“I am not a role model. I’m not paid to be a role model. I’m paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball, doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.” – Charles Barkley

Nov. 24, 1960 – Wilt Chamberlain grabbed an NBA single-game record 55 rebounds

Wilt Chamberlain broke more than 70 NBA records. In his 14-year career in the NBA, he scored 31,419 points. (The only player with a higher tally is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played six seasons—514 games—longer than Chamberlain did.) He was the highest scorer in the NBA from 1960-1966, and led the league in rebounding for 11 of his 14 seasons. And during the 1966-67 season, when his coach asked him to shoot less and pass more, Chamberlain had more assists than anyone else in the league. Among his records are several that are considered unbreakable, such as averaging 22.9 rebounds for a career or 50.4 points per game in a season, scoring 100 points or 55 rebounds in a single game, scoring 65 or more points 15 times, 50 or more points 118 times. During Chamberlain’s time, defensive statistics like blocks and steals had not been recorded yet. However, according to Jack Ramsay, “Harvey said he used to tell one of his statisticians to keep track of Wilt’s blocks in big games…One night, they got up to 25”.

Chamberlain was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, the first year he was eligible, and in 1997 he was elected to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Star Team. He died in 1999.

“I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity.” – Julius Erving

“I didn’t mean to destroy it. It was the power, the Chocolate Thunder. I could feel it surging through my body, fighting to get out. I had no control over it.” – Darryl Dawkins

Nov. 13, 1979 – Darryl Dawkins shatters his first backboard

In the middle of a game at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Philadelphia 76ers center Darryl Dawkins leaps over Kansas City Kings forward Bill Robinzine and slam-dunks the basketball, shattering the fiberglass backboard. The result, according to people who were at the game, was a sound like a bomb going off in the middle of the court. Shards of glass were everywhere: They nicked Robinzine all over his legs and arms and gotten stuck in Dr. J’s Afro. “It wasn’t really a safe thing to do,” Dawkins chuckled later, “but it was a Darryl Dawkins thing to do.”

When the 6’10”, 260-pound Dawkins joined the 76ers in 1975, he became the first NBA player to be drafted right out of high school. He gave himself the nickname “Chocolate Thunder” and set about making himself the most entertaining player in the league. 

Backboard shattering has altered the game in many different ways. In 1967, the dunk was banned in high school and college basketball. The rule-makers claimed the dunk was outlawed to prevent injury and equipment damage. After multiple issues with the new rule, nine years later they allowed the slam dunk to be legal again due to the invention of the breakaway rim. The NBA began using them after Dawkins shattered two backboards with his slam dunks during the 1979 season.

Dawkins became famous for shattering backboards, and is credited for being the one person to cause the NBA to introduce the so-called “breakaway rims”. A breakaway rim is a basketball hoop that can bend slightly when a player dunks a basketball, and then instantly snap back into a horizontal position when the player releases it. It allows players to dunk the ball without shattering the backboard, and it reduces the possibility of wrist injuries. Breakaway rims were invented in the mid-1970s and are now an essential element of high-level basketball.

Nov. 9, 1984 – Larry Bird and Julius “Dr J” Erving got into a fight during a game

Both teams came into this game undefeated, Philadelphia 76ers at 5-0 and Boston Celtics 4-0. The 76ers were the NBA Champions in 1983. The Celtics captured the NBA Championship title in 1984.

Larry Bird was ejected along with Julius “Dr J” Erving in the third quarter after an on court scuffle. At the point of both ejections, Bird had outscored Erving 42 to 6. During the game, Bird had continuously informed Erving of their tallies with every chance he got to score. Bird denies this stating that it was teammate “M.L. (Carr) talking trash from the bench” during that game. Eventually a shoving match ensued, then swings taken by both players, and finally a bench-clearing brawl.

Each team boasted a ‘who’s-who’ roster.

The Celtics with: Cedric Maxwell, Larry Bird and Robert Parish up front and Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge in the backcourt and off Head Coach K. C. Jones’ bench were: Kevin McHale, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman, M.L. Carr, Rick Carlisle, Greg Kite and Carlos Clark.

The Sixers started: Julius Erving, Marc Iavaroni, Moses Malone, Clint Richardson and Maurice Cheeks, with Charles Barkley, Bobby Jones, Sedale Threatt, Leon Wood, Andrew Toney (injured this game and not with the team), Clemon Johnson and Sam Williams coming off Coach Billy Cunningham’s pine.

Erving thought Bird was taking a swing at him, “so I reach out, just wanting to make sure Larry can’t clock me. I end up with my right hand on his chest, and my fingers around his neck.”

The ensuing brawl resulted in a $7,500 fine for both Bird and Erving. But the two went on to earn big promotional dollars together. “I don’t hate Larry. I never hated Larry. I hated Boston. I hated the Celtics.”

“These are my new shoes. They’re good shoes. They won’t make you rich like me, they won’t make you rebound like me, they definitely won’t make you handsome like me. They’ll only make you have shoes like me. That’s it.” – Charles Barkley

“I keep both eyes on my man. The basket hasn’t moved on me yet.” – Julius Erving

Oct. 24, 1959 – Wilt Chamberlain made his NBA debut with 43 points, 28 boards

Wilt Chamberlain was basketball’s most awesome force the game has ever seen. From the moment Chamberlain played his first NBA game, for the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1959-60 season, it was apparent he would be one of the greatest players the game has ever known. In his professional debut against the New York Knicks, Chamberlain scored 43 points and grabbed 28 rebounds, a portent of things to come. He finished the season averaging 37.6 points and 27.0 rebounds per game, and in the process won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year, All-Star Game Most Valuable Player and NBA Most Valuable Player.

But the most outstanding figures are his scoring records; Most games with 50+ points, 118; Most consecutive games with 40+ points, 14; Most consecutive games with 30+ points: 65; Most consecutive games with 20+ points: 126; Highest rookie scoring average: 37.6 ppg; Highest field goal percentage in a season: .727. And with many of these, the player in second place is far behind. His name appears so often in the scoring record books that his name could be the default response any time a question arises concerning a scoring record in the NBA.

#ThrowbackThursdays

Bill Russell rivals Wilt Chamberlain.

The only two NBA players to have grabbed more than fifty rebounds in a game.