The Wilt Chamberlain You Don’t Know
Thursday was Wilt Chamberlain Day in his hometown of Philadelphia
This week, our latest documentary Goliath was released on Showtime and Paramount+. It’s a definitive look at the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, who famously scored 100 points in a game and slept with—he claims—20,000 women. We talked to childhood friends, teammates, fans—everyone from Pat Riley to Kevin Garnett. “My best guess is you have certain preconceptions about me,” Chamberlain once said. “My guess is, too, that your preconceptions are wrong.” After three episodes exploring the man behind the legend, I think you’ll agree.
Before he was the most talented player the sport of basketball had ever seen, he was one of 11 children growing up in West Philadelphia. On Thursday, in conjunction with the premier of Goliath, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney officially proclaimed July 13 as Wilt Chamberlain Day in Wilt’s hometown.
When I think of Wilt, I think of Los Angeles and the Harlem Globetrotters, even Lawrence, Kansas where he played in college for the Jayhawks; Philadelphia isn’t the first place that I associate with him. But before he became known for his dazzling play and flamboyant lifestyle, Wilt was a 7’1” teenager in Philly. When he walked down the street, people would gawk and exclaim, “Golly!”
In those days, Wilt wasn’t the suave celebrity that he would become later in life. He had a stutter, so he kept quiet in school. He was so tall and drew so much attention that he simply retreated inward. At nights, he would climb onto the roof of the family’s garage and watch the stars. Even back then, they called him, “Wilt the Stilt,” but he preferred the nickname, “Dipper,” like the constellation that spread across the sky.
When Wilt stepped on a basketball court for the first time, his sister says, it was like he became a new person. The stutter stopped. When the crowd cheered for him, he “tingled all over.” He scored 90 points in one game and won back-to-back championships. “There had never been a high school athlete who had gotten the attention that Wilt Chamberlain did,” legendary sportswriter Bob Ryan says in the film.
There was still one thing Wilt couldn’t do, though: he got flustered whenever he talked to girls. “He wasn’t a lover boy in those days,” his sister says in the first episode. He never had a girlfriend and never went to prom. But there’s one story in the documentary that left me floored and helped me understand the Wilt Chamberlain who grew up in Philly—the one who, one day, would have the entire city celebrating him.
Once during Wilt’s sophomore year of high school, his coach pulled one of Wilt’s closest friends aside.
“Do you know of any girls who can dance with this guy?” the coach asked.
The friend asked another friend to dance with Wilt. She said yes. And so, the coach arranged for his star player to have the gym to himself, door closed so that nobody could look in and laugh at the awkward giant. The two teenagers danced across the gym on this blind date. Or tried to, at least. Wilt stumbled through, nervous, reaching down from 7 feet above and tripping over his own feet.
He would find his footing soon enough.
⚾ Ahead of the MLB All-Star Game, we made a special with The Kid Mero for Fox Sports, counting down the greatest moments in All-Star Game history. Featuring guest appearances from Torii Hunter and Cal Ripken, Jr. this one is a whole lot of fun. Watch the replay here.
🔥 For the New York Times Magazine, Will Harrison details how he improved his writing by…watching Pedro Martinez pitch? I loved this essay.
🏏 Cricket is a huge deal across the world. A new league, which launched this week, is hoping to bring “Major League Cricket” to the States. This D Magazine story will tell you everything you need to know.
🇺🇦 Elina Svitolina lost in the semifinals of Wimbledon this week. But she’s still the story of the tournament. The Ukranian gave birth just nine months ago and only got into the tournament via wild card. Read more about her in this excellent Wall Street Journal piece. “I think having a child, and war, made me a different person,” Svitolina said.
⚽ The most exciting league in sports right now is the USL, which functions as a minor league for MLS. This week, team owners voted in favor of adopting a promotion and relegation system. FINALLY!
