In fact, so far this season, only three NBA teams have even managed to average more than 100 points. The closest anyone has come was when Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant posted 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006. Over the ensuing 50 years, even with the addition of three-point shots to NBA rules, his single-game point total still dwarfs those of other NBA greats–Michael Jordan (69), Shaquille O’Neal (61), Larry Bird (60), LeBron James (56), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (55) and Magic Johnson (46). Inside, the game earned all of three lines, two fewer than a roundup of the New York Knights of Columbus track meet.Ĭhamberlain died in 1999 at the age of 63, but his century mark is still basketball’s gold standard. “Sports Illustrated” featured a pair of Kentucky Derby favorites, not Chamberlain, on its cover. No New York beat writers were even there to cover the game. Surprisingly, at the time, Chamberlain’s epic performance wasn’t front-page news. He snapped the iconic image from the event: a black-and-white photograph of Chamberlain in the locker room with a sheepish smile on his face and a plain piece of copy paper held between his enormous hands inscribed with the number “100” that had been hastily scribbled by Warriors PR man Harvey Pollack.
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Luckily, Associated Press photographer Paul Vathis, who was in the stands as a fan, sensed history was in the making and retrieved his camera from his car. When Wilt Chamberlain switched to the underhand free throw style for a brief spell during the 196162 season, he made 61 percent of his attempts. Plus, there were only two photographers covering the game, one of whom left after the first quarter. That’s because there was no television coverage.
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He also regarded in all NBA as the most notable rival of another NBA icon Bill Russell.Ĭhamberlain and Russell battled each other during the formatting years of the NBA and to this day, both of them are considered as the first professional basketball superstars in the world.The enduring image of Chamberlain’s remarkable performance, however, isn’t footage of his record-setting basket or the fans flooding the court. How did Wilt Chamberlain fix his free-throw shooting Former Philadelphia and Warriors legend, Chamberlain, credits his increased free-throw shooting to peer pressure and not his. Essentially, it is a single-season points record that has never been broken. Nevertheless, Chamberlain still holds the record for most points in a game after scoring 100 in a 169-147 victory over the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962. During the 1962 basketball season, Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50.36 points per game. Looking back, Chamberlain could have put up 50 points per game during his prime for a couple more seasons if he had only settled for the underhanded shot. More importantly, he didn’t want basketball fans to make fun of him for the rest of his career. However, it is a bit evident that he probably didn’t want to be remembered for such an awful looking shot. Both Barry’s son, Canyon Barry, and Chinanu Onuaku are current G-League players who have used the underhand motion when shooting free throws. Gradually, it went back to his normal low 50’s to high 40’s range.Īs for the reason why he decided to go back to his normal shooting form, only Chamberlain knows. Additionally, Wilt Chamberlain’s best season in terms of free throw shooting percentage came when he used the underhand motion.
The following year, Chamberlain went back to shooting free throws normally and his percentage dropped down slightly to 59 percent.
Given the great success Rick Barry had shooting underhand free throws. However, he also had seven seasons where he shot under 50 percent.Īfter figuring out a way to improve his free-throw shooting, Chamberlain changed his shooting form and shot his free throws “underhanded.” To everybody’s surprise, the underhand tactic worked and in the 1961-62 season, the dominant big man shot 61 percent from the charity stripe.Īs a result, not only did Chamberlain’s free throw percentage improved, but he also averaged over 50 points per game in that specific season, which was his career-high and an NBA record. Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain made only 51.1 percent of the free throws he. In his prime, Chamberlain shot 51 percent from the free-throw line. While all those numbers were truly impressive, Chamberlain’s free-throw shooting is something that is not part of his legacy. He was also a four-time league MVP and secured two championships across his name. Overall, the Laker legend averaged 30 points and 22 rebounds per game. He also made the All-Star team 13 times and only missed one due to injury. However, there was something in Chamberlain’s game that kind of hindered him from making more history.Ĭhamberlain played for 14 seasons in the league. NBA icon Wilt Chamberlain almost changed the history with one major decision during his prime.Īfter all the NBA records he had set during his plating years, Chamberlain definitely belongs to the NBA’s GOAT list.