His vertical was most likely about 36” based on the available video evidence. It’s possible he has the highest vertical of all seven footers but there’s no chance his vertical was anywhere near the highest in NBA history. Stop being silly.
The Philadelphia Warriors measured his max reach with a running start. We know this fact, because Wilt Chamberlain Archives produced a video in 2013. He was either able to touch 12'9 or 13', depending on the source. Which means, he needed 42.6" to reach 13'! That's incredible for a man of of size, since no other man over 7 feet has a vertical over 40 inches. Also, Chamberlain competed in running events, shot put and jumping in HS (high jumping in NCAA). The Public League Track Championships (HS) has Wilt winning the high jump in 1953 and 1955. In contest, his best jump was 6'6.75". Which was incredible. To give a a perspective, Bill Russell was amongst the best jumper while he was in the NCAA and he cleared 6'9.25"!
In a February 1960s article in a magazine called, "Look Magazine" there was a feature on a young Wilt Chamberlain, how he would impact the league, and how the refs would have to change the way they apply the rules towards him, particularly in allowing illegal zone defense to be used against him. It goes on to say, "From a flat-footed stance, Chamberlain can reach 9 feet 6. He can make a standing jump 3 feet nine. At the top of his jump, he can reach 13 feet 3, or 3 feet 3 above the upper edge of the basket rim. So we've got to give the defense more than average leeway to cope with him." This was as he was entering the league, but if correct would clock his verticle at 45 inches. Whether or not you believe he improved his athletic abilities from his rookie year onward would determine where you have his max verticle.
As a diehard wilt fan I still think a 48-50 is reaching a little too much. However I do think it was probably around 40-42 which even then is 🥜🥜. He could still likely get the top of the backboard with a 42 inch vert!
@@minisange1 That is from a flat footed stance. By comparison, Michael Jordan was measured and documented in a study at an elevation of 36 inches at the top of his standing vertical jump. Michael went 46" at the top of his running vertical. If Wilt was really going 45" at the top of his standing vertical, then over 50" seems almost certain on his running vertical.
I saw Wilt, on TV, in 1962 or so, do a halftime exhibition where they put a 50 cent piece on top of the left corner of the backboard, and Wilt picked it off on the first try. Wilt also palmed a ball and jumped and put it through the hoop all the way up to his armpit and pulled it out within the same motion. He did this twice. I never saw another human pick a coin off of the top of the backboard, or put an arm into the rim up to the armpit. I was only 12 years old when I saw this, so I didn't realize how special these feats were. I know now. The game has evolved. The players have evolved. But Wilt, as a pure athlete, could do what no other human has done, then or now. And he had the lungs and stamina to play an entire season and never sit out a minute of game time, all while traveling on trains and planes within the by bycommercial schedules. No team owned a plane. I'm not sure if another superstar, including guys like Jordan, LeBron, or Shaq, could average 50 points and 25 rebounds per game for an entire season even if you put them on an NBA team in 1962. I doubt they'd have the lung stamina to do it. Shaq tried going 48 minutes every game with Phil Jackson as coach and lasted about 8 games before he asked Phil to let him call it quits with that. Bottom line, Wilt was a genetic freak of nature.
Wilt was great but let´s not act like today nobody could touch the top of the backboard: look what Obi Toppin who is 6.9 tall (MUCH shorter than Wilt) just did last month: ruclips.net/video/N0a2B8a2VF4/видео.html
Vince Carter said in high school he was able to get a coin off the top of the backboard. He did admit that he couldn't get a dollar bill and leave change at the same time (like the legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault) - he tried but never could do it.
Wilt was a freakishly large person for his era and gifted with insane athletic ability. That picture of him suspended in the air in the high jump where he's 4 feet off the ground just kind of looking over the bar is insane. That really shows how high he could get up. Him and Lebron are probably the two most freakishly incredible raw athletes to play in the NBA when you're just talking about size and athletic ability.
@@FoxUnitNell He had to reconsider his strategy in order to do it; normally, Wilt waited for the player to shoot, then jumped afterwards, avoiding the possibility of a foul and letting his athleticism compensate for the delayed timing. However, with Lew / Kareem, the release point was high enough that he had to do what everybody else was doing and anticipate the shot.
All I know is that Wilt made one of the two most incredible plays I saw in my over 65 years of watching the NBA & ABA. Toward the end of his last season, 1973, I watched Wilt's Lakers play Pistol Pete's Hawks in Atlanta. Very early in the game, Pete rose up to take an "uncontested" jumper from the right baseline. Wilt, who was between Pete and the basket but not particularly close, skyrocketed to slam Pete's shot into the stands. I was stunned. Dunno Wilt's vertical on the block, but it was by far the highest I ever saw and makes me believe any of the crazy vertical numbers attributed to Wilt.
Wilt did in 1956 what no other player has done even to this day as far as I know. He dunked from the free throw line. Not like Michael Jordan and Dr. J did, after a run up from beyond half court, but he dunked starting from 3 feet above the top of the circle above the free throw line. In 1956 he did that with converse shoes on. 68 years ago. Wilt wasn't just great for his era, he was beyond any era.
What's even more amazing than a 4-feet vertical is his willingness to do the high jump and land in a pit of sand. This was an era before they used soft, 2-feet-thick mats to break the fall. How many players would try that today?
Well I’m sold. I just bumped up Wilt in my all time list. I hadn’t factored in the shoes and equipment. I know firsthand how annoying it is to play with crappy shoes and mine were nowhere near as crappy and I had zero traction and couldn’t decelerate at all. Wilt is definitely in my top 5.
He's solidly in my top-3, alongside Bird and Jordan. Those three are in a tier all of their own, and different enough that I refuse to call one better than the others. There may be greater winners, such as Bill Russell or Rob Horry, but nobody better than those three. The best guard, the best forward and the best center of all time.
I saw him play. Many times. It makes people who dare to ask if he could play in today's NBA look like fools. I know this; if there was 10 seconds left in a game, and I needed 2 points, I dont care who else was on my team, Wilt would be getting the ball. NOBODY, Russell, Reed, Alcindor (Abdul Jabbar), Bellamy, Thurmond, all in the HOF, NOBODY could stop Wilt when he wanted to score. He may not be (or may be) the GOAT, but not only is he in the discussion, he IS FOR SURE the most dominant offensive scorer, and rebounder, the game has ever seen. Period.....
Thanks for sharing. Too many people falsely consider him to be a choke artist. Or they use his free throws as a source of poor shooting. But they are unaware that he has won games in the final seconds from the free throw line.
WILT THE STILT IS THE GOAT OF ALL BASKETBALL PLAYERS. HE WAS AN EXCELLENT. ATHLETE TRACK AND FIELD, STAY IN AND PLAYING IN ALMOST THE FULL GAMES AND NOT COMING TO THE BENCH. HE WAS AN AMAZING MALE ATHLETE. THE GOAT. THAT WILL ALWAYS BE THE GOAT. 😁👍💪🙌👌🙏♥️😇
Remember less than 5% of what wilt did in basketball,is on tape, and remember wilt dunk on a 12 feet basket.when he was in college, by himself, not with any alley-oop.
I had heard that they had to change the rules of a free throws because in the past, he was just able to take a few steps from behind the line and dunk it. They never had people that could do that so it wasn't a problem until Wilt showed up.
I think another aspect to consider is the invention of the breakaway rim system. Wilt had to significantly limit the amount of power he would dunk with or risk breaking the backboard glass. Darryl Dawkins was easily able to rip the rim off and I seriously doubt anyone would argue Darryl was stronger than Chamberlain. I often wonder the kind of moves Wilt could have pulled off in the air if he didn’t have to worry about breaking the rim. Would have been a sight to see considering his size, athleticism, and strength.
why does everyone assume wilt was always the l Tallest player on the court...wilt play d against multiple people his height or taller...swede halbrook was 7ft3 barefoot...Kareem was 7ft 2 barefoot...artist Gilmore was 7ft2 barefoot...Nate Thurmond was the same barefoot heights as Shaq and had a longer wing span than wilt....and also...why would that even matter...are we disregarding wilt's accomplishments and skill because he benefited from his God Given height and athletic ability?... In fact wilt played against more HOF comp at his position than Jordan did at his position BY FARRR...and he played more TOTAL GAMES against HOF talent at his position than Jordan ever did... I've seen wilt block a shot..run the break switching hands and throwing a mid air behind the back pass after collapsing the defense...is that not Good enough?
I saw David Thompson take 20 dollar bills off the backboard at the University of Maryland, decades ago. I was told he did it all the time for easy money.
I know of at least four other sources that reported seeing him touch the top of the backboard or higher with a 2 step jump. Two of these times were in front of a group of people: one was at a youth camp he was doing in college and the other was in front of the ABA team (I think it was San Diego) that he coached after he retired. He is the only person I know who challenged all comers to jump against him in snatching a coin off the top of backboard. Also, if he took two steps to jump to block a shot he would get higher but would be late. He could get off the floor so quickly that he was able to make many double blocks. I believe that he made more blocks that Russel. Russels great advantage in blocks was that he was left handed so that his dominant hand was on the same side as a right handed shooters release hand. This allowed Russel superior control of the direction of the block. I can really not remember a time seeing Russel go across his body to block a shot, which Chamberlain did all the time. There were very few serious left handed shooters in the sixties, except Jack Marin, that I can think of.
I believe you Sir, but I have read that so many backboards such as at Rucker Field were *not* the standard NBA 13'. Do you reliably know the height of those backboards?
It would be shows as improvement... He was strong as hell so the diet is whatever he worked out a lot.. Ask Arnold"" the shoes would be improvement yes
Food was better back then. Food now is low quality and messed with. Wilt probably ate great. The notion that everything now is better compared to the 50’s and 60’s Is laughable. Men’s testosterone levels on average were much higher in the 50’s compared to now. Obesity, diabetes, chronic illnesses, auto immune issues are all way up compared to the 50’s. Humans are not healthier in the United States now compared to the 50’s. Modern shoes are junk. Why do you think nobody can stay injury free? The heel is too high. And the toe box is to narrow. Old shoes were flat and was more of a barefoot feel. Let people actually run how their feet should. Now shoes have so much padding, it lets people heel strike, and that’s how they start running all the time. Which is horrible for the knees, ankles, hips, and Achilles. Old players had to run on the balls of their feet because the shoes didn’t have the extra heel padding like now. Modern conveniences that seem to help people, usually has a negative effect on us in the long run.
Wilt is definitely the best center if not the best basketball player of all time. Yes, his overall competition wasn't as strong as the competition of more recent years, but that doesn't mean he had no competition. He played multiple sports and was very agile, likely agile enough to guard Hakeem. How high could he jump? A track and field high jump is not the same as a basketball ball jump, but you still have to jump well, especially to compete and win. There is all sorts of anecdotal and other evidence as mentioned in this video. He was also known for being extremely strong (so Shaq wouldn't be able to push him around) and that would help his jump for sure. But to me the best evidence is that he stopped the "unstoppable"--as an older player he blocked, more than once, on film, Kareem's sky hook. Which means not only was he 7'2" but he had great hops :)
Wilt Chamberlain was a real Freak of Nature. I don't know how he doesn't have more than 2 Championships. Especially playing in those days. Where nobody was on his level talent wise and being the only 7 footer as well. With that athletic ability.
@@shaungreen7961 The best teams win, not the best individual and there were other 7 footers around. The NBA is the NBA. It always has and always will have amazing players from every era.
@ oh ok. Gotcha. Man I thought Wilt was the only 7 footer in his era till Kareem came. In his prime I thought Bill Russell was second at like 6’9, 6’10. And you’re right about that. One man can’t do it by himself. But man just thinking of the eras. Guys must of shot the ball at a high level from the perimeter to beat Wilt teams. It’s hard for me to see guys coming in the paint on Wilt. With that jumping ability at 7’1 in his era. Wilt was blocking that everytime. Haha 🤣.
GREAT VIDEO SIR .... AMEN.... FACTS..... KEEP BRINGING..... THE RESEARCH AND FACTS SIR..... GREATEST ATHLETE IN NBA HISTORY AND POSSIBLY ALL SPORTS..... MAN RAN A 4.6 IN THE 40 YARD DASH..... WITCH IS THE SAME TIME LEBRON RAN!!!!!
Born into NBA knew Wilt an seen alot of his career courtside he dunked on a 13 foot goal do I think he had a 50 inch vertical ! I would say yes was it measured not that l know of, but none of his blocks were counted either Ive seen him have 10+ many times!! Dreams my man but Wilt was the greatest athlete ever period !!
a high jump is not the same as a vertical jump. In order for a, lets say, 48 inch vertical, to count, there must be one instant where all parts of your body are 48 inches off the ground, at once. A high jump you only need to clear a bar, so you will notice the front part of a high jumper's body will clear the bar while the rest, trailing behind, is still well below the bar. And once the trailing portions of the body reach the height of the bar, the front parts are below it.
@@delirious300 @ I’ve watch the 69 finals Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach. 7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board. If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
the ABA Pacers had a player Darnell Hillman ..who would take a dollar bill off the top of the backboard. I saw him do it..along with thousands of other fans. I'm sure Wilt could have possibly done it as well.
Nowhere near 50 inches. Boys in high school high jump above 7 feet. The world record for men is over 8 feet. Women have high jumped 6’10. Additionally, the taller you are the less high you need to jump to get over a bar. There is no video evidence showing Wilt reaching anywhere close to 50 inches off a vertical. His head would be two feet above the rim.
Another genius who thinks that eVoLuTiOn taked place in 50 years. No HS kid is high jumping anywhere near this under the same circumstances. Watch the jump. He hids the ground hard and has to roll out of it. They use 3 or 4 foot thick mats today. Just like you probably thinbk that guys in the 60's and before were slow. They ran on a cinder track which is significantly slower. Bob Hayes is the fastest NFL player ever and would smoke any player today. He won a Gold Medal in 1964 but he ran on a cinder track. So, according to guys likie you, his times weren't impressive.
Yes, they were better made than todays CT's, but not by much. Personally, I had a pair of Chuck's for indoor and a pair of Pro Keds for ouitdoor. The Pro Keds had a harder sole and could take more abuse but were even more uncomfortable than the Chuck's.
Interesting! I'd only add that in actual competitive high jump collegiate meets, Bill Russell jumped 6'9" and perhaps a fraction of an inch beyond. This was just before the first 7 ft jump was made by a high jumper of his and Wilt's era. There are other great high jumpers who went on to excel in various sports and positions. Joe Montana and Bo Jackson come to mind as great HS high jumpers . . . but many others. In elite athletes, there's quite often evidence of their athletic superiority in some other sport other than their main interest.
If you’re so impressed with a guy high jumping over a bar 7” BELOW his height, wait until you find out about the people who have cleared a bar almost two feet OVER their height
Yes, modern techniques would have helped, but there were people using the same technique Wilt did who were almost a foot shorter than he was yet jumped almost a foot higher than he did
@@brum23 First off, most 7 footers have NO coordination at all. Lebron and Jordan couldn't do a 6'6" scissor kick over a bar to flatt ground without a mat. Second, the world record in 1957 was 7' and 1/2". So no, nobody was doing a foot higher than him at the time. Did you know Bill Russell actually qualified for the Olympics as a high jumper? He actually tied the eventual Gold Medalist in a meet once. Bill's best was 6'11" using a side straddle. Even more ridiculous. The side straddle is an exremely hard way to high jump. You're just another fanboi or NIKE/Klutch bot. lmfao
We are talking about vertical, not a running start. That means standing and jumping flat off the ground. Russell was nowhere near wilt in Vertical jumping.
@david.tousigna I have nothing but the utmost respect for Bill Russell he was fortunate enough to be on a team that fit all together but would he have won those championships being the center of another team I don't think so he did not have the skills to carry a basketball team by himself like wilt could like I said no disrespect to Bill Russell but wilt was a better athlete 10 times over
@@louisdawkins664”Russell was nowhere near Wilt in vertical jumping” Despite the fact he’s 3.5” shorter than Wilt but jumped 2.5” higher. Seems like Russell is way better at jumping vertically.
Between 35 and 42 inches. 50 inches is a MYTH perpetuated by himself (a prolific liar), and it's not clear whether he could actually touch the top of the backboard.
Another NIKE/KLUTCH bot. Why would Jerry West lie? Why would NBA refs lie? Why would countless others lie? All this refutation just to sell more shoes. lol
In 25 years of NBA combines 1 7footer jumped over 40". The highest jump of a player over 270 lbs was 36" and that was Andre Drummond. Science doesn't lie someone his height, weight and Length cannot jump 50".
@@richardcoleman1196 @ I’ve watch the 69 finals Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach. 7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board. If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
@@Dunk1It1Hard The 40-42 inch would make him an outlier, but that is within a reasonable range. Also the 40" range would still qualify him for the best athlete at his size. I could go along with what you're assertion, people lose me when they start making up fantasy. It's like in the movie Braveheart where the people are saying William Wallace was 7' tall and breathed fire from his arse.
@ peoples exaggeration becomes compounding and spirals out of control. I think wilt had a 38 inch vertical. And moved like an Olympic level athlete. At 7’1 that had never been seen before so it blew peoples minds. People talk, exaggerate, blow it out of proportion. Next thing you know wilt had a difficult time hiding his angel wings under his jersey, etc.
@@Dunk1It1Hard He had at least a 42" vert. Jerry West just died and he said Wilt could touch the top of the backboard. You think his "memory" was that f-ed up. Wilt retired in 1974, not 1874. Wilt ran a 4.4 40 at 290 pounds at his KC Chiefs tryout. You think Hank Stram stating this in the 60's was due to a faulty memory. You think Tex Winter(look him up) had a memoory lapse when he IMMEDIATELY went to the rules committee because he saw Wilt dunking FT's in a scrimmage game? You think Billy MIlls, a Gold Medalist at 10K had a memory lapse when he said he saw Wilt run under 2 minutes for the half mile or throw the shot 50 feet? Face it, Wilt is a way better athlete at almost 100 pounds heavier than your idol. LOL
Mike and Wilt were aliens. Both 48 inch vertical. Mike 4.3 . Wilt 4.4 forty. Wilt maybe the greatest athlete ever. Top 4 . Mike Wilt Kareem Bird. After that it's too hard to rank players. Mike and Wilt were too fast and jump too high for mere earthlings
If Wilt won these high jump events three times? Wouldn't that mean no one in the competition was able to reach his career achievements in the high jump and he wouldn't have to go as high as his personnel best in practice?
Wilt never won any event three times in a row in college because he only competed in varsity two years in a row. And he lost many competitions. You act like he was undefeated in the high jump or something. He was never even an All American in the high jump.
I heard a story that some guys wanted to see if he could jump high enough to grab a $10 off the bottom ledge of a window about 12' above the the floor. Wilt said no, however, he would do it for $50! So he did and walked off with $50!!
Wilt Chamberlain is an incredible athlete. Wilt Chamberlain Archives produced a video in 2013. The author of the video wanted to estimate his incredible vertical. He based his video on his NCAA high jumping record which was 6'6.75. We know exactly Chamberlain's Central Point of Pelvis (CPP) was 45.75". To put his CPP @6'6.75" (or 78.75"), Wilt Chamberlain needed to elevate between 39.6"& 40.35" in order to clear the bar. It is important to note that Wilt Chamberlain always failed to clear 6'7" in competition. According to Wilt Chamberlain Archives, his highest reach with a running start was measured at 12'9" [according to Google Archives], while he was playing for the Philadelphia Warriors at a mere 250 pounds. With a standing reach of 9'6" barefoot, Wilt Chamberlain "only" needed to jump 39.6" in the air in order to reach it... and even if Wilt Chamberlain was able to almost reach 13', his sergeant would be shy of 43". 42.6" to be precise. Sadly for us, we know Chamberlain's words should be taken with a grain of salt. Tom Hawkins (a close friend, gym buddy and roommate in Los Angeles) explained to us something about Wilt : "I played with him for 2 years ... I doubt his numbers are correct." Jerry West stated multiple times : "[Chamberlain] He had a tendency to elaborate on things that make him bigger than life."
Wilt never held the NCAA high jump record, nor did he ever win NCAAs in the high jump, nor was he ever an All American in the high jump. Bill Russell was 3.5 shorter than Wilt but jumped 2.5 inches higher in the high jump. Does that mean Russell’s vertical jump was 6 inches higher than Wilt’s?
But Jerry West, knowing Wilt's tendency, directly said himself that Wilt could touch the top of the backboard. He wouldn't have been relying on Wilt saying so, but either his own knowledge (having seen him do it), or the account of a player or coach he knew was truthful.
@@phillipschuman4307 I know Jerry West said Wilt Chamberlain could touch the top of the backboard. He made this claim during an interview with Rampage Jackson; though, West, at one point, had mistaken Kareem and Wilt in one of his story... Memory is volatile and over time, you tend to embellish or to tweak some stories. Chamberlain himself never mentioned he was able to touch the top of the backboard and he claimed a 52 inches vertical! And to have slept with 20,000 and 600 lbs bench 🤣
@@david.tousignant20 If Jerry West misspoke once in that convo, that hardly makes him senile or perhaps meaning Kareem could touch the top of the backboard instead of Wilt. I saw interviews with West when he was 80+ and he always seemed very sharp to me. So far as I recall, Wilt not only said he could get up that high, but high enough to take change off the top too. When he said that, he mentioned 'Jumping' Jackie Jackson said he could do that, but that he was confident that wasn't true.
@@phillipschuman4307 Where did I said he was senile. I clearly established he was mixing up stories. For a man of his age, it's normal. I played JUCO basketball and football back in the days and people remembered things I never accomplished on the court or on the field! According to meta analysis, most people have memory distortions, but emotional states, health, age, and environment can all affect how things are remembered. False memories are memories that seem real but are not based in reality. Everyone has false memories at times because the human brain doesn't usually record events with the detailed accuracy of a device. A common memory problem is the Mendela Effect.
Wilt Chamberlain in basketball, is like Babe Ruth in baseball, and Maurice Richard in hockey; mythical figures in their respective time & field, transcending imagination, and even though I consider Michael Jordan, Barry Bonds & Wayne Gretzky to be the greatest ever, Wilt, Babe and Rocket will remain myths until the end of time!
50 inches for 7 feet proportional to height would be about 42 inches if you are 6 feet tall, which is quite common. Wilt was still a freakish athlete in every respect, but the 50 inches is misleading.
Wilt's my favorite player and obviously an extraordinary athlete. But he tended to inflate his athletic prowess, claiming several hundred-pound bench presses and 50" vertical. I watched him throughout his career (I started watching him as a child!), and I NEVER saw him leap like that during games. Yes, he could soar to block a shot on his one-step jump, but even on those max leaps, he surely isn't jumping over 40". If he was jumping anywhere near 48", his collarbone would be on the rim. Never got even close to that in a game. My guess is that Wilt's max vertical was somewhere in the high thirties.
@@jlolson53 @ I’ve watch the 69 finals Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach. 7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board. If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
@@Dunk1It1Hard Agreed. His highest leaps, of course, were without the ball, blocking a shot. With the ball, I'd guess around 26 - 28 " on average. Without the ball (usually on blocks), I'd guess 32 - 38". He might've had a few super-explosive days, putting him 40" or slightly more on his blocks. I didn't watch him when he was a young dude, either. Still, he was probably in or near his prime in the early and mid-sixties. He was still a monster up to and beyond his retirement.
@@Dunk1It1Hard DIstortion. The only delusion is by fans today. The modern record for max reach on a backboard by an NBA player is Dwight Howard at 12'8". Wilt got up that high in ganes with one step. Jerry West is wrong about Wilt. Tex Winter didn't see Wilt dunk from the FT line and IMMEDIATELY go th the rules committee. Hank Stram didn't time Wilt at 4.4 in the 40 even when he said he did IN THE 60's. The only distortion is by KLUTCH bots who know that if Lebron was even 6" taller he still wou;dn't be Wilt athletically. LOL
Kareem made the conference finals his rookie year. Wilt blocked his shot 17 times in the series. Kareem adapted by facing up . He was quicker than an old Wilt . Kareem won his first ring, MVP award, and Finals MVP his second year.
@@NielsH97 @ I’ve watch the 69 finals Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach. 7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board. If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
Wilt was 7'1 so if Wilt had a vertical of 45" then his head should be almost a foot above the rim. I have never seen Wilt that high. That said, he never needed to jump that high
@@oldeskoolnewsreels9927 I'm not saying there is not but based on Wilt's height the height of the rim, for Wilt to have a 48 vert or higher, Wilt would have to literally be able get his entire head above the rim. I have watched everything on Wilt I can and saw him play in 72. I have never seen him that high. Trust me, I consider Wilt the GOAT and maybe the greatest athlete ever
@@madnezz1961 I've seen video of Wilt with his chin at the rim on a one step jump. Like I said, go to WCA and look for the video of Wilt's "higherst vertical?". Pause the video at his apex. His head is way above the rim. He was in college at the time.
@@madnezz1961 @ I’ve watch the 69 finals Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach. 7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board. If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
Clearing 6'6" in a high jump is nothing. I had one friend who cleared 7'1" first try in his life and his vertical was around 40 inches at best, probably a couple inches lower than that. Another friend was an actual high jumper who got to a personal best of 7'6" and his vertical was not even 35 inches. Chamberlain was full of crap with his numbers ( 20,000 and 50 and who knows what else ). You can see videos of him and there's no way that guy could jump more than 35 inches. which is good for a big guy, but nothing more. Most jumps in this video are probably not even 30 inches. As for those high jump photos people need to study more about camera angles. It's all nonsense. 35 inch vertical max.
@@cooljp1531 The fastest NFL football player ever was Bob Hayes. He won the 100 meter Gold Medal in 1964. He ran on a cinder track which is significantly slower tham modern tracks. At least he had blocks. In 1936, Jesse Owens would dig holes for his feet as a starting block. In the 50's, no mats were used in field events and the track was made of cinder. Bob Hayes would smoke any modern football player. The Fosbury Flop wasn't imvented until the late 60's because if you tried it without a mat, you'd break your neck. There isn't an NBA player today who could out high jump Wilt or Bill Russell. And by a long shot. Wilt ran a 4.4 40 yard dash at his KC Chiefs tryout at 292 pounds. On the grass without cleats. 4.6 barefoot. That's verified by HOF coach Hank Stram. Lebron isn't anywhere near the total athlete that Wilt was. No NBA player has ever been.
@@oldeskoolnewsreels9927 I'll be the first one to say: "Don't underestimate old timers" But Wilt's numbers are all verifiably bullshit. Everybody knows he was lying all the time, almost as much as LeBron is these days. The only way Wilt did 40 under 5 seconds was on a bicycle.
@@cooljp1531 LOL Wilt wasn't only "claiming" he could do it. He tried out for the KC Chiefs and Hank Stram verified it. In fact, Hank thought that Wilt would have been a better WR than Jerry Rice. Also, Billy Mills, a Gold Medal winner at the 10k, said he saw Wilt shot put over 50 feet and run a half mile under 2 minutes. Another liar. I could go on listing reputable people who eyewitnessed Wilt's feats. They are ALL liars. lmfao.
We don't have to "Imagine" what it would look like for WIlt to jump over Jordan for a Dunk. Giannis has literally done this when he jumped over Tim Hardaway Jr. head on a dunk. Giannis is literally doing the stuff that Wilt claimed he could do.
Omg If he had all The Modern day day equipment. He probably could have put his elbow on top of the backboard. To great n b a players jerry west and sache Sanders who played with wilt In the 1960s. And there are countless other NBA players who verify the same thing. And wilt Himself with a Serious expression said that his vertical is over 50. You better believe it.💯👍
What kind of nonsense is that. I managed to clear 6ft 3in in high jump. I am 6’2 tall and - for an athlete - an average jumper. I could dunk with ease but I reckon I never jumped higher than 30inches, if that. Really good leader out jumped me with ease. Chamberlain clearing 6’6 means… f*ck all. The man was 7’1, he did not have to lift himself that high. I tried to watch all the footage of him and I have never seen any that suggested that he was an exceptional leaper.
Another one. How thick was the mat you were landing on. 3 or 4 feet. I HIGHLY DOUBT you could scissor kick 6'3" onto the flat ground without a mat. LOL
@@dgb711 @ I’ve watch the 69 finals Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach. 7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board. If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
Wilt literally hurdled his high jump. not any actaul form also, i took his NCAA winning height, converted to Meters/Cm, and saw that if he was in the 1956 olympic finals that would have put him in 11th place ifinalss. which means it is hiter than all but 10 of the best in the world who qualiifed for the olympics
@@stephenwhite5444 dude, i watched it and have seen the clip hundres of times, did YOU watch it. he had no real form. and he leaped forward , more of a side hurdlie LIKE action but close enough. he jumped and put his legs over it more so than bending his body forwaqrd or backwards.
Wilt lied about his highest high jump (he claims 6’10.25” when his highest was 6’6.75”) but you believe him about the highest he ever touched? Stop it.
So you were there for his entire high jump period? Or are you basing your opinion on lack of knowledge by thinking that his only jumps were at a main documented event?
Chamberlain competed in 1953, 1954 and 1955 in HS (he competed in shot put and other endeavors) and in NCAA. If he was able to do it clear 6'10 in practice, he would had been able to clear 6'7 in contest. It never happened! His highest clearance was 6'6.75". Which was still incredible. But, Bill Russell won a competition in the NCAA with a staggering 6'9.25" a few years prior.
@@stephenwhite5444Kansas University, the NCAA and Track and Field News all kept statistics and the highest Wilt ever jumped was 6’6.75”. That is his high jump PR, no matter what he says otherwise.
I'm in the middle here. Because I dont go off what Wilt says he does because I know he likes to exaggerate. Then there are the other guys who use that fact as Wilt is lying so its all a lie and he is a fruad its all b.s. Like I said when Wilt says 50 or 52 inch vert. I think ok so it's probably more like 42-46. It does get annoying because the stuff he exaggerates is stuff the his real numbers are already impressive. Shame that his whole legacy is doubted though.
@@jasonnelson6624 Even 42” is extremely unlikely. He would be able to get his head 7-8” above the rim with a 42” vertical, and there’s no footage that suggests anything close to that.
Wilt did a lot of bragging and exaggerating. I saw him play and he was a great athlete but 50 inch vertical and bench pressing 500 lbs? Sounds more like the legend of Paul Bunyan. Y’all can believe all that crap if you want to but I’m not buying it.😂
How high do you think Wilt Chamberlain could jump? Does he have the biggest vertical in NBA history?
His vertical was most likely about 36” based on the available video evidence. It’s possible he has the highest vertical of all seven footers but there’s no chance his vertical was anywhere near the highest in NBA history. Stop being silly.
The Philadelphia Warriors measured his max reach with a running start.
We know this fact, because Wilt Chamberlain Archives produced a video in 2013.
He was either able to touch 12'9 or 13', depending on the source.
Which means, he needed 42.6" to reach 13'!
That's incredible for a man of of size, since no other man over 7 feet has a vertical over 40 inches.
Also, Chamberlain competed in running events, shot put and jumping in HS (high jumping in NCAA).
The Public League Track Championships (HS) has Wilt winning the high jump in 1953 and 1955.
In contest, his best jump was 6'6.75". Which was incredible.
To give a a perspective, Bill Russell was amongst the best jumper while he was in the NCAA and he cleared 6'9.25"!
In a February 1960s article in a magazine called, "Look Magazine" there was a feature on a young Wilt Chamberlain, how he would impact the league, and how the refs would have to change the way they apply the rules towards him, particularly in allowing illegal zone defense to be used against him. It goes on to say, "From a flat-footed stance, Chamberlain can reach 9 feet 6. He can make a standing jump 3 feet nine. At the top of his jump, he can reach 13 feet 3, or 3 feet 3 above the upper edge of the basket rim. So we've got to give the defense more than average leeway to cope with him." This was as he was entering the league, but if correct would clock his verticle at 45 inches. Whether or not you believe he improved his athletic abilities from his rookie year onward would determine where you have his max verticle.
As a diehard wilt fan I still think a 48-50 is reaching a little too much. However I do think it was probably around 40-42 which even then is 🥜🥜. He could still likely get the top of the backboard with a 42 inch vert!
@@minisange1 That is from a flat footed stance. By comparison, Michael Jordan was measured and documented in a study at an elevation of 36 inches at the top of his standing vertical jump. Michael went 46" at the top of his running vertical. If Wilt was really going 45" at the top of his standing vertical, then over 50" seems almost certain on his running vertical.
I saw Wilt, on TV, in 1962 or so, do a halftime exhibition where they put a 50 cent piece on top of the left corner of the backboard, and Wilt picked it off on the first try. Wilt also palmed a ball and jumped and put it through the hoop all the way up to his armpit and pulled it out within the same motion. He did this twice. I never saw another human pick a coin off of the top of the backboard, or put an arm into the rim up to the armpit. I was only 12 years old when I saw this, so I didn't realize how special these feats were. I know now. The game has evolved. The players have evolved. But Wilt, as a pure athlete, could do what no other human has done, then or now. And he had the lungs and stamina to play an entire season and never sit out a minute of game time, all while traveling on trains and planes within the by bycommercial schedules. No team owned a plane. I'm not sure if another superstar, including guys like Jordan, LeBron, or Shaq, could average 50 points and 25 rebounds per game for an entire season even if you put them on an NBA team in 1962. I doubt they'd have the lung stamina to do it. Shaq tried going 48 minutes every game with Phil Jackson as coach and lasted about 8 games before he asked Phil to let him call it quits with that. Bottom line, Wilt was a genetic freak of nature.
@@edlemberger9987 That's amazing! I wish I could've seen all that in 1962
Wilt was great but let´s not act like today nobody could touch the top of the backboard: look what Obi Toppin who is 6.9 tall (MUCH shorter than Wilt) just did last month: ruclips.net/video/N0a2B8a2VF4/видео.html
@@thedudeunchained7583 right, but the reason it's so impressive for wilt is because he was almost 7 foot 2. No one that tall can get that high
Vince Carter said in high school he was able to get a coin off the top of the backboard. He did admit that he couldn't get a dollar bill and leave change at the same time (like the legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault) - he tried but never could do it.
@@thedudeunchained7583 They're all taking steroids and other performance enhancing drugs.
I never tire watching these videos on the GOAT. Keep em coming!
Will do 🙏🙏🙏
Wilt is so underappreciated! I have been telling his story to youngsters for years. Thank you for keeping the GOAT'S legend alive!
@@stubarnum7344 Much appreciated 🙏🙏🙏
Wilt was a freakishly large person for his era and gifted with insane athletic ability. That picture of him suspended in the air in the high jump where he's 4 feet off the ground just kind of looking over the bar is insane. That really shows how high he could get up. Him and Lebron are probably the two most freakishly incredible raw athletes to play in the NBA when you're just talking about size and athletic ability.
Plus he was the only guy to block the sky hook.
@@FoxUnitNell He had to reconsider his strategy in order to do it; normally, Wilt waited for the player to shoot, then jumped afterwards, avoiding the possibility of a foul and letting his athleticism compensate for the delayed timing. However, with Lew / Kareem, the release point was high enough that he had to do what everybody else was doing and anticipate the shot.
Yao ming was larger than Wilt..Your point
@@doitall36 Wilt played taller guys in his era, too - there has just never been another giant anywhere near as athletically gifted as the Big Dipper.
All I know is that Wilt made one of the two most incredible plays I saw in my over 65 years of watching the NBA & ABA. Toward the end of his last season, 1973, I watched Wilt's Lakers play Pistol Pete's Hawks in Atlanta. Very early in the game, Pete rose up to take an "uncontested" jumper from the right baseline. Wilt, who was between Pete and the basket but not particularly close, skyrocketed to slam Pete's shot into the stands. I was stunned. Dunno Wilt's vertical on the block, but it was by far the highest I ever saw and makes me believe any of the crazy vertical numbers attributed to Wilt.
It's criminal that they didn't keep track of blocks until after he retired
Wilt did in 1956 what no other player has done even to this day as far as I know. He dunked from the free throw line. Not like Michael Jordan and Dr. J did, after a run up from beyond half court, but he dunked starting from 3 feet above the top of the circle above the free throw line. In 1956 he did that with converse shoes on. 68 years ago. Wilt wasn't just great for his era, he was beyond any era.
What's even more amazing than a 4-feet vertical is his willingness to do the high jump and land in a pit of sand. This was an era before they used soft, 2-feet-thick mats to break the fall. How many players would try that today?
Well I’m sold. I just bumped up Wilt in my all time list. I hadn’t factored in the shoes and equipment. I know firsthand how annoying it is to play with crappy shoes and mine were nowhere near as crappy and I had zero traction and couldn’t decelerate at all. Wilt is definitely in my top 5.
He's solidly in my top-3, alongside Bird and Jordan. Those three are in a tier all of their own, and different enough that I refuse to call one better than the others. There may be greater winners, such as Bill Russell or Rob Horry, but nobody better than those three. The best guard, the best forward and the best center of all time.
I saw him play. Many times. It makes people who dare to ask if he could play in today's NBA look like fools. I know this; if there was 10 seconds left in a game, and I needed 2 points, I dont care who else was on my team, Wilt would be getting the ball. NOBODY, Russell, Reed, Alcindor (Abdul Jabbar), Bellamy, Thurmond, all in the HOF, NOBODY could stop Wilt when he wanted to score. He may not be (or may be) the GOAT, but not only is he in the discussion, he IS FOR SURE the most dominant offensive scorer, and rebounder, the game has ever seen. Period.....
Thanks for sharing. Too many people falsely consider him to be a choke artist. Or they use his free throws as a source of poor shooting. But they are unaware that he has won games in the final seconds from the free throw line.
If he was so clutch why did his scoring drop so much in the playoffs
I wouldn't give him the ball. The other team would foul him, and he'd be most likely to miss at least one free throw.
@@BasketballHighway19 Watch "Wilt Chamberlain-I am A Champion-1967 Season" by Foobas(same guy). It will explain everything. Trust me.
WILT THE STILT IS THE GOAT OF ALL BASKETBALL PLAYERS. HE WAS AN EXCELLENT. ATHLETE TRACK AND FIELD, STAY IN AND PLAYING IN ALMOST THE FULL GAMES AND NOT COMING TO THE BENCH. HE WAS AN AMAZING MALE ATHLETE. THE GOAT. THAT WILL ALWAYS BE THE GOAT. 😁👍💪🙌👌🙏♥️😇
Remember less than 5% of what wilt did in basketball,is on tape, and remember wilt dunk on a 12 feet basket.when he was in college, by himself, not with any alley-oop.
*1%
I had heard that they had to change the rules of a free throws because in the past, he was just able to take a few steps from behind the line and dunk it. They never had people that could do that so it wasn't a problem until Wilt showed up.
yeah for sure
I think another aspect to consider is the invention of the breakaway rim system. Wilt had to significantly limit the amount of power he would dunk with or risk breaking the backboard glass. Darryl Dawkins was easily able to rip the rim off and I seriously doubt anyone would argue Darryl was stronger than Chamberlain.
I often wonder the kind of moves Wilt could have pulled off in the air if he didn’t have to worry about breaking the rim. Would have been a sight to see considering his size, athleticism, and strength.
Another elite video GOAT
@@TheOGHoopByTheBook 🙏🙏🙏
Most important... Wilt was cool.
why does everyone assume wilt was always the l
Tallest player on the court...wilt play d against multiple people his height or taller...swede halbrook was 7ft3 barefoot...Kareem was 7ft 2 barefoot...artist Gilmore was 7ft2 barefoot...Nate Thurmond was the same barefoot heights as Shaq and had a longer wing span than wilt....and also...why would that even matter...are we disregarding wilt's accomplishments and skill because he benefited from his God Given height and athletic ability?...
In fact wilt played against more HOF comp at his position than Jordan did at his position BY FARRR...and he played more TOTAL GAMES against HOF talent at his position than Jordan ever did...
I've seen wilt block a shot..run the break switching hands and throwing a mid air behind the back pass after collapsing the defense...is that not Good enough?
WILT CHAMBERLAIN IS THE GOAT OF ALL BASKETBALL PLAYERS THAT PLAYED PERIOD. HE WAS THE BEST OF ALL BASKETBALL PLAYERS. PERIOD.
@@JohnnyRodgers3 cause he was you trolll
@@JohnnyRodgers3 no he didnt you trolll
@@thomasmiller-xg9kj nope
This is one of the best videos I’ve ever watched
🙏🙏🙏
he amazing
The GOAT
Period
I don’t wanna hear about MJ or anyone else
I agree
I saw David Thompson take 20 dollar bills off the backboard at the University of Maryland, decades ago. I was told he did it all the time for easy money.
The great Wilt Chamberlain!
Dr J, ARTIST Gilmore, Darryl Dawkins, BIRD, ICEMAN 💪🏿✊🏾.. are NOT GIVING MJ, LeBron, Kobe, da🐐GOAT ticket 🎟️
I tried to play basketball with Chuck Taylor's when I was a teenager and my ankles would always give way because there was no support on the sides.
I know of at least four other sources that reported seeing him touch the top of the backboard or higher with a 2 step jump. Two of these times were in front of a group of people: one was at a youth camp he was doing in college and the other was in front of the ABA team (I think it was San Diego) that he coached after he retired.
He is the only person I know who challenged all comers to jump against him in snatching a coin off the top of backboard.
Also, if he took two steps to jump to block a shot he would get higher but would be late. He could get off the floor so quickly that he was able to make many double blocks.
I believe that he made more blocks that Russel. Russels great advantage in blocks was that he was left handed so that his dominant hand was on the same side as a right handed shooters release hand. This allowed Russel superior control of the direction of the block. I can really not remember a time seeing Russel go across his body to block a shot, which Chamberlain did all the time. There were very few serious left handed shooters in the sixties, except Jack Marin, that I can think of.
I believe you Sir, but I have read that so many backboards such as at Rucker Field were *not* the standard NBA 13'.
Do you reliably know the height of those backboards?
He was an incredible athlete outside of basketball..believable
With modern shoes and better diet it’s crazy to imagine how much more he can really do it’s insane
shoes in the past were better
@ can you be more specific? I know todays trends are low tops which lead to injuries
It would be shows as improvement... He was strong as hell so the diet is whatever he worked out a lot..
Ask Arnold"" the shoes would be improvement yes
With modern shoes and diet he'd be out with an ACL tear, come back then tear his achilles. That seems to be the norm with modern players
Food was better back then. Food now is low quality and messed with. Wilt probably ate great. The notion that everything now is better compared to the 50’s and 60’s
Is laughable.
Men’s testosterone levels on average were much higher in the 50’s compared to now.
Obesity, diabetes, chronic illnesses, auto immune issues are all way up compared to the 50’s. Humans are not healthier in the United States now compared to the 50’s.
Modern shoes are junk. Why do you think nobody can stay injury free? The heel is too high. And the toe box is to narrow.
Old shoes were flat and was more of a barefoot feel. Let people actually run how their feet should. Now shoes have so much padding, it lets people heel strike, and that’s how they start running all the time. Which is horrible for the knees, ankles, hips, and Achilles. Old players had to run on the balls of their feet because the shoes didn’t have the extra heel padding like now.
Modern conveniences that seem to help people, usually has a negative effect on us in the long run.
Wow... That's all that needs to be said. 🥰
The actual TRUTH & Jerry clip was the best.
Wilt is definitely the best center if not the best basketball player of all time. Yes, his overall competition wasn't as strong as the competition of more recent years, but that doesn't mean he had no competition.
He played multiple sports and was very agile, likely agile enough to guard Hakeem.
How high could he jump? A track and field high jump is not the same as a basketball ball jump, but you still have to jump well, especially to compete and win.
There is all sorts of anecdotal and other evidence as mentioned in this video. He was also known for being extremely strong (so Shaq wouldn't be able to push him around) and that would help his jump for sure.
But to me the best evidence is that he stopped the "unstoppable"--as an older player he blocked, more than once, on film, Kareem's sky hook. Which means not only was he 7'2" but he had great hops :)
Love it, thank you!
🙏🙏🙏
Wilt Chamberlain aka the Big Dipper is the real Paul Bunyon
Wearing the hat during a triple jump is baller
Wilt Chamberlain was a real Freak of Nature. I don't know how he doesn't have more than 2 Championships. Especially playing in those days. Where nobody was on his level talent wise and being the only 7 footer as well. With that athletic ability.
@@shaungreen7961 The best teams win, not the best individual and there were other 7 footers around. The NBA is the NBA. It always has and always will have amazing players from every era.
@ oh ok. Gotcha. Man I thought Wilt was the only 7 footer in his era till Kareem came. In his prime I thought Bill Russell was second at like 6’9, 6’10. And you’re right about that. One man can’t do it by himself. But man just thinking of the eras. Guys must of shot the ball at a high level from the perimeter to beat Wilt teams. It’s hard for me to see guys coming in the paint on Wilt. With that jumping ability at 7’1 in his era. Wilt was blocking that everytime. Haha 🤣.
a great video!!
Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
The fact that you were able to find this information at 4:30 is incredible
The GOAT
GREAT VIDEO SIR .... AMEN.... FACTS..... KEEP BRINGING..... THE RESEARCH AND FACTS SIR..... GREATEST ATHLETE IN NBA HISTORY AND POSSIBLY ALL SPORTS..... MAN RAN A 4.6 IN THE 40 YARD DASH..... WITCH IS THE SAME TIME LEBRON RAN!!!!!
@@Solanegore 🙏🙏🙏
I wouldn’t go to the grocery store in Chuck Taylor’s
😂
Born into NBA knew Wilt an seen alot of his career courtside he dunked on a 13 foot goal do I think he had a 50 inch vertical ! I would say yes was it measured not that l know of, but none of his blocks were counted either Ive seen him have 10+ many times!! Dreams my man but Wilt was the greatest athlete ever period !!
The legendary TRex 🙌
Wilt was that guy
yeah he the man
a high jump is not the same as a vertical jump. In order for a, lets say, 48 inch vertical, to count, there must be one instant where all parts of your body are 48 inches off the ground, at once. A high jump you only need to clear a bar, so you will notice the front part of a high jumper's body will clear the bar while the rest, trailing behind, is still well below the bar. And once the trailing portions of the body reach the height of the bar, the front parts are below it.
And the taller you are, the easier it is to clear.
Wilt Jordan that’s it
The real news worthy info for me here is the 6'10 1/4 high jump claim.
Why is that newsworthy? It’s a lie. You didn’t know Wilt lied about a lot of things?
I’d say he definitely got to 40-42 in his prime. At most 44
@@delirious300 @
I’ve watch the 69 finals
Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries
Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach.
7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board.
If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches
That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
the ABA Pacers had a player Darnell Hillman ..who would take a dollar bill off the top of the backboard. I saw him do it..along with thousands of other fans. I'm sure Wilt could have possibly done it as well.
Jordan fans will try to downplay his jumping ability lol.
You should make a video of how strong was wilt really
Nowhere near 50 inches. Boys in high school high jump above 7 feet. The world record for men is over 8 feet. Women have high jumped 6’10. Additionally, the taller you are the less high you need to jump to get over a bar. There is no video evidence showing Wilt reaching anywhere close to 50 inches off a vertical. His head would be two feet above the rim.
Another genius who thinks that eVoLuTiOn taked place in 50 years. No HS kid is high jumping anywhere near this under the same circumstances. Watch the jump. He hids the ground hard and has to roll out of it. They use 3 or 4 foot thick mats today. Just like you probably thinbk that guys in the 60's and before were slow. They ran on a cinder track which is significantly slower. Bob Hayes is the fastest NFL player ever and would smoke any player today. He won a Gold Medal in 1964 but he ran on a cinder track. So, according to guys likie you, his times weren't impressive.
What a cool voice
the converse all star was a much better shoe back then in the 1960s, the converse all star chuck taylor shoe is made very cheaply now.
Yes, they were better made than todays CT's, but not by much. Personally, I had a pair of Chuck's for indoor and a pair of Pro Keds for ouitdoor. The Pro Keds had a harder sole and could take more abuse but were even more uncomfortable than the Chuck's.
Interesting! I'd only add that in actual competitive high jump collegiate meets, Bill Russell jumped 6'9" and perhaps a fraction of an inch beyond. This was just before the first 7 ft jump was made by a high jumper of his and Wilt's era. There are other great high jumpers who went on to excel in various sports and positions. Joe Montana and Bo Jackson come to mind as great HS high jumpers . . . but many others. In elite athletes, there's quite often evidence of their athletic superiority in some other sport other than their main interest.
Once I realized the bar was 7’… hahaha
Higher than Michael Jordan for sure Wilt had a 48 inch vert
If you’re so impressed with a guy high jumping over a bar 7” BELOW his height, wait until you find out about the people who have cleared a bar almost two feet OVER their height
Yet I heard he didn't use modern techniques that could have helped.
Yes, modern techniques would have helped, but there were people using the same technique Wilt did who were almost a foot shorter than he was yet jumped almost a foot higher than he did
@@brum23 First off, most 7 footers have NO coordination at all. Lebron and Jordan couldn't do a 6'6" scissor kick over a bar to flatt ground without a mat. Second, the world record in 1957 was 7' and 1/2". So no, nobody was doing a foot higher than him at the time. Did you know Bill Russell actually qualified for the Olympics as a high jumper? He actually tied the eventual Gold Medalist in a meet once. Bill's best was 6'11" using a side straddle. Even more ridiculous. The side straddle is an exremely hard way to high jump. You're just another fanboi or NIKE/Klutch bot. lmfao
Larry Legend played his whole career in Chucks too. Imagine them in today's shoes.
I'm no Jordan fan but was it necessary to have Wilt teabag him?
Yes.
@@FoobasSports 😅
No doubt he jumped high but numbers depends how to measure
Bill Russell jumped 2.5” higher in the high jump than Wilt Chamberlain did
We are talking about vertical, not a running start. That means standing and jumping flat off the ground.
Russell was nowhere near wilt in Vertical jumping.
Don't sleep on Bill Russell. The man jumped over a defender in fast break and was an incredible leaper! He just didn't had Chamberlain's reach!
@david.tousigna I have nothing but the utmost respect for Bill Russell he was fortunate enough to be on a team that fit all together but would he have won those championships being the center of another team I don't think so he did not have the skills to carry a basketball team by himself like wilt could like I said no disrespect to Bill Russell but wilt was a better athlete 10 times over
@@louisdawkins664I don't know about 10x over .. Russell was more athletic than Giannis
@@louisdawkins664”Russell was nowhere near Wilt in vertical jumping”
Despite the fact he’s 3.5” shorter than Wilt but jumped 2.5” higher. Seems like Russell is way better at jumping vertically.
Wilt was the best ball player of all time. And this is before the Fosberry Flop
Also do you people not know what a Vertical is?? These are ALL running starts, that adds a tremendous amount to your leap.
Between 35 and 42 inches. 50 inches is a MYTH perpetuated by himself (a prolific liar), and it's not clear whether he could actually touch the top of the backboard.
Another NIKE/KLUTCH bot. Why would Jerry West lie? Why would NBA refs lie? Why would countless others lie? All this refutation just to sell more shoes. lol
In 25 years of NBA combines 1 7footer jumped over 40". The highest jump of a player over 270 lbs was 36" and that was Andre Drummond. Science doesn't lie someone his height, weight and Length cannot jump 50".
@@richardcoleman1196 @
I’ve watch the 69 finals
Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries
Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach.
7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board.
If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches
That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
@@Dunk1It1Hard The 40-42 inch would make him an outlier, but that is within a reasonable range. Also the 40" range would still qualify him for the best athlete at his size. I could go along with what you're assertion, people lose me when they start making up fantasy. It's like in the movie Braveheart where the people are saying William Wallace was 7' tall and breathed fire from his arse.
@ peoples exaggeration becomes compounding and spirals out of control.
I think wilt had a 38 inch vertical.
And moved like an Olympic level athlete.
At 7’1 that had never been seen before so it blew peoples minds. People talk, exaggerate, blow it out of proportion.
Next thing you know wilt had a difficult time hiding his angel wings under his jersey, etc.
@@Dunk1It1Hard He had at least a 42" vert. Jerry West just died and he said Wilt could touch the top of the backboard. You think his "memory" was that f-ed up. Wilt retired in 1974, not 1874. Wilt ran a 4.4 40 at 290 pounds at his KC Chiefs tryout. You think Hank Stram stating this in the 60's was due to a faulty memory. You think Tex Winter(look him up) had a memoory lapse when he IMMEDIATELY went to the rules committee because he saw Wilt dunking FT's in a scrimmage game? You think Billy MIlls, a Gold Medalist at 10K had a memory lapse when he said he saw Wilt run under 2 minutes for the half mile or throw the shot 50 feet? Face it, Wilt is a way better athlete at almost 100 pounds heavier than your idol. LOL
Mike and Wilt were aliens. Both 48 inch vertical. Mike 4.3 . Wilt 4.4 forty. Wilt maybe the greatest athlete ever. Top 4 . Mike Wilt Kareem Bird. After that it's too hard to rank players. Mike and Wilt were too fast and jump too high for mere earthlings
50 inch vert
Was that Morgan Freeman narrating ?
ngl i used to play basketball in my batman converse chuck 70 it wasn't too bad
If Wilt won these high jump events three times? Wouldn't that mean no one in the competition was able to reach his career achievements in the high jump and he wouldn't have to go as high as his personnel best in practice?
Wilt never won any event three times in a row in college because he only competed in varsity two years in a row. And he lost many competitions. You act like he was undefeated in the high jump or something. He was never even an All American in the high jump.
I heard a story that some guys wanted to see if he could jump high enough to grab a $10 off the bottom ledge of a window about 12' above the the floor. Wilt said no, however, he would do it for $50! So he did and walked off with $50!!
Well I’d say about 6” MORE than he ever needed really. He could touch the top of the backboard so…🙄
Wilt Chamberlain is an incredible athlete. Wilt Chamberlain Archives produced a video in 2013. The author of the video wanted to estimate his incredible vertical.
He based his video on his NCAA high jumping record which was 6'6.75.
We know exactly Chamberlain's Central Point of Pelvis (CPP) was 45.75". To put his CPP @6'6.75" (or 78.75"), Wilt Chamberlain needed to elevate between 39.6"& 40.35" in order to clear the bar. It is important to note that Wilt Chamberlain always failed to clear 6'7" in competition.
According to Wilt Chamberlain Archives, his highest reach with a running start was measured at 12'9" [according to Google Archives], while he was playing for the Philadelphia Warriors at a mere 250 pounds. With a standing reach of 9'6" barefoot, Wilt Chamberlain "only" needed to jump 39.6" in the air in order to reach it... and even if Wilt Chamberlain was able to almost reach 13', his sergeant would be shy of 43". 42.6" to be precise.
Sadly for us, we know Chamberlain's words should be taken with a grain of salt. Tom Hawkins (a close friend, gym buddy and roommate in Los Angeles) explained to us something about Wilt :
"I played with him for 2 years ... I doubt his numbers are correct."
Jerry West stated multiple times :
"[Chamberlain] He had a tendency to elaborate on things that make him bigger than life."
Wilt never held the NCAA high jump record, nor did he ever win NCAAs in the high jump, nor was he ever an All American in the high jump. Bill Russell was 3.5 shorter than Wilt but jumped 2.5 inches higher in the high jump. Does that mean Russell’s vertical jump was 6 inches higher than Wilt’s?
But Jerry West, knowing Wilt's tendency, directly said himself that Wilt could touch the top of the backboard.
He wouldn't have been relying on Wilt saying so, but either his own knowledge (having seen him do it), or the account of a player or coach he knew was truthful.
@@phillipschuman4307
I know Jerry West said Wilt Chamberlain could touch the top of the backboard. He made this claim during an interview with Rampage Jackson; though, West, at one point, had mistaken Kareem and Wilt in one of his story...
Memory is volatile and over time, you tend to embellish or to tweak some stories.
Chamberlain himself never mentioned he was able to touch the top of the backboard and he claimed a 52 inches vertical! And to have slept with 20,000 and 600 lbs bench 🤣
@@david.tousignant20 If Jerry West misspoke once in that convo, that hardly makes him senile or perhaps meaning Kareem could touch the top of the backboard instead of Wilt. I saw interviews with West when he was 80+ and he always seemed very sharp to me.
So far as I recall, Wilt not only said he could get up that high, but high enough to take change off the top too. When he said that, he mentioned 'Jumping' Jackie Jackson said he could do that, but that he was confident that wasn't true.
@@phillipschuman4307
Where did I said he was senile. I clearly established he was mixing up stories.
For a man of his age, it's normal. I played JUCO basketball and football back in the days and people remembered things I never accomplished on the court or on the field!
According to meta analysis, most people have memory distortions, but emotional states, health, age, and environment can all affect how things are remembered.
False memories are memories that seem real but are not based in reality. Everyone has false memories at times because the human brain doesn't usually record events with the detailed accuracy of a device.
A common memory problem is the Mendela Effect.
Wilt Chamberlain in basketball, is like Babe Ruth in baseball, and Maurice Richard in hockey; mythical figures in their respective time & field, transcending imagination, and even though I consider Michael Jordan, Barry Bonds & Wayne Gretzky to be the greatest ever, Wilt, Babe and Rocket will remain myths until the end of time!
wayne def isn't the goat lol
50 inches for 7 feet proportional to height would be about 42 inches if you are 6 feet tall, which is quite common.
Wilt was still a freakish athlete in every respect, but the 50 inches is misleading.
Beware of the parallax effect
Tom Hawkins did not particularly like the big dipper 😅...seriously 😮
Wilt's my favorite player and obviously an extraordinary athlete. But he tended to inflate his athletic prowess, claiming several hundred-pound bench presses and 50" vertical. I watched him throughout his career (I started watching him as a child!), and I NEVER saw him leap like that during games. Yes, he could soar to block a shot on his one-step jump, but even on those max leaps, he surely isn't jumping over 40". If he was jumping anywhere near 48", his collarbone would be on the rim. Never got even close to that in a game. My guess is that Wilt's max vertical was somewhere in the high thirties.
@@jlolson53 @
I’ve watch the 69 finals
Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries
Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach.
7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board.
If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches
That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
@@Dunk1It1Hard Agreed. His highest leaps, of course, were without the ball, blocking a shot. With the ball, I'd guess around 26 - 28 " on average. Without the ball (usually on blocks), I'd guess 32 - 38". He might've had a few super-explosive days, putting him 40" or slightly more on his blocks. I didn't watch him when he was a young dude, either. Still, he was probably in or near his prime in the early and mid-sixties. He was still a monster up to and beyond his retirement.
@@jlolson53 agreed. I think wilt had a 38 inch vertical. Beyond that is just wishful thinking. And nostalgic distortion.
@@Dunk1It1Hard DIstortion. The only delusion is by fans today. The modern record for max reach on a backboard by an NBA player is Dwight Howard at 12'8". Wilt got up that high in ganes with one step. Jerry West is wrong about Wilt. Tex Winter didn't see Wilt dunk from the FT line and IMMEDIATELY go th the rules committee. Hank Stram didn't time Wilt at 4.4 in the 40 even when he said he did IN THE 60's. The only distortion is by KLUTCH bots who know that if Lebron was even 6" taller he still wou;dn't be Wilt athletically. LOL
Camera man had terrible angles need to see it from the side see how he he was flying
Yep i have wilt #3 all time behind mj and Kareem
Kareem made the conference finals his rookie year. Wilt blocked his shot 17 times in the series. Kareem adapted by facing up . He was quicker than an old Wilt . Kareem won his first ring, MVP award, and Finals MVP his second year.
The high jump and vertical leap are not the same thing.....
42 inches is the official answer
@@NielsH97 @
I’ve watch the 69 finals
Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries
Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach.
7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board.
If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches
That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
morgan freeman
Wilt was 7'1 so if Wilt had a vertical of 45" then his head should be almost a foot above the rim. I have never seen Wilt that high. That said, he never needed to jump that high
There's video of Wilt with his head above the rim. Check out the WCA.
@@oldeskoolnewsreels9927 I'm not saying there is not but based on Wilt's height the height of the rim, for Wilt to have a 48 vert or higher, Wilt would have to literally be able get his entire head above the rim. I have watched everything on Wilt I can and saw him play in 72. I have never seen him that high. Trust me, I consider Wilt the GOAT and maybe the greatest athlete ever
@@madnezz1961 I've seen video of Wilt with his chin at the rim on a one step jump. Like I said, go to WCA and look for the video of Wilt's "higherst vertical?". Pause the video at his apex. His head is way above the rim. He was in college at the time.
@@madnezz1961 @
I’ve watch the 69 finals
Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries
Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach.
7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board.
If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches
That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
@@Dunk1It1Hard 9'6" standing reach with a max reach of 13'3". That was his Sargent. A Sargent is closer to a standing vert than a max vert.
Jimmy Hendrix
Clearing 6'6" in a high jump is nothing. I had one friend who cleared 7'1" first try in his life and his vertical was around 40 inches at best, probably a couple inches lower than that. Another friend was an actual high jumper who got to a personal best of 7'6" and his vertical was not even 35 inches. Chamberlain was full of crap with his numbers ( 20,000 and 50 and who knows what else ). You can see videos of him and there's no way that guy could jump more than 35 inches. which is good for a big guy, but nothing more. Most jumps in this video are probably not even 30 inches. As for those high jump photos people need to study more about camera angles. It's all nonsense. 35 inch vertical max.
Your "friend" probably had a 3 or 4 foot mat he was landing on. Like to see "him" do it onto the flat ground. More B S form fanbois and/or bots.
@@oldeskoolnewsreels9927 Not BS, of course there was a mat. It was a normal high jump setup.
@@cooljp1531 The fastest NFL football player ever was Bob Hayes. He won the 100 meter Gold Medal in 1964. He ran on a cinder track which is significantly slower tham modern tracks. At least he had blocks. In 1936, Jesse Owens would dig holes for his feet as a starting block. In the 50's, no mats were used in field events and the track was made of cinder. Bob Hayes would smoke any modern football player. The Fosbury Flop wasn't imvented until the late 60's because if you tried it without a mat, you'd break your neck. There isn't an NBA player today who could out high jump Wilt or Bill Russell. And by a long shot. Wilt ran a 4.4 40 yard dash at his KC Chiefs tryout at 292 pounds. On the grass without cleats. 4.6 barefoot. That's verified by HOF coach Hank Stram. Lebron isn't anywhere near the total athlete that Wilt was. No NBA player has ever been.
@@oldeskoolnewsreels9927 I'll be the first one to say: "Don't underestimate old timers" But Wilt's numbers are all verifiably bullshit. Everybody knows he was lying all the time, almost as much as LeBron is these days.
The only way Wilt did 40 under 5 seconds was on a bicycle.
@@cooljp1531 LOL Wilt wasn't only "claiming" he could do it. He tried out for the KC Chiefs and Hank Stram verified it. In fact, Hank thought that Wilt would have been a better WR than Jerry Rice. Also, Billy Mills, a Gold Medal winner at the 10k, said he saw Wilt shot put over 50 feet and run a half mile under 2 minutes. Another liar. I could go on listing reputable people who eyewitnessed Wilt's feats. They are ALL liars. lmfao.
This video assembles some good video clips but offers no real information.
We don't have to "Imagine" what it would look like for WIlt to jump over Jordan for a Dunk. Giannis has literally done this when he jumped over Tim Hardaway Jr. head on a dunk. Giannis is literally doing the stuff that Wilt claimed he could do.
Can he touch the top of the back board? Wilt was the greatest athlete ever. Alien 👽
What does this matter?
So he jump high..
That says ZERO about his
Character or the impact he had
On people.
Omg If he had all The Modern day day equipment. He probably could have put his elbow on top of the backboard. To great n b a players jerry west and sache Sanders who played with wilt In the 1960s. And there are countless other NBA players who verify the same thing. And wilt Himself with a Serious expression said that his vertical is over 50. You better believe it.💯👍
What kind of nonsense is that. I managed to clear 6ft 3in in high jump. I am 6’2 tall and - for an athlete - an average jumper. I could dunk with ease but I reckon I never jumped higher than 30inches, if that. Really good leader out jumped me with ease. Chamberlain clearing 6’6 means… f*ck all. The man was 7’1, he did not have to lift himself that high. I tried to watch all the footage of him and I have never seen any that suggested that he was an exceptional leaper.
Another one. How thick was the mat you were landing on. 3 or 4 feet. I HIGHLY DOUBT you could scissor kick 6'3" onto the flat ground without a mat. LOL
Ok tough guy you were more impressive than Wilt LOL
ahh, glaze-o' clock again.
If he could leap that high the basket would be at his chest. Sorry no
super cap
Wilt was awesome, but show me even one picture of him with his head above the rim. That would be 36” vertical.
@@dgb711 @
I’ve watch the 69 finals
Every video on RUclips and 2 documentaries
Wilt was 7’1 with a 9’9 standing reach.
7’1 tall with a 38 inch vertical would have wilts eyes at the rim. 9’9 standing reach plus a 38 inch leap puts him at 12’11 on the back board.
If he was younger and not muscle bound like he was later in life, he would weigh less and jump higher. A younger, fresh and springy, adrenaline pumping wilt with a running approach might get 40- 42 inches
That puts his max reach at 13- 13’3 at most. Anything else is fibbing.
Wilt literally hurdled his high jump. not any actaul form
also, i took his NCAA winning height, converted to Meters/Cm, and saw that if he was in the 1956 olympic finals that would have put him in 11th place ifinalss. which means it is hiter than all but 10 of the best in the world who qualiifed for the olympics
Wilt didn’t hurdle his high jumps
Wilt never won NCAAs in the high jump
Wilt was never an All-American in the high jump
That’s a lie, he did the American style pre-fosberry flop
Did you watch the video at all? He wasn't hurdling the high jump.
@@stephenwhite5444 dude, i watched it and have seen the clip hundres of times, did YOU watch it. he had no real form. and he leaped forward , more of a side hurdlie LIKE action but close enough. he jumped and put his legs over it more so than bending his body forwaqrd or backwards.
@@brum23 dude. he LITERALLY WON THE NCAA Big 7/bit 8 high jum 3 years in a row. you are a hater an dliar
Blah, blah, blah.
Wilt lied about his highest high jump (he claims 6’10.25” when his highest was 6’6.75”) but you believe him about the highest he ever touched? Stop it.
So you were there for his entire high jump period? Or are you basing your opinion on lack of knowledge by thinking that his only jumps were at a main documented event?
Chamberlain competed in 1953, 1954 and 1955 in HS (he competed in shot put and other endeavors) and in NCAA.
If he was able to do it clear 6'10 in practice, he would had been able to clear 6'7 in contest. It never happened!
His highest clearance was 6'6.75". Which was still incredible.
But, Bill Russell won a competition in the NCAA with a staggering 6'9.25" a few years prior.
@@stephenwhite5444Kansas University, the NCAA and Track and Field News all kept statistics and the highest Wilt ever jumped was 6’6.75”. That is his high jump PR, no matter what he says otherwise.
I'm in the middle here. Because I dont go off what Wilt says he does because I know he likes to exaggerate. Then there are the other guys who use that fact as Wilt is lying so its all a lie and he is a fruad its all b.s.
Like I said when Wilt says 50 or 52 inch vert. I think ok so it's probably more like 42-46. It does get annoying because the stuff he exaggerates is stuff the his real numbers are already impressive. Shame that his whole legacy is doubted though.
@@jasonnelson6624 Even 42” is extremely unlikely. He would be able to get his head 7-8” above the rim with a 42” vertical, and there’s no footage that suggests anything close to that.
Wilt chamberlain is good and all but there’s no way he’s a better overall athlete than Peyton Pritchard
Idk about 50" vertical....bs
Wilt did a lot of bragging and exaggerating. I saw him play and he was a great athlete but 50 inch vertical and bench pressing 500 lbs? Sounds more like the legend of Paul Bunyan. Y’all can believe all that crap if you want to but I’m not buying it.😂