Wilt Chamberlain crushed Michael Jordan’s GOAT case in 1996.
Over the years, the GOAT debate has been reduced to two major players: Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
However, before the arrival of LBJ to the league, the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell, all had valid arguments for being the GOAT instead of Jordan.
Chamberlain, in particular, took pride in how he dominated the league and things reached a boiling point during the NBA’s 50th anniversary celebration in 1996.
Back in 1996, Jordan was still playing in the league after returning to the NBA after his brief retirement following completing a three-peat.
Popularity-wise, there was undoubtedly no one parallel to the Chicago Bulls superstar, but he was still short of multiple accolades from his resume. Despite that, he was given the opportunity to be the main highlight of the league’s 50th anniversary alongside Chamberlain.
Boston Celtics legend Bill Walton was among the 50 players that the league hand-picked and he shared the atmosphere in the room.
“We’re in this one room, and it’s just 50 players. Over in the corner is Wilt and Michael Jordan. And they’re sitting at a table, arguing vociferously as to who the greatest player of all time was,” Walton shared.
He added: “They’re going back and forth and just, it’s just intense as could be. And we’re just having a great time.”
Walton also shared that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell refrained from taking part in the discussion and instead focused on signing autographs and taking pictures for fans.
After a while, then-NBA commissioner David Stern walked into the room.
Per Walton, Jordan and Chamberlain were still going at it despite Stern calling them out to attend the ceremony. The two stars ultimately agreed to walk out of the room, but Chamberlain had the last laugh.
“So they stand up, the conversation ends,” Walton continued.
“And Wilt, who always has the last word in everything, Wilt looked down at Michael and said, ‘Michael, just remember – when you played, they changed all the rules to make it easier for you to dominate. When I played, they changed all the rules to make it harder for me,’” he added.
“And there was no retort, no comeback. Wilt Chamberlain, oh my gosh,” Walton concluded.
Ouch! That must have stung. But fast forward to 2024, Chamberlain may be viewed as the most dominant player in NBA history.
However, as far as the GOAT is concerned, Jordan sits on that throne with LA Lakers superstar LeBron James trying to erase the gap between himself and the Bulls legend.
So, who had the last laugh? It’s up to you to figure out.
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