Tag: Wilt Chamberlain

Celtics champ, broadcaster Cedric Maxwell counters Dr. J’s all-time great list with his own

With the 2023 NBA offseason here in full swing, a fair amount of attention tends to turn toward the history of the league.

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With the 2023 NBA offseason here in full swing, a fair amount of attention tends to turn toward the history of the league in the absence of new deeds to analyze on the court or in roster construction. And in the wake of Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving putting out an all-time list of NBA greats, others have started to do the same.

Among them are former Boston Celtics championship forward and current broadcaster Cedric Maxwell broke down his list compared to Dr. J’s on his eponymous CLNS Media podcast with cohost Josue Pavon. The names on Erving’s list are Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor along with more modern era players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Karl Malone.

To hear who Maxwell put on his all-time great list, check out the clip embedded below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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1972 Wilt Chamberlain game-worn jersey expected to auction for $4 million

A jersey worn by Lakers great Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals will be auctioned off soon, and it will go for a ton of money.

It may be hard to believe, but after the Los Angeles Lakers arrived in Southern California in 1960, they had a lot of trouble winning the NBA championship.

Over the next 10 seasons, they reached the championship series seven times, only to lose each time. On four of those occasions, they fell in Game 7, making their defeat feel all the more heartbreaking.

But in 1968, the Lakers traded for Wilt Chamberlain, and he helped them finally get over the hump. In 1972, he teamed with Jerry West to lead them to their first world championship since coming to town, as they defeated the New York Knicks in five games during the NBA Finals.

A jersey worn by Chamberlain during that fifth game at The Forum is going to be auctioned later this summer, and it is reportedly expected to fetch a truckload of money (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via Associated Press:

“Collectibles broker Sotheby’s expects Wilt Chamberlain’s 1972 NBA Finals jersey to sell for more than $4 million in an upcoming auction,” the Associated Press wrote.

“Sotheby’s calls the jersey Chamberlain wore in the championship-clinching Game 5 victory over the New York Knicks the most valuable piece of his memorabilia ever to appear on the market. The current record sale for a Chamberlain sports memorabilia item is $1.79 million in June 2023. It was for a jersey worn his rookie season with the Philadelphia Warriors.”

Chamberlain, who died in 1999, scored 24 points and 29 rebounds in that Game 5, which helped earn him series MVP honors.

The 1971-72 season was effectively a catharsis for all the pent-up agony the Lakers and their fans had experienced over the past decade. Chamberlain and crew won a then-record 69 regular-season games, which included a 33-game winning streak, still a league record.

That season served as the foundation for all the dynastic success the franchise has achieved ever since.

Celtics legend Kevin Garnett, And1 icon The Professor pick their all-time starting five

They also discuss the athleticism and skills of players from different eras.

When it comes to Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Kevin Garnett and And1 street ball legend The Professor, you would be hard-pressed to find two greater scholars of the game of basketball.

In a recent episode of the Showtime Basketball “KG Certified” podcast, the duo discussed their all-time NBA starting five teams and reflect on the evolution of the game. KG selected a team consisting of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Shaquille O’Neal, while The Professor went more old school with Allen Iverson, Kobe, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for his squad.

They also discuss the athleticism and skills of players from different eras, recognizing the physicality and underestimated abilities of past generations.

To hear the logic behind each of their selections and their talk about how the league has changed over the decades, check out the clip embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Boston HoFer Kevin Garnett on Wilt Chamberlain, Victor Wembanyama

The Big Ticket had some words about Wemby and Wilt both.

There are few players in the history of the game who have shaped the path of the Boston Celtics like Wilt Chamberlain, a Hall of Fame big man who played for both of the Celtics’ biggest rivals in the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers on his way to a GOAT-level career in the league.

And with a new documentary making the rounds via Showtime Basketball, fellow Hall of Famer and former Celtic Kevin Garnett weighed in on the impact Chamberlain had on the game. Garnett sees some similarities between himself and Chamberlain, but also with incoming NBA wunderkind Victor Wembanyama, who the Big Ticket had some advice for.

To hear more of KG’s thoughts on Wilt and Wemby both, check out the clip embedded below courtesy of Boston Globe reporter Gary Washburn’s personal YouTube channel.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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A complete Game 7 history for Sixers before matchup with Celtics

Here is a complete list of the Game 7 history for the Philadelphia 76ers before their matchup with the Boston Celtics.

The Philadelphia 76ers will head back to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The winner will head to the Eastern Conference finals and continue on their journey for an NBA championship.

The Sixers have not gotten past Round 2 since the Allen Iverson days of 2001 while the Celtics have reached the conference finals four times since 2017. Sunday promises to be another whirlwind of twists and turns as the Sixers look to finally advance past the semifinals.

In this franchise’s history, the Sixers have competed in 17 Game 7s. They went 1-2 when they were still the Syracuse Nationals and they are 5-9 as the Sixers. In this edition, Sixers Wire will focus on just the 14 Game 7s as the Sixers.

Complete list of five Sixers who have taken home the MVP award

Here is a complete list of the 5 Philadelphia 76ers players who have won the MVP award.

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the proud franchises in the NBA. Plenty of great players have represented the franchise and made their fair share of history.

More team history has happened in 2023. Joel Embiid was named the MVP of the league for the first time in his career. The big fella led the league in scoring for the second consecutive season at 33.1 points per game, and he scored 50-plus points in a game three times during the 2022-23 season.

Embiid earned 73 first-place votes. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic had 15, and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had 12.

Embiid is the fifth player in Sixers’ history to win the MVP award and the first since Allen Iverson in 2001. The following is a list of the five players who have taken home the MVP award in the storied history of the Sixers:

Immanuel Quickley joined NBA history with his outrageous performance in Monday’s Knicks win

New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley made HISTORY on Monday night.

New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley had one of the best games that the franchise has ever seen on Monday night.

During the team’s 137-115 home win over the Houston Rockets, Quickley became the Knicks’ first player since Nate Robinson in 2010 to score 40 points, record five-plus assists and shoot for 75 percent during the game, per ESPN.

He’s only the fifth New York player to accomplish this feat.

Quickley also joined NBA history in an elite group of players to have such a night (40-plus points, nine-plus assists, more than 77-percent shooting). His name will now be listed alongside basketball legends like Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

The Knicks are a definite factor in the Eastern Conference, and Quickley’s incredible evening only boosts the team’s 2023 playoff momentum.

After the game, Quickley talked about how nervous he was to knock down the two free throws that gave him his first 40-point game.

You can tell how excited he was to have such a historic night at Madison Square Garden in front of the home crowd.

The crowd clearly appreciated Quickley’s performance and gave him “MVP” chants toward the end of the game. He also got plenty of love from the Knicks bench.

Talk about a historic night for one of New York’s best players.

Darvin Ham had the corniest nickname for Anthony Davis after carrying the bumbling Lakers

Davis deserves a better nickname for carrying the Lakers.

With LeBron James sidelined for the time being, the Lakers have needed a hero to step up in his absence in a tight Western Conference playoff race. (Never mind James’ critical commentary while watching from afar.)

That’s been Anthony Davis thus far, who has started to play at an elite level again.

After dropping 30 points and 22 rebounds on the Memphis Grizzlies in a 112-103 win, Davis has been on an absolute tear. Since coming back from the All-Star Break, Davis has five games of at least 28 points, and he’s recorded 81 rebounds in six games (a 13.5 average).

As Davis leads the Lakers and potentially keeps them afloat long enough for James to carry them to the finish line later this month, head coach Darvin Ham shared that he had a nickname for the forward.

It was fitting, yes, but it was also so, so corny:

Get it? Because Davis is stuffing the stat sheet like big-man great Wilt Chamberlain once did? Ha … ha.

In all seriousness, the ninth-seeded Lakers will need Davis to continue channeling Chamberlain. Their next six games feature games against just two teams with winning records — the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. That seems like a prime opportunity for him to continue dominating.

Who knows? Maybe Davis’ ongoing heroics will be enough for James and Co. to sneak into the Western Conference postseason.

The peak GOATs: Ranking the NBA’s best at their best

HoopsHype ranks 25 of the NBA’s GOATS in order of best five-year peaks, as judged by Global Rating and a panel of voters.

After LeBron James beat the scoring record, many started calling him the Longevity GOAT, some in a complimentary manner, others as a way to cop out from calling him the actual GOAT. (For what it’s worth, we still have Michael Jordan first in our own GOAT rankings, but it’s certainly not as easy of a decision as it once was.)

So that got us thinking about which of the NBA’s GOATs had the best five-year peak in NBA history, something we are going to take a look at today.

To determine when exactly each player’s peak took place, we used our own Global Rating Metric and went by each player’s best five continuous seasons.

Afterward, we used a panel of our writers and editors to vote on which five-year peaks by NBA legends were the best.

No. 1 might not come as a surprise but there are some very interesting results on the following list.

LeBron James perfectly recreated Wilt Chamberlain’s legendary picture after getting scoring record

What a PERFECT tribute to a legend!

Tuesday night was a momentous one for LeBron James after he officially surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA’s all-time scoring record.

He got to celebrate with his sons Bronny and Bryce (after asking them for their approval). He dropped an uncensored f-bomb after breaking the record. He even had former rival Paul Pierce praising him for the accomplishment.

But still, knowing James, he probably wanted to find another unique way to honor his achievement properly. He did just that when he wrote “38,390” (his number of points) on a blank white card. It was a nod to Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain’s iconic “100” photo commemorating the evening he apparently scored 100 points against the Golden State Warriors in early March 1962.

As captured by the NBA Twitter account, James’ homage to Chamberlain is absolute gold:

Wow, that is awesome. Kudos to anyone who thought of this idea (James probably included). A historic night for basketball was definitely made a little sweeter with this nod to Chamberlain.