Wilt Chamberlain: Career summary | Biography | Career stats

Legends Remember: The National Basketball Retired Players Association share their favorite Wilt stories.

When Wilt Chamberlain died in 1999 at the age of 63 few of his contemporaries and colleagues could believe it. Wilt was indestructable. In his galactic 1962 season where he averaged 50.4 points per game, Chamberlain averaged 48.5 minutes per game. A regulation NBA game only has 48 minutes. No wonder many thought Chamberlain would outlast time itself.

So it is here, on Aug. 21, 2006, what would have been Wilt's big 7-0 that we stop and pay tribute to the man who the likes we will never see again.

Happy birthday, Wilt.

Well, what about the Big Dipper? Here's something you should know: he owns the NBA record books.

While Kobe Bryant may have brought to life the idea of someone scoring 100 points in a game again, the thought of a rookie averaging 37.6 points or any player averaging more than 50 per game is unthinkable these days.

How about 27.2 rebounds per contest? Not happening.

An incredible 55 boards in one game? Good luck.

It's not just the records though. It's the way he did it. Never has there been a more dominating presence on the basketball court.

We talked to some of the greatest players of all time, as well legend Harvey Pollack, about Wilt and here is what they had to say.

Bill Russell:
"We competed against each other probably more intensely than we did against anybody else because if you didn't take it to the level that you had to take it, you would be embarrassed. And none of us wanted that. So I think we probably played harder against each other than we did against anybody else."
Video: More From Russell

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:
"I'd have to say that my fondest memory that of Wilt is just the times that I had to goof around with him. We used to play 'horse' sometimes. And I could beat him at 'horse'. He had a certain spot on the court between the free throw line and the dotted line where he couldn't make a shot. So I oftentimes could beat him playing 'horse' just because I knew that. He was a pretty fun guy."
Video: More From Abdul-Jabbar

Bill Bradley:
"Before I met Wilt, I was a Wilt fan. When I was a little kid in the seventh and eighth grade and he was at Kansas, I kept a very elaborate scrapbook of Wilt Chamberlain and everything he ever did. I cut out pictures from Time magazine, Life magazine and Sports Illustrated. I kept a little log of all of his games when he was at Kansas and how many points he scored. So he was a very real presence in my life before I ever met Wilt Chamberlain."
Video: More From Bradley

Gail Goodrich:
"Following basketball growing up and having a great passion for the game, I had heard about Wilt and I had seen some games on TV. I saw him play at Kansas on TV and then in the NBA. But then to walk out on the court for the first time and realize that I was on the same court as Wilt, I had to do a double-take. When I stood up next to him, I was in awe of his size."
More from Goodrich

Harvey Pollack:
"As one who has seen every player in my 60 years in the NBA, there is no doubt in my mind who is the greatest player in the league's history. Yes, without any reservations I award that distinction to Wilt Chamberlain.

"I had the good fortune to be the publicity director of the Philadelphia Warriors and the publicity director of the Philadelphia 76ers during Wilt's two periods in this city. He and I became great friends during those times, and his relationship continued right to his untimely death."
More from Pollack

Hoop Magazine:
Looking back on his life as men 62 years of age sometimes do, Wilt Chamberlain offered a summary of a professional life that began as a phenomenon and grew to proportions that are nothing short of mythical. The description was simple, but as accurate as could be in a seven-word sentence.

"My life has been full of hype," Wilt said."
More from Hoop

NBA at 50 Interview:
"I felt like the pro game was more of a game that I wanted to play, that was suited to my style. I left college a year early because they used stall tactics... at that time there was no (shot) clock. They knew that the only way to stop me from scoring points and getting rebounds was just not to shoot the ball. So I was looking forward to getting into the pros, where they had the clock and I knew they had to run."
More from NBA at 50