Great Wilt Chamberlain example essay topic

Wilt Chamberlain, in all fairness to Michael Jordan, was undoubtedly the best basketball player ever. As a freshman in high school, he was an unimaginable 6 feet 11 inches tall (Lap chick 254)! He was an All-American basketball player under coach Cecil Mosenson not even playing his senior year, and an All-American track and field participant, setting the Philadelphia high-jump record at 7 feet 1 inch. As do most high school stand outs, Chamberlain was offered full rides from numerous colleges including Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky and many more. As it turned out he would decide to go to Kansas. His first game at Kansas set the tone for the rest of his magnificent career, scoring 52 points and pulling 18 rebounds.

Two of his three years he was named All-American. Though, after his junior year at Kansas, he left for the NBA Draft, but because he did not graduate from college, he had to wait a year to play professionally. So, he played one year for the showboating Harlem Globetrotters. After this season, Wilt Chamberlain would start one of the most productive, memorable, and controversial careers in professional sports history by performing as a professional athlete, motivating young African Americans, changing the game for future generations, and above all, giving to those less fortunate than himself. In 1959, he began his career with the Philadelphia Warriors.

Right away, he made a huge impact on the game. Because Wilt Chamberlain played the game he loved with so much integrity; the fans couldn't help but get into it with him. During his rookie season, he increased fan support by over 23%, a feat that not even the second best player to ever play the game, Michael Jordan, could accomplish (Libby 23). With this fan increase and astonishing play during his rookie season, not only did he win Rookie of the Year, but also league MVP.

He did this by matching up with some of the premier players in the league, such as Boston Celtic's center, Bill Russell. These two competitors and fierce rivals battled back and forth for the better part of 10 seasons, setting NBA records in rebounds, points, and probably blocked shots (even though they weren't recorded during their time). He also made the league enforce a few new rules. Chamberlain would grab the ball right above the rim on defense, forcing the league to make a new rule referring to him, defensive goaltending. Also, he would stand in the lane for seconds at a time and score uncontested, so, the league created another new rule, three seconds in the key. "Wilt shattered virtually every scoring record in his first few years in the league.

In the process of doing that, he rendered statistics irrelevant. So when Wilt scored 70 point in a game, no one paid attention. That was Wilt being Wilt", says veteran NBA writer, Leonard Kopp ett, "he had so many records that they began to lose meaning" ("Chamberlain, Wilton N". ). This one quote shows the importance of Wilt's presence in the NBA.

He was such a great player that people expected him to score 70 points in a game, they expected him to pull down 20 rebounds, and they expected him to win. Wilt Chamberlain's performance during his NBA career motivated younger African American athletes to participate in all sports, not only basketball ("Basketball: Professional"). What most people forget about Wilt is that he was an amazing all-around athlete. He turned down offers to become a professional football player and a professional boxer.

Wilt Chamberlain, along side with Mohammed Ali, were inspirational athletes for young African Americans everywhere ("Chamberlain 1936"). Not only did Wilt Chamberlain motivate, but he also revolutionized the way the game was played. Before Chamberlain, there were no powerful centers in the league, only guards who won games with passing and shooting. Wilt Chamberlain was one of the first big men to dominate a game, and once scored an unbelievable 100 points in a game. Now, it's the big men who dominate.

Look at all of the championship teams these past few years. Tim Duncan / David Robinson for the San Antonio Spurs, and, of course, Shaquille O'Neal for the Los Angeles Lakers. Also, that is why the West is the dominant conference in the NBA. They have bigger and better centers; Tim Duncan, Shaq, Amare Stoudimire, and others. The East has no good center, and that's why they will never win an NBA championship. If not for Wilt Chamberlain, big men may not be as dominating as they are today and the game would be won at the guard position.

Although, Wilt Chamberlain didn't just revolutionize the game of basketball, he helped with the reconstruction of the slums of cities. During his career, he gave a lot of money to schools within the Delaware Valley and Harlem, and started his own charity, The Wilt Chamberlain Foundation. He gave a good name to himself and to the game of basketball, and gained respect from the people of America. Although, later in life, he would encounter many problems, like child custody lawsuits, and questioning about his career that was coming to an abrupt end. His former coach, Joe Mulla ney, had once said, "I've seen Wilt on television and he's just not the same guy. Sharman (Wilt's new coach) has Wilt playing like Russell" (Mel Florence).

To Wilt, this must have been a big blow, especially since it came from his mentor. What he meant by saying he was playing like Russell is that he was playing a more defensive game than offensive game. Wilt was always accustomed to being the head scorer, but that role was passed down to L.A. point guard Jerry West. Wilt's career would soon end as a basketball player, but his reputation as a great man would go on for the rest of his life.

Wilt Chamberlain should be looked at as a well-rounded professional athlete, a motivator for young African Americans, one who changed how the game was played, and one who gave to those less fortunate than himself. Before Wilt's death on October 12, 1999, people didn't look at him as a great man; they looked at him as just a basketball player. David Stern, commissioner of the NBA, said this quote after Wilt's death, "We " ve lost a giant of a man in every sense of the word. The shadow of accomplishment he cast over our game is unlikely ever to be matched" ("Wilt Chamberlain").

This quote suits the great Wilt Chamberlain perfectly. His accomplishments are never going to be matched on the court, let alone off it. The words, "shadow of accomplishment", don't only mean one of the 50 greatest basketball players of all time, but one of the greatest contributors of all time. If not for Wilt's uprightness on and off the basketball court, the game would never be as great as it is to this day.