Wilt Chamberlain Player Profile & Biography

The Big Dipper

In 1965, a trade brought Wilt Chamberlain home to Philadelphia where he had grown up and played his first three seasons. The most dominant NBA player ever, he won seven consecutive scoring titles from 1959-66, scored 100 points in a game (March 2, 1962), and averaged 50.4 points per game in the 1961-62 season. In 1966-67, “The Big Dipper” led the 76ers to a 68-13 record (then the best mark ever) on the way to his first NBA Championship.

On a league-record nine occasions, “Wilt the Stilt” led the league in field goal percentage, and he was the NBA’s top scorer seven times. He ranks as the 76ers all-time leader in both scoring average and field goal percentage. Chamberlain totaled 31,419 points and 23,924 rebounds during his NBA career and was selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game 13 times.

While he is best known for his 100-point game during the 1961-62 season, that is only one of the 72 total NBA records he holds. He remains the only player to ever average 50 points in a season or to grab 55 rebounds in a single contest. Remarkably, he never fouled out of a game, and, to this day, he’s the only player in league history to average 30 points and 20 rebounds for a full season.

HIGHLIGHTS

Take a look back at Wilt Chamberlain, one of the most dominant big men in NBA history. On December 1, 1967, he scored 52 points against the Seattle SuperSonics, becoming the first player in the history of the Philadelphia Spectrum to record 50 in a single game.

AWARDS + Recognition

2 time NBA Champion

Chamberlain’s two championships came in 1967 and 1972, with the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. In 35 total Finals games, Chamberlain averaged an incredible 24.6 rebounds.

1 time NBA Finals MVP

In 1972, the year before he retired, Chamberlain finally captured his elusive NBA Finals MVP trophy. In a 5-game series with the New York Knicks, he averaged 23.2 points and 19.4 rebounds.

4 time NBA Most Valuable Player

Three of Chamberlain’s four MVPs came as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. He is one of only two players to win the award in three consecutive years, and one of only five to win it four times.

10 time NBA All-Star

In his 14-year career, Wilt Chamberlain had 13 All-Star seasons, with his single omission coming in 1969-70 when he only played 12 regular season games due to a knee injury.

1 time NBA All-Star Game MVP

Alongside Washington legend Wes Unseld, Wilt Chamberlain is one of only two rookies to be named MVP of the NBA’s annual All-Star Game. In the 1960 contest, he scored 23 points and grabbed 25 rebounds.

10 time All-NBA Team

Chamberlain was named to 10 All-NBA Teams in his career and in nine consecutive seasons between 1960-1968. He made First Team seven times and Second Team on three other occasions.

2 time NBA All-Defensive First Team

Chamberlain’s two NBA All-Defensive team nods came in 1972 and 1973 with the Los Angeles Lakers, his two final professional seasons in which he averaged 18.9 rebounds per game.

1 time NBA Rookie of the Year

As a rookie with the Warriors, Chamberlain averaged 37.6 points, 27 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 72 games. In addition to the honor for first year players, he was also awarded All-Star Game MVP and NBA MVP, making him the only player to win all three in the same season.

7 time NBA Scoring Champion

All seven of Chamberlain’s scoring titles came in consecutive seasons, as he led the league in points from 1960-1966. The only other player to ever be the league’s scoring champion in seven straight seasons is Michael Jordan, who did it from 1986-1992.

11 time NBA Rebounding Champion

Wilt Chamberlain’s 11 rebounding crowns are the most in NBA history. The only other player who has ever accomplished the feat more than 6 times is Dennis Rodman, who won his seventh crown in 1997-98.

1 time NBA Assists Leader

Chamberlain’s two NBA All-Defensive team nods came in 1972 and 1973 with the Los Angeles Lakers, his two final professional seasons in which he averaged 18.9 rebounds per game.

NBA Anniversary Team

In October 1980, Chamberlain was named one of the 35 greatest players in NBA history to commemorate the league’s 35th anniversary. He has since been named to the 50th (1996) and 75th (2022) Anniversary teams, as well.

WILT'S 100 POINT GAME

On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain set the NBA's single-game scoring record by dropping a nice, round 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 victory over the New York Knicks. Played in Hershey, PA, the game was a home contest for Chamberlain and the Warriors, who often traveled to other parts of the state to attract more fans. He scored 23 points in the first frame and had 41 by halftime. After recording another 28 in the third quarter, and fans became aware of what they could witness, they began to chant, almost demanding that other members of the team “Give It To Wilt! Give It To Wilt!”

"The Big Dipper" scored his 100th point that night on an assist from Joe Ruklick with 46 seconds left in the game. Shooting 36-for-63 from the field and 28-for-32 from the foul line, Chamberlain annihilated his previous NBA scoring record of 78 points set less than three months earlier. Fans stormed the court and play was halted as Chamberlain went to the locker room. PR man Harvey Pollack scribbled “100” on a piece of paper and had Chamberlain hold it up for photographers, making for one of the most famous shots in basketball history.

Chamberlain’s Scoring by Period

Period	MIN	FGM	FGA	FTM	FTA	PTS
1	12	7	14	9	9	23
2	12	7	12	4	5	18
3	12	10	16	8	8	28
4	12	12	21	7	10	31
TOTALS	12	36	63	28	32	100

1 QTR

Min

FGM

FGA

FTM

FTA

PTS

2 QTR

Min

FGM

FGA

FTM

FTA

PTS

3 QTR

MIN

FGM

FGA

FTM

FTA

PTS

4 QTR

MIN

FGM

FGA

FTM

FTA

PTS

TOTALS

MIN

FGM

FGA

FTM

FTA

100

PTS

WILT CHAMBERLAIN'S TOP SCORING GAMES AS A PHILADELPHIA 76ER

68 PTS
Dec. 16, 1967: W – Philadelphia 76ers @ Chicago Bulls 143 - 123

65 PTS
Feb. 7, 1966: W – Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers 132 - 125

62 PTS
Mar. 3, 1966: W – Philadelphia 76ers vs. San Francisco Warriors 135 - 125

58 PTS
Feb. 13, 1967: W – Philadelphia 76ers vs. Cincinnati Royals 131 - 123

More 76ers Alumni

WILTCHAMBERLAIN

CAREER AVERAGES