“Without Wilt Chamberlain, There Might Not Be an NBA” – Walt Frazier Insists Wilt Should Be the GOAT
NBA Hall of Famer Walt Frazier has never been shy about sharing his thoughts on basketball’s greatest players, but his latest take has reignited one of the sport’s longest-standing debates—the GOAT discussion. While names like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are often thrown into the conversation, Frazier believes that Wilt Chamberlain is the one who truly deserves the title of greatest of all time.
And in Frazier’s eyes, it’s not even close.
Frazier: “Without Wilt, There Might Not Be an NBA”
During a recent interview, Frazier reflected on Chamberlain’s impact on basketball, arguing that the league owes its very existence to Wilt.
“People always talk about Jordan, LeBron, or Kareem, but without Wilt Chamberlain, there might not be an NBA,” Frazier said. “He was bigger than life, a guy who dominated the game so much they had to change the rules to slow him down. He put basketball on the map.”
Frazier, who played against Chamberlain in the late 1960s and early 1970s, emphasized how Wilt’s influence transcended statistics, even though his numbers alone make the case for his GOAT status.
Wilt’s Statistical Dominance: The Most Untouchable Records in NBA History
Wilt Chamberlain’s career is filled with records that may never be broken. Frazier pointed to some of the most jaw-dropping stats that showcase Chamberlain’s singular greatness:
- 100-Point Game (1962) – No player has ever come close to matching this feat.
- 50.4 PPG in a season (1961-62) – The closest anyone has come is Michael Jordan at 37.1 PPG.
- 55 Rebounds in a Single Game (1960) – Even Bill Russell couldn’t match that.
- Averaged 22.9 RPG for His Career – The only player to even come close was Russell (22.5 RPG).
- Never Fouled Out in 1,045 Career Games – Despite playing huge minutes and battling giants like Russell and Kareem.
“You see guys today struggle to get 20 rebounds in a game,” Frazier said. “Wilt was grabbing 50 in a night. He was a one-man wrecking crew. People don’t realize how easy he made it look.”
The Rule Changes That Targeted Wilt
Frazier also pointed out that Wilt was so dominant that the NBA had to change its rules to limit his impact:
- Widening the lane from 12 to 16 feet (The “Wilt Chamberlain Rule”)
- Banning offensive goaltending (Wilt used to dunk missed shots before they touched the rim)
- Changing free-throw rules (Wilt would dunk from the free-throw line before the NBA banned it)
“If you have to change the rules to stop a guy, that tells you how great he is,” Frazier said. “LeBron and Jordan are amazing, but the league never had to rewrite the rulebook for them.”
Wilt vs. Jordan, LeBron, and Kareem
When asked how Chamberlain compares to Jordan, LeBron, and Kareem, Frazier made it clear that while all four are Mount Rushmore-level players, none had the combination of dominance, impact, and versatility that Wilt had.
- Michael Jordan: “Jordan was the best scorer of his era, but he never averaged 50 a game or grabbed 50 rebounds in a night.”
- LeBron James: “LeBron is a freak athlete, but Wilt was just as athletic and stronger.”
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: “Kareem had the longevity, but he couldn’t match Wilt’s peak dominance.”
“People forget, Wilt led the league in assists one year (1968) just to prove he could,” Frazier added. “Jordan never did that. LeBron hasn’t done that. Wilt changed the game like nobody else.”
Final Thoughts: Wilt Is the GOAT in Frazier’s Eyes
Frazier finished his argument with a definitive statement:
“I don’t take anything away from Jordan, LeBron, or Kareem, but in my book, Wilt is the GOAT. No one has ever done what he did, and no one ever will.”
While the GOAT debate will never be settled, Frazier’s comments add fuel to the argument that Wilt Chamberlain might just be the most dominant player in basketball history—a player so unstoppable that he forced the NBA to change the way the game was played.
What do you think? Should Wilt Chamberlain be the undisputed GOAT?
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