Barkley : Harden is the greatest offensive talent to ever play

Is everyone lying about his strength then?

K.C. Jones
K.C. was a former Boston Celtics guard that weighed about 200 pounds. He once got in an "altercation" with Wilt and he said this, "He 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."

Paul Silas
Paul was 6'7" and weighed about 235 pounds. He was reported as to saying, "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 vise 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.'"

As for the women, better him than me. Prefer quality to quantity. But dude had his choice for sure.

20,000 Women
Wilt declared in his book that he slept with thousands upon thousands of women but the number 20,000 actually comes from Rod Roddewig, a contemporary of Wilt's. They stayed in Wilt's penthouse in Honolulu in the 1980s for 10 days and every time Wilt would sleep with new girl Rod would put a check mark in his planner. When those 10 days were up he had 23 check marks in his planner. This would be about 2.3 women a day. So, Rod did some math. He divided 2.3 in half then he multiplied that by the number of days that Wilt had been alive at that time minus 15 years. That's how the 20,000 number came to be.

https://vocal.media/unbalanced/wilt-chamberlain-stories

 

I didn’t say he wasn’t strong. I said he didn’t bench 500 lbs. He could be the strongest NBA player of all time, I have no idea. I wouldn’t bet on it but it’s possible.

But he didn’t bench 500 lbs and that’s ok. Benching 500lbs is a 100% useless skill for an NBA basketball player.

 

Wilt's game had changed by end of his career. He was convinced by coaches and teammates that he needed to be less of a scorer, less selfish.

So he became a passer but still won rebounding titles. Still the only 7 footer to lead NBA in assists.

Hear it from the people who were there and the people who came right afterwards. Magic was getting dominated by a retired Wilt in pickup games.

 

Neither you or I could say one way or the other.

His contemporaries say otherwise.

 

No it isn’t outrageous.

He is clearly a better offensive player Kobe Bryant.

That essentially leaves Wilt, Jordan, Kareem and possibly Jerry West and Durant.

He is a better offensive player than Kareem and Durant.... Wilt played in a different era so it is hard to really rank him.

That leaves Jordan and West. The advanced numbers for Harden are better than West.

So that leaves Jordan. Jordan didn’t shoot 3’s or pass like Harden. The argument for Jordan is he would have adapted his game, but that is an unknown.

 

The inevitable reading comprehension problem shows up again... let me make it easier for you.

1. Wilt is in the conversation for most athletic basketball player of all time. He was incredibly strong. I’m not disputing this.

2. Wilt didn’t bench press 500 lbs. It didn’t happen. Look at the people with verified lifts of 500 plus. It’s an incredible feat made by people dedicated to the craft of powerlifting. Wilt didn’t bench 500 and it’s silly to even think that.

 

Imagine Rudy Gobert's height and length + Lebron speed (4.6 40) + Shaq power + Blake Griffin leaping ability + Russ stamina

 

Wilt Benching 600lbs? 50" vertical? I also heard he once beat a cheetah in a race and wrestled a full grown elephant to the ground with only his left arm!

I mean come the F on guys...

 

You mistake comprehension for validation.

You nor I did not witness Wilt's benches, his contemporaries did.

Believe or not believe, does not mean it did not happen.

Wilt was reputed to be benching 400 lbs before he died. He died at 63.

 

When I hear greatest i envision someone who can put up great numbers regardless of the era or players bc of a skill set that transcends their current Era. Wilt, hands down out the most dominating numbers but i can see wilt not even being a top 2 center in the 90s and for sure not putting up the numbers he did with the big man that play in the league now

 

Check out the advanced stats comparison.

 

LOL

 

You have anecdotal evidence saying he was strong. That’s fine. I agree with you he was a very very strong man.

You also have a myth about him benching 500lbs or in your words 600lbs! Wow.

In Wilt’s rookie season of 1959 the bench press record in the entire world was 565 lbs by a guy named Bruno Sammartino. He was 5’10” tall with exactly the type of build to maximize leverage in a lift like benching. Somehow Wilt Chamberlain, a professional basketball player that weighed nearly the same with 14” more height and a wingspan of 7’8” nearly lifted or even exceeded that? You’re not that dense right? It’s not possible and it’s silly to even think that. There is no evidence he lifted anything of the sort. I could find you 100 people that say we faked the moon landing. Is that also true?

 

I didn't say he benched 600 lbs, Wilt did.

But there have been eye witnesses saying he benched 500 lbs and 400 lbs in his 60's.

I mean, is Arnold a credible witness?

He said Wilt was doing 170ntriceps extensions which blew Arnold's mind.

Or that in his 40's he'd pick up Arnold with one arm.

 

Dude. We get it. He was REALLY, REALLY GOOD. He was also REALLY, REALLY ATHLETIC. He may have been the best player ever in the NBA... But he also exaggerated a lot. All the stories about him are just that → stories. The physical evidence to support these claims just doesn't exist. You are correct that none of us saw it so we can't confirm or deny, but I just can't rationally believe some of the things being said about him when it comes to his vertical leap and bench press. I don't doubt that he could jump, but I don't see any reason to believe it was 50". As far as the bench press others have noted why it's extremely unlikely given his stature and extremely long, lean arms.

He was awesome, but the hyperbole is a bit out of control.

 

Can you describe what you picture in your head when you hear something like this? Did Wilt simply grab Arnold by the neck and lift him up? Did he just sit down on a weight bench and start doing 1-armed curls with him? Or did he just have Arnold stand on the tip of his index finger and spin him around like a basketball...?

 

If he said it he’s lying. No big deal. People make **** up all the time.

You’re not understanding the kind of weight 500 lbs is in the bench press. Its not insulting to say Wilt can’t do it. It’s insulting to powerlifters to pretend that Wilt could.

 

At this point I'm going with this...