Wilt Chamberlain is the first player in NBA history to have a quadruple double double (40+ points and rebounds). He accomplished it five times throughout his career, not once or twice. The previous record was three times shared by Elgin Baylor and Ralph Sampson.
The next season, Wilt Chamberlain averaged nearly 50 points per game with another record that has never been matched: In just over half of all games he played, Chamberlain scored 100 points or more. His average fell short of 50 only four times during that season.
Chamberlain's retirement after one season led many experts to believe that he was still the best player in the world. However, when John Havlicek arrived at the Celtics last year, he took over as the team leader right away. He finished with more than 2,000 career points himself, making him the second highest scorer in NBA history behind Chamberlain.
In 1978, Bill Walton joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a rookie forward. That same year, Chamberlain retired after playing 20 seasons in the NBA. Many people think that Walton is now the greatest player never to win the MVP Award because he was on two championship teams while playing alongside legends like Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. However, the award goes to players for their performances over a single season, not over an entire career.
Wilt Chamberlain has twice grabbed 50 rebounds in a single game! A player has previously provided 30 assists. Four double-doubles have been recorded. A quintuple-double has never occurred and has never come close, making it the most difficult stat-based achievement in NBA history.
Chamberlain's first such performance came on March 1, 1962, when he had 51 rebounds against the Syracuse Nationals. The second time was five years later on January 4, 1967, when he had 50 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers. He also provided 30 assists on both occasions. It should be noted that at the time of these games, there was no limit on the number of field goals or free throws a player could provide; only limited to the number of minutes they could play during each period. Thus, Chamberlain could have just as easily had six or seven assists or even three or four blocks - although neither of those events had yet been invented!
In addition to his ability to grab an incredible amount of rebounding yardage, Wilt Chamberlain was also capable of putting up huge numbers in other categories. His season averages are currently recognized as being "record-breaking". However, at the time they were set, they had not been surpassed since then and are now considered historical benchmarks.
The person, their opponent, the day, and the legacy of the players who accomplished this rare achievement are listed below: Nate "The Great" Thurmond, best known for his 11-year tenure with the Golden State Warriors (1963-1974), recorded a quadruple-double with the Chicago Bulls. He was the first player in history to have a quadruple-double.
Wilt Chamberlain has twice grabbed 50 rebounds in a single game! A player has previously provided 30 assists. Four quadruple-doubles have been recorded. A quintuple-double has never occurred and has never come close, making it the most difficult stat-based achievement in NBA history.
Wilt Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history to have recorded a 40-40, which he did eight times in his career, four of which were in his rookie season. The longest consecutive double-double streak: Wilt Chamberlain set a record with 227 straight double-doubles from 1964 to 1967, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The record has since been broken by Michael Jordan (222 in a row from 1990 to 1993).
Chamberlain's average of 27.5 points and 10 rebounds per game would be good for second all time, behind only Moses Malone (27.6 ppg, 10.0 rpg). He also ranks third all time in blocks with 2.1 per game.
In addition to being one of just three players to score 100 points in a game, along with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, Chamberlain is also one of only two players to score 50 points in a playoff game, along with Jerry West. The other player? Kevin Durant. Yes, that Kevin Durant. In 2014, he scored 51 points in a single game, going 9 for 13 from the field, 7 for 7 from the free throw line, with 11 rebounds and nine assists.
So, yes, we are talking about one of the greatest players ever, not just to play but actually to exist.
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