Seen here playing pool, Chamberlain named his sprawling Bel-Air home Ursa Major as an ode to the stars that make up the Big Dipper.
After his stint in the ABA with the San Diego Conquistadors, Wilt found success in the real estate and movie businesses, allowing him to continue his lavish lifestyle long after his playing days.
Chamberlain towers above actress Gina Lollobrigida on the set of "Strange Bedfellows."
While in retirement, Chamberlain wrote several books and even launched an acting career. He starred in the 1984 movie "Conan the Destroyer" opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Among one of his many post-basketball endeavors: posing for a 1986 Purina Cat Chow celebrity calendar.
Chamberlain and Bulls legend Michael Jordan participate in the NBA at 50 celebration in 1997. They are the only players to amass 3,000 points in a single season.
