Frasi di Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Data di nascita: 21. Agosto 1936
Data di morte: 12. Ottobre 1999
Wilton Norman Chamberlain detto Wilt è stato un cestista e allenatore di pallacanestro statunitense, professionista nella NBA.
Chamberlain, alto 2,16 metri, noto come Golia, Wilt the Stilt o The Big Dipper, detiene numerosi record statistici dell'NBA tra cui quello del maggior numero di punti in una singola partita e quello del maggior numero di rimbalzi in una singola partita . È considerato uno tra i migliori giocatori di pallacanestro della storia.
Morì d'infarto a 63 anni il 12 ottobre 1999 nella sua casa di Bel Air. Già nel 1992 era stato ricoverato in ospedale per un'aritmia cardiaca.
Frasi Wilt Chamberlain
„Several years after Wilt stopped playing, he toyed with the idea of a comeback. On the day he visited the Knicks' offices in Madison Square Garden, he talked to Red Holzman, then strode out to the elevator. When it opened, two deliverymen were struggling with a dolly piled high with boxes of office supplies, mostly letterheads and envelopes. The load was so heavy, the elevator had stopped maybe four inches below the floor level and now the deliverymen were huffing and puffing, but they couldn't raise the dolly high enough to get it on the floor level. After maybe two minutes of the deliverymen's huffing and puffing, Wilt, his biceps bulging in a tank top, peered down at them and intoned, "Gentlemen, maybe I can help." They stepped back, he stepped into the elevator, grabbed each end of the rope slung under the dolly and without much exertion, quickly lifted the dolly onto the floor level. Looking up in awe, the deliverymen said, "Thank you." Wilt said, "You're welcome." Wilt stepped into the elevator and rode down to the street level as another witness followed the two deliverymen toward the Knick offices and asked, "How much does all this weigh?" They quickly surveyed the stack of big boxes of office supplies. "Close to 600 pounds," one said.“
— Wilt Chamberlain
The Good Natured Giant Wasn't Belligerent, Sports of the Times; Oct 13, 1999; Dave Anderson
„"When challenged, Wilt could do almost anything he wanted. In 1961 a new star named Walt Bellamy came into the league. Bellamy was 6-foot-11, and was scoring 30 points a game. First time they played against each other, they met at half court. Bellamy said, 'Hello, Mr. Chamberlain. I'm Walter Bellamy.' Chamberlain reached for Bellamy's hand and said, "Hello, Walter. You won't get a shot off in the first half." Wilt then blocked Bellamy's first nine shots. At the start of the second half Wilt said to Bellamy, 'Okay, Walter. Now you can play.'"“
— Wilt Chamberlain
[http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/view.php?id=9389]
„"Nobody seems to appreciate what an incredible player Wilt was," Russell said at 1997 All-Star Game when the league named and honored its 50 greatest players. "He was the best player of all time because he dominated the floor like nobody else ever could. To be that big and that athletic was special."“
— Wilt Chamberlain
[http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/fran_blinebury/07/15/legend-chamberlain/index.html]
„Former Celtics guard K. C. Jones remembered his casual run-in with Wilt. "He stopped me dead in my tracks with his arm, hugged me and lifted me off the floor with my feet dangling," Jones said. "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."“
— Wilt Chamberlain
Goliath's Wonderful Life, Hoop Magazine; May 1999; Chris Ekstrand
