"We'd go into a dressing room and see a box score from the night before where Wilt had 55 or 60 points.  No one would think twice about it.  Getting 50-some points, or even 60-some, wasn't news when Wilt did it."

--Kevin Loughery, Tall Tales (by Terry Pluto)  p. 326

"Wilt is playing better than I used to -- passing off, coming out to set up screens, picking up guys outside, and sacrificing himself for team play."

-- Bill Russell, Great Moments in Pro Basketball, (by Sam Goldaper) p.24

"The first time I guarded Wilt, I stood behind him and he was so wide that I couldn't  see the rest of the game.  Then I saw him dunk a ball so hard that it hit the court and bounced straight up back through the rim again."

--Bob Ferry, Tall Tales (by Terry Pluto)  p. 326

"One-on-one he [Wilt] would've murdered Russell and everyone.  But playing five-on-five, Wilt was consigned to a specific role because of his ability to score so easily, whereas the Celtics fit Russell into their team concept better."

--Red Holzman, A View form the Bench, p. 78

"The greatest play I've ever seen was one of the last games of the 1966-67 season and were playing Baltimore.  We [Philadelphia] were going for the best record in NBA history.  There was a play earlier in the game where Gus Johnson had dunked one over Wilt. Gus was a very strong player.  I weighed 220 pounds, and with one hand Gus could push me out of the lane.  The man was a physical specimen [6-foot-6, 230 pounds], all muscle.  He loved to dunk and was a very colorful player.  When he slammed it on Wilt, he really threw it down, and you could tell that Wilt didn't like it one bit.
        Later in the game, Gus was out on the fast break, and the only man between him and the basket was Wilt.  He was goin to dunk on Wilt--again.  Gus cupped the ball and took off--he had a perfect angle for a slam.  Wilt went up and with one hand he grabbed the ball--cleanly!  Then he took the ball and shoved it right back into Gus, drilling Gus into the floor with the basketball.
        Gus was flattened and they carried him out.  It turned out that Gus Johnson was the only player in NBA history to suffer a dislocated shoulder from a blocked shot."

--Billy Cunningham, Tall Tales (by Terry Pluto)  p. 236

"I still remember the time when one of our strongest men, Gene Conley, decided to fight Chamberlain for the ball.  He grabbed it and hung on and Chamberlain just lifted him and ball right up towards the rim."

-- Bill Russell Go up For Glory, p.126.

"I have great respect for Wilt.  When I was with the Lakers, he never missed a practice or a game, or was late for a plane.  If I asked him to make an appearance, he did it.  This man has gone through life with a bad rap.  We are talking about a very good person."

--Fred Schaus, Tall Tales (by Terry Pluto)  p. 334

--Wayne Embry (GM for the Cleveland Cavaliers), Tall Tales (by Terry Pluto)  p. 327

[Carl Braun said] "He [Wilt] disorganizes you under the basket the same way [as Bill Russell, on defense].  With Wilt, of course, there's that offense on top of it, which is better than Russell's.  He hit on all those jumpers."
        "Yes, Wilt hit on those jumpers...Wilt did come into the league with a good touch from the outside, which made his early scoring that much more significant.  He wasn't just dunking the ball then."

--Red Holzman.  A View from the Bench.  P.70

-- Bill Russell, Go up For Glory  p.100.

"I had a habit of getting a running start toward the boards on every shot.  Wilt used to zone it up and he'd be standing under the basket on most possessions.  After I had run up his back a couple of times on made shots, Wilt gave me an ultimatum with that deep, deep voice.
        'Tamjanovich, don't come in here anymore.'
        'Wilt, I've got to do my job,' I responded.
        Let me just say that I didn't make that statement with a lot of conviction.  After all, I happened to be talking to one of the strongest men in the world.  Late in the game, I went barreling in to grab a loose ball.  Wilt grabbed my arm and was called for a foul.  As I was starting downcourt, Wilt wouldn't let my arm go.  He spun me around and said, 'I told you not to come in here anymore.'
        At that tenuous juncture, I threw a finger up into Wilt's face and he let me go.  When I got back to the bench, everybody was saying how great it was that I had stood up to Wilt.
        But what I was really saying--and I never told my teammates this--was, "Please give me one more chance."

--Rudy Tomjanovich, A Rocket at Heart, p. 77

--Walt Frazier (Knicks broadcaster and hall of fame player), Walt Frazer:  One Magical Season and a Basketball Life.  (written in 1988),  pp. 162-63.

"Once Wilt got upset with me and dunked the ball so hard it went through the rim with such force that it broke my toe as it hit the floor."

--Johnny Kerr, Tall Tales (by Terry Pluto)  p. 237

"I call Wilt Chamberlain a very honest workman.  By that, I mean he always did what his employer wanted.  No star athlete has ever given his boss more for the money than Wilt did during his career.  Eddie Gottlieb [owner of the Warriors] wanted Wilt to score like no man ever had, so Wilt did.  [Alex] Hannum and some of his other coaches wantedhim to pass and play defense, so he did that and he played 48 minutes a night.  Those who criticized Wilt -- first for his scoring, then for not scoring more -- really should have criticized his employer."

--Leonard Koppett, Tall Tales (by Terry Pluto)  p. 329

"I said, 'Wilt isn't such a tough guy.  I can guard him.'  He backed me down and dunked the ball.  And I was so far under the basket, and he dunked it so hard, that the ball came through the net and hit me in the forehead twice!  Bang!  So I said, 'You know, I think he is that great.'

--Spencer Haywood, The NBA at 50  p.169

"When I coached the San Francisco Warriors, I thought Al Attles was the fastest guy on our team--by far.  We used to gamble a lot--which player could jump the highest and run the fastest.  So I set up a series of races, baseline to baseline.   In the finals, it was Wilt and Al Attles and Wilt just blew past him.  I'm convinced that Wilt Chamberlain is one of the greatest all-around athletes the world has ever seen."

--Alex Hannum, Tall Tales (by Terry Pluto)  p. 327

--Darrell Imhoff, the starting opposing center the night Wilt scored 100 points.

--'Easy' Ed MacAuley

--Al Attles, Tall Tales (by Terry Pluto)  p. 242

[Think about that the next time you see opponents get whistled for breathing on Michael Jordan]

--Dan Issel

-- Johnny Kerr