Word: wilted
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...Angeles Lakers had just won their first National Basketball Association championship, and the proud, patient giant stood sweating in the chaotic locker room-a Gulliver indulging a swarm of Lilliputian newsmen. "For a long time," he said, "fans of mine had to put up with people saying Wilt couldn't win the big ones. Now maybe they'll have a chance to walk in peace, like...
...Wilt Chamberlain, vindication was sweet. The most dominating personality and physical presence in professional basketball for the past 13 years, he had been stamped as one of sport's alltime great losers. As his detractors took delight in pointing out, in critical play-off games Chamberlain seemed unable to produce the same heroics he performed so matter of factly during the regular season. Although he held numerous individual records and honors, he had helped only one team to a national title (Philadelphia, in 1967). The Big Dipper, the knockers said, choked in the clutch...
This year Wilt's critics have been silent-and for good reason. After leading the Lakers to the best won-lost record (69-13) in N.B.A. history during the regular season, Chamberlain was nothing short of awesome in the playoffs. In the N.B.A.'s western division title series with Milwaukee, he decisively outplayed basketball's newest giant superstar, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, eleven years his junior. Then, after shuffling uncertainly in the first game of the championship series, Wilt recovered spectacularly to lead the Lakers to a 4 games to 1 victory over the New York Knicks...
...Hands. In the final game against the Knicks Chamberlain's performance was among the most memorable in play-off history. A doubtful starter because of a wrist fractured in the previous game, he appeared on court wearing football linemen's pads on both hands. Despite that handicap, Wilt never looked better. With uncanny timing he blocked shots (ten) and grabbed rebounds (29); he muscled in to the hoop to sink points (24), and his picks and passes set up score after score by teammates...
...Knick strategy worked to improbable perfection in the first game against Los Angeles. "We knew what they were going to do," sighed West, "and they did it." Added Coach Sharman: "Wilt made an effort to go out on Lucas, but he wasn't quite fast enough and he got caught lots of times in no man's land." That not only left Pivotman Lucas free to score well from the outside, but it also opened up the lane for his teammates. Chamberlain was seldom able to get into position to clear the boards and toss his football-like...