Jordan vs. Wilt - A Beef That Changed The NBA Forever

Wilt Chamberlain Dominated the NBA from the moment he touched the court..His superhuman stats and records made it seem impossible that anyone would ever dethrone him as the Greatest of All Time..

But then came Michael Jordan!

Michael Jordan's dunks, defense and scoring ability set a new standard for greatness. Before his career was even over fans, players and even MJ himself were calling him the new GOAT

But according to Wilt Chamberlain… THAT was all delusion!

And when the pair met at the 50th Anniversary of the NBA Wilt Chamberlain ENDED The GOAT Debate.

Follow For Content ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Instagram: @HenryJHoops
TikTok: @HenryHoops

[Apple_Teck]

"One time, when I was with Boston and he was with the Lakers, Happy Hairston and I were about to get in a scrape.
All of a sudden, I felt an enormous vice around me. I was 6-7, 235, and Wilt had picked me up and turned me around. He said, 'We're not going to have that stuff.' I said,
'Yes sir.' -- Paul Silas

"He [Wilt] stopped me dead in my tracks with his arm, hugged me and lifted me off the floor with my feet dangling. It scared the hell out of me. When I went to the free-throw line, my legs were still shaking. Wilt was the strongest guy and best athlete ever to play the game." -- KC
Jones

[colinforsecs]

I believe the case should be made for Wilt...The NBA disliked his arrogance and was why they catered to Russell who was more of a Civil Rights leader, leader among his team mates and Wilt was more of a freak of nature that was bigger and stronger than everyone else and he made a mockery of players and teams. Wilt should have won 8 MVP's because the league back then allowed only players to vote. Most of the players despised Wilt

[robertfrazier]

I was fortunate enough to see both Wilt and MJ when they were in their prime. Both took the league by storm when they were rookies. It took both a few seasons before they won NBA Champions. MJ had better coaches and personnel to play with. Wilt to me is the best Center to ever play in the NBA, MJ is the best Shooting Guard. Which I feel is the best way to compare players is by position, Every player on the court has different responsibilities.

[Apple_Teck]

Foul Trouble:
Wilt changed the rules of the game. He was the man responsible for the goal-tending rule, lanes being widened and no inbound passes over the backboard. But in spite of rules meant to corral Chamberlain, Wilt made it his mission to never foul out of a game and, like most everything else, he was successful.

“It was not by accident that I never fouled out of a game, either. I was taught early in my career by an old Philly coach that my value was on the court, not on the bench…So I worked extremely hard from making dumb, over-the-back fouls.”
The whole foul thing is a game in itself but someone good at playing basketball also knows how to play the foul game.

[cbiizzy]

Teamsport championships are won by a team, not by a solo individual. We can say that Ali, Federer and Michael Phelps won by themselves but saying that Jordan or Russell won championships like they won it by themselves is a dumb statement.

[roybacanimusic]

MJ simply showed respect. This is something a lot of these new crop of players seem to lack.

[masutakhan]

“My prime and his prime. How much money would you be willing to bet?” 😅😂

[larky]

Wilt was the greatest in a different way than Mike was. There is an element of greatness in setting records that will NEVER be broken. There is an element of greatness in having so many records in the books fifty years later. There will never be a physical specimen like Wilt ever again. People overlook Wilt because they find it impossible to believe that someone like him could have ever existed.

[slylancey]

One problem i have with Wilt saying that is there's a legendary Harlem street basketball player by the name of Earl "The Goat" Manigault from back in his day. He was only 6'1 and apparently he gave Wilt problems when they played at Rucker Park. If Earl could give Wilt problems, MJ im very certain could as well

[DunningKrugerJnr]

Great video, fresh perspective on the tired old GOAT debate

[donjuanismo]

@ Henry_Hoops SHOW US FOOTAGE of Jordan saying he was the greatest on TV? It never happened, because MJ never said that. You LIED @12:03.

[judy]

Notice Isaiah couldn’t point to ONE rule change that helped Jordan. I mean if your going to emphatically claim that there were rule changes for MJ maybe at least try to make one up. We all know Isaiah has no problem making things up.

[rashb]

I love Isiah but thats not honest. The Pistons got away with cheap shotting Jordan for years and he just got stronger with no rule change. Why the league might've took notice is because they were clipping Jordan mid air constantly which could be career ending. So they had to do address that but it was still a very physical league because those early 90's Knicks were Detroit light. Every team still had an enforcer on it until sometime after mids 90's the game cleaned up a lot.

[russconklin]

I have Kareem, Wilt, and Michael in Tier 1. Nobody can ever top these three players.

[david.tousignant]

You can't compare eras. Too many differences.

We should appreciate what the NBA players of the time brought to the game.

So, there's no GOAT, because Jordan never played against Russell and Chamberlain never went against James. I paraphrased Thomas William Heinsohn.

[JohnnyRodgers]

Despite the fact that wilt played against the second most HOF player at his position(only behind kareem and parish, which he played 7 years less than both) He PLAYED THE MOST TOTAL GAMES against another hof center….see list below lol
(mind you these are their barefoot heights, in the modern NBA you would add 1-2 inches to their height, as players have been measured in their shoes only after 1977)

C-Bill Russell: 6’10” HOF (143 games played in 9 seasons)
C-Kareem Abdul Jabbar: 7'2" HOF(27 games played in 4 seasons)
C-Willis Reed: 6, 10” HOF(72 games played in 8 seasons)
C-Walt Bellamy: 6'11" HOF(100 games played in 11 seasons)
C-Artis Gilmore: 7'2" HOF
C-Bob Lanier: 6'11" HOF(17 games played in 3 seasons)
C-Nate Thurmond: 6'11" HOF(47 games played in 4 seasons)
C-Bob McAdoo: 6’10” HOF (5 games played in 1 season)
C-Elvin Hayes:6’9 “ HOF (22 games played in 4 seasons)
(Wes Unseld is also a HOF center but he is 6’7) (26 times in 5 seasons)
(Dave Cowens is also a HOF Center/Forward but he is 6”9)(17 games played in 3 seasons)
(Connie Hawkins is also a HOF Forward/ center but he is 6”9)(31 games played in 4 seasons)

(please note there are more HOF PF who guarded and were guarded by wilt chamberlain but the majority of them are 6’8 to 6’9)
SO THATS 574 OUT OF 1045…WHICH TRANSLATES TO 54% OF WILTS GAMES BEING PLAYED AGAINST ANOTHER HOF CENTER…

[gregoryyarbrough]

That's not nothing that would leave. Nobody speechless bro. Isaiah. Thomas said that they change the rules so that Michael Jordan could dunk. No they changed the rules because y'all was giving people injuries that were not necessary. Look at what y'all done to Kurt rambis. Look at how y'all done him. Y'all done Mike the same way and the league got tired of y'all. They start calling the fowl Y'all or just all jealous of this dude Michael Jeffrey Jordan why I don't know what is so hard for y'all. The man dominated the game like no other. Nobody else can do it like he done it with such grace and style and precision. Got a lot of people coming up close but nobody can touch him. The only person that came close was Kobe jelly bean Bryant

[Apple_Teck]

Showboating:
Wilt had some other interesting comments. He didn’t like showboating (sometime watch the musical Showboat with embarrassing racial stereotypes, and compare with present showboating behavior). While Chamberlain liked natural “flair” (he used Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan as examples), going beyond that was not O.K.

Chamberlain said, “When I was playing…you respected your opponent, you did nothing overtly to embarrass him, and you believed in fair play. Today too many athletes are not sportsmen but assholes…I understand enthusiasm and I’m all for it, but these things are in bad taste and should not be accepted.”
That from the athlete who, of all athletes, might have had the most justification for showboating.

[donkeytime]

Michael didn't need a retort. He accomplished 4 championships at that point in time and probably figured, Eh I'll just get me a couple of more championships and have two 3-peats. In other words, that conversation only motivated Michael. I think Wilt was just a little jealous of Michael's success; it would be hard not to be when you think about it. Having four championships during that time and leading the Dreamteam and everyone is singing his name, "Like to be like Mike."Yeah, I would be a little jealous as well...

[neltymind]

0:20 Sure, MJ is the GOAT, no question. But he was barely the first player to challenge Chamberlain's GOAT status. What about Bill Russel, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson? Especially Kareem! They all played before MJ and at least had a case to be the new goat. And at least Kareem pretty obsiously did dethrone him.