In 1956, the league banned offensive goaltending. The rule said that no player can touch the ball if any part of it is over the cylinder. Nowadays it's called basketball interference. 12 years before that, in 1944, the league had already banned defensive goaltending.
In 1964, trying to stop Chamberlain, the NBA widened the lane area from 12 feet to 16. Curiously, they first widened it from 6 feet to 12 to diminish the dominance of George Mikan in 1951.
During his time at the University of Kansas, teammates were throwing alley-oop passes over the top of the backboard from behind it so Wilt could make dunks. The NCAA changed this rule, too, after watching the big advantage Wilt had.
One of the most incredible stories about Chamberlain is how he shot free throws. He made the shot, jumped from behind the free-throw line and slam the ball through the basket before his feet touched the ground. He didn't touch any part of the lane area while the ball went through the rim, so that wasn't a violation. That created another rule that says, "players cannot cross the plane of the free-throw line, even if your feet are not touching the ground, until the ball hits the rim or passes through the basket."