Wilt Chamberlain’s best moments: Remembering a legend

National Basketball Association

Updated Aug. 20, 2024 11:51 p.m. ET

FOX Sports Research

Wilt Chamberlain would have turned 88 years old today.

The NBA hall-of-famer is one of the most illustrious players to have graced the court, holding over 70 NBA records to his name. His stardom also came at the collegiate level, dominating while at Kansas. Chamberlain was the first “unstoppable” player the sport had ever seen, winning four MVP awards and earning 13 all-stars.

With such an incredible career filled with out-of-this world moments, FOX Sports Research broke down the best moments of his 14 seasons in the NBA.

Let’s take a look:

Top five moments of Wilt Chamberlain’s career

Scores 100 in a game

A record that might never be broken, Chamberlain scored 100 points in a 169-147 win over the Knicks on March 2, 1962. He actually set five other records in that game, and famously held up a picture with the number “100” written on it. That same season, Chamberlain would average 50.4 points per game— still the highest single season average in NBA history. He also accomplished that in just his third year in the league.

Seven straight 50-point games

During the 1961-62 season, Chamberlain set another record that will probably never be broken. The third-year center ripped an astounding seven consecutive games with 50 points between December 16th and 29th in 1961. He scored 50 points 45 times that season, en route to setting the record for the highest points per game average in a season as mentioned above.

Wins first championship

Chamberlain averaged over 30 points and 22 rebounds per game in each of his first seven seasons in the league, but he finally added a trophy to his résumé— winning the NBA championship with the Philadelphia in the 1966-67 season. He won his second straight MVP award that season, and led the league in rebounding en route to defeating his former team in the Finals.

Grabs 55 rebounds in a game

We’ve talked a ton of about Chamberlain’s scoring prowess, but his rebounding ability might arguably be the truest expression of his dominance. He led the league in the category 11 times in 14 seasons, and most notably grabbed a whopping 55 rebounds against the Celtics on November 24, 1960. Chamberlain accomplished this in just his second year in the league.

Wins title with Lakers

After being a dominant force in San Francisco and Philadelphia, Chamberlain took his talents to Los Angeles in the 1968-69 season and would go on to win the title with them in the 1971-72 campaign. In his 13th NBA season, he led the league in field goal percentage and rebounding, and would go on to be named Finals MVP. He was also heralded for a stellar performance despite playing injured.

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