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| | Wednesday, October 13 | |||||
Associated Press | ||||||
| When he first began playing basketball, Wilt Chamberlain was
always the biggest, strongest guy on the court. Then he got to the
NBA and found Bill Russell.
Russell was about 3 inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter, but he
rose to the challenge of the bigger man. And through the years,
their rivalry became every bit as intense and memorable as any in
sports.
They would post up under the boards, each leaning on the other,
trying to establish a foothold, a match of strength and will. Then
they would move to the other end of the court and resume their
battle.
This was basketball's version of Nicklaus vs. Palmer, Williams
vs. DiMaggio, Ali vs. Frazier, Evert vs. Navratilova -- an
unforgettable rivalry that defined the individuals and left an
indelible mark on their sport.
And with the intensity of their showdowns, the NBA grew in
stature.
When word of Chamberlain's death reached Russell, he felt a
profound loss.
"I feel unspeakably injured," he said in a statement Wednesday.
"I've lost a dear and exceptional friend and an important part of
my life. Our relationship was intensely personal.
"Many have called our competition the greatest rivalry in the
history of sports. We didn't have a rivalry; we had a genuinely
fierce competition that was based on friendship and respect. We
just loved playing against each other. The fierceness of the
competition bonded us as friends for eternity. We loved
competition. Wilt loved competition."
When Chamberlain arrived in the NBA in 1959 with the
Philadelphia Warriors, Russell was three years ahead of him, having
joined the Boston Celtics in 1956. Almost immediately, the rivalry
took root.
Over the years, they played 49 regular-season games, with
Russell's Celtics holding a 29-20 edge. His teams also beat
Chamberlain twice in NBA Finals -- 1964 when Boston downed San
Francisco 4-1 and 1969 when the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles
Lakers 4-3.
Statistically, Chamberlain held the edge. He averaged 25.7
points and 28 rebounds in games against Russell while the Celtics
center averaged 14.9 points and 24.7 rebounds.
Chamberlain set the record for rebounds in a game with 55
against Russell on Nov. 24, 1960 and then set the playoff record
for rebounds with 41 against him April 5, 1967.
"Wilt was the greatest offensive player I have ever seen,"
Russell said. "I've seen none better. Because his talents and
skills were so super human, his play forced me to play at my
highest level. If I didn't, I'd risk embarrassment and our team
would likely lose.
"Out of respect for Wilt and Wilt's family, I'd rather not say
much more at this time, other than I'm going to dearly miss my
friend Wilton Norman Chamberlain."
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Chamberlain's career statistics
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