Wilt Chamberlain had no issues in admitting that he was no match for Bill Russell.
Prior to LeBron James‘ entry, the GOAT debate featured Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Michael Jordan.
Today, the majority of the NBA community unanimously views MJ as the GOAT, but that wasn’t the case a few decades earlier.
Both Chamberlain and Russell had a strong case for being considered the greatest basketball player of all time.
There are a plethora of different aspects to determine a player’s GOAT status. But more often than not, the number of championships a player has won plays a key role in that.
Well, if that’s the case, Russell won 11 NBA titles, including eight straight during his NBA career. Moreover, as a center, he dominated the game in his own way.
While Chamberlain also played the same position as Russell, he had a more expressive method to dominate opponents. Usually, by stuffing the box score. Even then, Wilt admitted that he was an inferior center to Russell.
“I pick him as the No. 1 center of all time because he was a complete, complete basketball player. I’ll pick Bill over me because he also helped his team a lot more than maybe I could have helped my team to win,” Chamberlain said.
“Sometimes the pure power of you makes you more individualistic. I have said this before, Wilt Chamberlain on the Boston Celtics would not have been the same. Sometimes, less is better, that’s how I view it,” he added.
“You can’t ask for more from that position,” Wilt concluded.
As Chamberlain mentioned, he may have been a more outright powerful player on the hardwood, he lacked Russell’s ability to uplift his teammates.
The Boston Celtics legend started his NBA career when there were just 12 teams in the league. Even then, winning 11 rings in 13 years is no small feat.
Russell never missed the postseason in his NBA career and was always the best player on the team. During his 13-year stint in the league, Russell averaged a solid 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.
It’s truly a shame that many tend to write off Russell’s accomplishments for playing in a weaker era. But that’s the GOAT debate for you.
Regardless of a player’s accolades, critics will always find a way to downplay other legends’ achievements to uplift their candidate’s status as the GOAT.
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