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The late Wilt Chamberlain never ceded the title of Greatest Basketball Player of All Time (GOAT) to Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan. Based on numerous interviews and even a reported conversation with Jordan, “Wilt the Stilt” considered himself the best player ever in this game.
His “id” allegedly told fans he was the goat. Chamberlain replied:
(4:12 Mark)
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“Michael, until you become so great that they change the game to stop your greatness, I don’t think you have the right to make this tribute that special way.”
During Wilt Chamberlain’s heyday, the NBA had to change many rules to curtail the big man’s shockingly dominant performance. The league didn’t want to accept the competition, so it was so unbalanced in Wilt’s favor that he had to change the way the game was played:
for every NBA.com:
During his career, his dominance precipitated many rule changes. These changes included widening the lane, establishing the offensive goal and revising the rules governing inbounds and shooting of free throws (Chamberlain would jump the ball from behind the foul line to deposit the ball into the basket).
An argument can be made that the rules under Chamberlain were not as precise as those under Michael Jordan. However, had the huge man not come along with his unparalleled size, skill, and mobility, the rules might not have been so dramatically modified.
Even Wilt Chamberlain has something to say for people who insist that Jordan was the best scorer the NBA has ever seen.
“What people don’t remember is that in my first seven years I scored a lot of points and then stopped scoring on my own volition. I tried to do other things. I was told to do other things and that’s what I did. If I kept scoring, I would probably have reached 40 points (per game) all my life.
“All the years I’ve been scoring all these points, I’ve been leading the league in shooting percentage. If you make all the shots, you should score the highest.”
“Wilt” led the NBA in FG% for 9 of his 14 seasons, hitting 72.7% during the 1972-73 season. Jordan’s highest FG percentage was ranked 10th (53.9%) in the league during the 1990-1991 season.
Wilt Chamberlain’s game was inside the paint while Michael Jordan was an excellent inside scorer but was still a peripheral player.
Even Wilt Chamberlain dismisses Michael Jordan’s superiority in the championship rings
Wilt Chamberlain has been to the NBA Finals six times, winning two of them. He led the Philadelphia 76ers to the 1967 title and the Los Angeles Lakers to the championship in 1972.
On the other hand, Michael Jordan has not lost in six rounds of the tournament. His Flesh lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 1991-1993 and 1996-1998.
“The Big Dipper” doesn’t give Jordan the goat advantage because of MJ’s six championships:
(1:30 Mark)
“I have a friend I talk to once a week. You know what he says about Michael’s four championships (at the time)? He doesn’t say anything about it because he has 11! I don’t think you can predict how great a guy really is because he has championships.”
Chamberlain’s statement is a dig at Bill Russell, his companion but arch-rival on court. Some fans would even say Russell was the best player with 11 titles compared to just two by Wilt.
Wilt Chamberlain has always wanted to have the final say in arguments, particularly the GOAT v. Michael Jordan debate. Some of his points remained valid while others fell by the wayside.
Also read: When Wilt Chamberlain Scored The Only NBA Five-Double And The Doubts Surrounding It: Everything You Need To Know
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