Wilton N. "Wilt" Chamberlain enshrined as a player in 1979

Wilton N. "Wilt" Chamberlain

Enshrined 1979
Born: August 21, 1936
Philadelphia, PA
Died: October 12, 1999

Big, strong, fearsome, and determined, few athletes have matched the fantastic abilities of Wilt Chamberlain. An offensive force who could single-handedly take over a game, "Wilt the Stilt" is one of a select few to have scored more than 30,000 points in an NBA career. A legend at famed Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, Chamberlain was the most coveted schoolboy recruit in the country. At Kansas, he led the Jayhawks to the 1957 NCAA Finals. Chamberlain's skills were so far beyond his competitors that rule changes were enacted to harness his awesome abilities. When Chamberlain left the NBA in 1973, he had won two championships: one with the Philadelphia 76ers (1967) and one with the Los Angeles Lakers (1972). Chamberlain held many records: he scored 50 or more points 118 times, 60 or more points 32 times, and is the NBA's all-time rebounding leader with 23,924. Although his accomplishments were often credited to his tremendous size, Chamberlain was a talented athlete who possessed exceptional speed, agility, stamina, and strength.