Chamberlain in modern NBA?

If Wilt Chamberlain was playing in the modern NBA (mid 90s to present) how well do you think he'd be doing? Stats, championships, comparisons to current players, etc. I doubt he'd be averaging 25 rebounds per game since he's no longer gigantically taller than the rest, but my guess is that he'd be around the performance of David Robinson in his prime...?

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Wilt had the stamina to average 46 min/game over his entire career. He averaged OVER 48 minutes a game in 1962, only sitting out EIGHT MINUTES of the ENTIRE SEASON (he was ejected after receiving two technical fouls)... but because of overtime minutes played, he averaged 48.5 min/game that year.

No one in the NBA today (or in the 90s) could keep up with him physically.

Olajuwon, Shaq, guys like that literally only had one year in which they averaged even 40 min per game... it would be a joke watching them trying to keep up with Wilt.

Wilt had a vertical of about 60 inches... there are several famous photos of him incollege(he was a track and field star for the University of Kansas in addition to his basketball achievements, and he set a number of NCAA track and field records), and these photos typically show him 55 to 60 inches off the ground, just from a standing jump. No one who's come along since has been able to leap like that...at least, no centers have been able to do that.

Typically, the only people to defeat him in track and field events were guys who went on to the Olympics.

Chamberlain's ball handling skills were such that he was good enough to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.

Wilt was also the only center ever to LEAD THE NBA IN ASSISTS. No other non-guard has ever done that. He had the only 20-20-20 triple double in history. He's been retired for 35 years and still has more 60 point games than everyone else in the history of the NBA combined.

It would be hilarious watching guys like Zdrunis Ilgauskas and Eddy Curry try to keep up with him... most centers would foul out by half time.

Wilt used to work out with the Terminator when Arnold first came to the US... Wilt got his bench press up to over 500 lbs... even when he was 59 years old, he could still bench 465, which is more than Shaq could do now...

The combination of his stamina, enormous physical strength, leaping ability, timing and knowledge of the game would make him by far the best center in the NBA today.

And he would easily lead the league in rebounding, as well as blocked shots.

btw, at 7'1, Wilt didn't play against a lot of guys that were a foot shorter than him... the NBA didn't have players under 6 feet in the 1960s, and only Calvin Murphy (at 5'8 or 5'9) made a name for himself in the 70s... of course, Murphy is a hall of famer, not a side show like Spud Webb, Nate Robinson and Muggsy Bogues.

It's TODAY'S 7 footers that play in a league with guys a foot shorter... ask Yao Ming, who's had his shot blocked by 5'9 Nate Robinson... trust me, Robinson wouldn't get anywhere NEAR Wilt's shots.

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thanks! Wilt's book "A View from Above" shows him hanging in the air ab. 54 inches off the ground (photo from hiscollegedays, he's jumping straight up next to a 7' high bar)... really, people don't have a clue as to Wilt's explosive leaping ability before his knee blew out in the 69-70 season. Report It


Wilt could take a quarter off the TOP of the backboard...it wasn't like he could just dunk on a 12 foot rim. Howard is not close to Wilt as an athlete, even though he's a beast himself. Report It


And of course, rebounding has nothing to do with height...Wallace, Barkley, Rodman...Michael Cage... Where's Yao, Ilgauskas and those guys on the list of yearly rebound leaders?

Anyway, thanks, and have a good one! Report It


Unfortunately the b-ball books I had as a kid showing Wilt's ability to get up in the air are no longer in print... Even his 1st book, "Wilt" shows him skying over Zelmo Beaty, although he's not 55 inches off the ground in that particular pic.. but he might have been before the pic was snapped. Report It


he would still be great. only a handfull of centers have been truly great. he is one.
Hed probably be like a david robinson, tim duncan or patrick ewing, so hed be pretty good, not quite as good as shaq in his prime.
wilt would be a thinner quicker better leaper than shaq and everyone loves the shaq so he would average 26-30 points a game if shaq was unstopable in the paint think about a big man in great shape but neither one could hit a free throw too bad the way back machine is broken it would be worth watching
he still will be great because as a center the guy was extremely tallented but the numbers would have gone down like RPG to something like 15RPG and he would not have put up as many points aswell since there more compitent players in today's league but i still think he would be like shaq in his prime
At least that good. Also he was bull strong, meaning he would've gotten most of the rebounds if not all.

His free throws would've been par with Shaq. Da boy didn't like 'em.
He'd still be a great player but he wouldn't have had a 100 point game,average 50 ppg for a season,or have 25 rpg for the season. He was bigger then everyone else at that time. I think it's unfair to give him all those records.
He would still be amazing probably he could still definitely lead the league in points, rebounds, FG %, and blocks. 30points per game 16 rebounds per game 65% or better and probably close to four blocks a game. Easily the best center in the league. If he has some good guards around him the would win at least 3 championships.
Chamberlain in modern NBA???

How dare compare him with David Robinson.???

Robinson was a soft player, but although it is true that was and is a gentleman outside of the court and is concerned about the community, and ok... he is an example for everyone.

But Wilt Chamberlain was and will be the best player in the history of the league, was a dominant force in all sectors of the court.

Remember that led the league in points, rebounds and, more surprisingly, also in assists.

So if it is true that a game was very different from today, but if we talk about statistics, I think it would be averaging ...

40ppg. 20rpg. 9apg. 7bpg.

More or less.

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Chamberlain would have been good in the modern NBA, he wouldnt be completely unstoppable, but would have been a powerful force in the newer NBA
30 ppg

10 rpg

2 bpg

1 spg

.436 fg