Oh, and comparing Chamberlain to Olajuwon?
Wilt averaged 27.0 ppg in his 35 "must-win" and/or clinching games. Meanwhile, his starting opposing centers averaged 14.5 ppg in those 35 games. He also outscored his opposing starting center in 29 of those 35 games, including a 19-0 edge in his first 19 games of those 35. Furthermore, in his 13 games which came in his "scoring" seasons (from 59-60 thru 65-66), Chamberlain averaged 37.3 ppg in those "do-or-die" or clinching games. And there were MANY games in which he just CRUSHED his opposing centers in those games (e.g. he outscored Kerr in one them, 53-7.)
Wilt had THREE of his four 50+ point post-season games, in these "elimination games", including two in "at the limit" games, and another against Russell in a "must-win" game. He also had games of 46-34 and 45-27 (and only 4 months removed from major knee surgery) in these types of games. In addition he had games of 39 and 38 in clinching wins.
In the known 19 games in which we have both Wilt's, and his starting opposing center's rebounding numbers, Chamberlain outrebounded them in 15 of them, and by an average margin of 26.1 rpg to 18.9 rpg. And, had we had all 35 of the totals, it would have been by a considerably larger margin. A conservative estimate would put Wilt with at least a 30-5 overall edge in those 35 games. He also had games, even against the likes of Russell, and in "must-win" situations, where he just MURDERED his opposing centers (e.g. he had one clinching game, against Russell, in which he outrebounded him by a 36-21 margin.)
And finally, in the known FG% games in which we have, Chamberlain not only shot an eye-popping .582 in those "do-or-die" games, but he held his opposing centers to a combined .413 FG%. BTW, he played against Kareem in two "clinching" games, and held Abdul-Jabbar to a combined .383 shooting in those two games, while shooting .545 himself (18-33.) How many series was Wilt outshot in his SIX Finals? One, in his last season, and NOT by his opposing center, either (he outshot EVERY opposing center in EVERY one of his SIX Finals.) In that ONE series, dikk Barnett outshot him by a .531 to .525 margin. Incidently, in Wilt's SIX Finals, he shot .517, .525, .534, .560 (against Thurmond no less, and in Nate's greatest season....the same Nate who held Kareem to .486, .428, and even .405 shooting in their three H2H post-season series), .600, and .625 (on one leg, and in a seven game series.)
The bottom line, in the known games of the 35 that Wilt played in that involved a "must-win" or clincher, Wilt averaged 27 ppg, 26.1 rpg, and shot .582 (and the 27 ppg figure was known for all 35 of those games.)
Chamberlain played in 11 games which went to the series limit (nine game seven's, one game five of a best-of-five series, and one game three of a best-of-three series), and all he did was average 29.9 ppg (outscoring his opposing center by a 29.9 ppg to 9.8 ppg margin in the process), with 26.7 rpg, and on .581 shooting. Or he was an eye-lash away from averaging a 30-27 game, and on nearly .600 shooting, in those 11 "at the limit" games. Oh, and BTW, Chamberlain's TEAMs went 24-11 in those 35 games, too.
List all the HOF's The Dream went through during his title runs.in Wilt's two title runs, he faced teams that had as many as FIVE and SIX HOFers on them. Chamberlain also faced a starting HOF center in 105 of his 160 post-season games, and yet, he was only eliminated in the first round in ONE series (and he just CRUSHED his opposing center in that series BTW.) He battled a PRIME Kareem in 11 games, Thurmond in 17, Reed in 18, and Russell in 49.
BTW, I will be posting some new info regarding his "decline" in the post-season, as well. It is amazing, but given the actual scoring and especially shooting percentages in the Wilt-era POST-SEASONS, he was consistently at or near his regular season numbers.
And, had he had the good "fortune" to have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, EIGHT times, as was the case with Hakeem, his first round numbers were often HIGHER. And, I have read an idiot post claiming that Hakeem outshot Wilt from the field in the post-season (by a .528 to .522 margin), BUT, I will be comparing their post-season LEAGUE AVERAGES, (and even including eFG%'s), which CLEARLY gives Chamberlain a HUGE edge.
As examples, in Wilt's fist eight post-seasons, and in his first round, he averaged
38.7 ppg
37.0 ppg
37.0 ppg
38.6 ppg and on .559 shooting (in a post-season NBA of 105.8 ppg on .420 shooting)
27.8 ppg (and then 30.1 ppg, on .555 shooting, and against Russell)
28.0 ppg
28.0 ppg (and a great example of FG% at .612 in a post-season at .424)
25.5 ppg (and on .584 shooting, while his opposing center, Bellamy was at
20.0 on .421 shooting.)Even in his 11th season, and only four months removed from major knee surgery, Chamberlain put up a first round of 23.7 ppg., 20.3 rpg, and .549.
And, in his 71-72 post-season, he had a 14.5 ppg, 20.8 rpg, .629 first round series (and in an NBA post-season of .446.)
So while Chamberlain was shooting .522 in his post-season career, it came in post-seasons of between .402 to .455.) Meanwhile Hakeem's .528 came in post-seasons of as high as .492, and an efg% as high as .500. MANY in the .485+ range, as well.