Wilt Chamberlain Kansas Jersey Retirement Ceremony

[boxersdrule]

Tears to my eyes...

[SpartaeDei]

That day, when he finally came back to KU.. was an emotional one. So much time was lost, nearly 50 years because he had thought he wasn't liked here.

And yet when he came back to us in 1998, it was so emotional for everyone there as he had explained why he was gone on the radio. My grandfather, who was one of Wilt's young highschool fans when he played at KU, was there. At the game tonight, he told me that when Wilt came back, he signed his signature to every single person in that building..

[d820m]

@ddenuci...btw....anyway you could post the article?

[kuwinsitall]

My brother was there that day (I didn't start at KU til 2000, so missed it...) and he has his game ticket framed with Wilt's autograph. What a great memory!

[phillysportsfan99]

it will always kill me that i never got to see him play live

[kileer7]

From everything I've read about Wilt he was a nice guy.

[327372]

lol y is he acting gangster there with the new era cap and chain

[TheLeilisa]

will i grow taller if i play basketball regularly ?

[GifDude]

@TheLeilisa No no you won't. It's all genetics. Also are you like 10 or something?

[TheLeilisa]

@GifDude thanks igot something herbal and consulted a doctor approved to be safe called" helpo growth formula" and seems like the best supplement to grow taller.

[327372]

@TheLeilisa actually its possible. but it depends mostly on ur genes. but definitely basketball will help.

[begley9]

I'm glad that it's pretty much a must-do thing to wear blue to games. I hate people wearing different colors to the games. ALWAYS BLUE. ALWAYS. Unless we do like a white out or something

[KansasIcemaker]

Best Jayhawks ever.......

Wilt and Gale

[Jodi332]

And for him to worry about what reception he would get! I am proud that we gave him such a gift in return, and just not long before he died.

[stevo0665]

RIP Wilt and Bob Frederick. Rock Chalk!

[connplayer22]

Wilt Chamberlain in 1957 lost the game to UNC in the championship by only 1 point in 3 OT's... he felt it was his fault and did not go back to lawrence kansas till this day... he passed away just years later...

WE WONT FORGET YOU WILT R.I.P

[cfrank3250]

What year was this and MJ was 10 times better

[sundvl2112]

Wilt played at Kansas 1955-58. MJ had not even been born yet. Both are legends in my book.

[joenathanable]

Whats a

Rock Chalk Jayhawk?

[kuwinsitall]

I remember feeling so lucky to be there that day. As a student at the time, we were all trying to get tickets to it.

People were crying all around me. Such an amazing moment. Wilt will be forever be seen as the greatest player in KU history, hands down.

[tank3ful]

Wilt certainly wasn't feeling well at this point. he had congestive heart failure and was in need of a pacemaker, which he kept putting off. having said that, after the game, big Wilt signed autographs for hours while sitting under the basket at a table. he continued until everyone got a chance to meet him. He signed a basketball for me which I will always treasure. He was the Babe Ruth of Basketball.

[joeshiah1]

The man who made me a JAYHAWK fan for life.  Wilt the Stilt! I came to Kansas City from Holly Springs, Mississippi at 5 years of age ironically the day Allen Field House opened. Thanks Wilt for the memories. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!!!!

[drinkabledebo]

I got to shake his hand here, I didn't know who this guy was...man...if only I had been older and wiser.

[frostjackMP]

He was arguably the greatest Basketball player of all time. A true legend, who will live on forever in the rafters of Allen Field House, and wore the crimson and blue

Rock chalk Jayhawk...

[beagleman123456789]

@drinkabledebo how could u not know who he was??? 7feetI inch.

[drinkabledebo]

@beagleman123456789 7 years old. :( No knowledge of sports. Alas, I remember a tall man and my stepdad telling me it was REALLY important.

[KansasIcemaker]

he felt that we where going to boo him after left concluding the north Carolina game. It was priceless to see his tears in response to us cheering for him...we Kansas fans take care of our own. Rock Chalk.

[mw4139]

simply the best ever jordan could never do what he did #13

[yacsfc]

Wilt looks visibly sick in this video.

[14691]

I don't think he looks ill. Just old, he was 62.

[fol2005]

Well he looks sick, and he was sick.

[aliceone]

babe and wilt the greatest of there sports

[remybecute]

I once saw Wilt tip one in off a jump ball (when they had those mid-game) ! A jump ball !!!!!!...15 feet against the Chicago Bulls. Unbelievable player.

[Yanksshash]

Wilt the Stilt... Rest in Peace!

[baller0213]

he was a cool grandpa

[deathtothefall]

It's funny when you watch the players in the NBA today. They get all cocky when they score 20 points and grab 10 rebounds in a game. Not one of them could carry Wilt's shoes!!!

[jpilch7895]

This is a very special moment. Thanks for posting.

[WiltatKansas]

Simply the most amazing basketball player who ever will play for this college.

[Yanksshash]

Some may say that he was the most amazing basketball player to ever play the game... EVER!

[aabdel20]

Pete Maravich is the best to ever play college basketball. The guy is very underrated. Infact Maravich averaged 45 points in one season (without 3 point lines) with 3 point line they say he could have got 60 points a game.

[Lpeters199]

Great player--great man!

[KansasIcemaker]

i would have to agree, no one comes close to his stats.

[etks1957]

Records:

100 points in one game, 50.4 avg for a season, 55 rebounds in a game etc...It goes on and on. When I was a kid his name was the record list from top to bottom. The name Chamberlain rings of the mythical! Never fouled out of a game for his entire career! He was a good guy too. R.I.P. Wilton Norman Chamberlain. Thanks for the memories.

[dlanor212]

sooo tall >__>

[redfanrod]

Okay... I just checked and found out that Kansas did not start retiring jerseys until 1992... Wilt's was retired in 1998, over 40 years after playing his last game at KU. About darn time, Jayhawks...

[neilsterKS]

It's because Wilt didn't return to Lawrence during the basketball season until 1998. (except for a single visit in the mid-70's to visit an old teammate)

There was once a story in the Kansan about Wilt's jersey, framed and sitting in a closet of Allen Fieldhouse, just waiting for Wilt to return & receive the honor, and how KU officials initally thought his would be among the 1st to be retired.

Wilt said it was simple scheduling conflicts that kept him from coming back for the ceremony.

[dantheman9758]

@neilsterKS I wonder if Wilt waited because he hid from his self-guilt of losing to NC. The way he chokes up it looks like he was a lot harder on himself than Kansas was. You can tell he's a big softy, this is such a great video.

[xcprince]

It really refreshes me to hear this great talk about "The Big Dipper!"

It seems that everyone that I talk to will never give him any credit as the best. It always MJ this and MJ that. I personally have MJ #2 overall. Wilt was simply too dominate not to be labeled the greatest ever. 56 records!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That is off the charts!

He made sacrifices for the team in order to win in '67 and even led the league in assists in the process as the only center ever to do that!

WILT.GOAT.RIP!!!

[BDBlue007]

When he says "rock chalk jayhawk" you can see the emotion of the day in his eyes. He was the best. This coming from a HUGE celtics fan since 62.

[randymoss70]

wilt was a graet man

[zachjm13]

I try to tell people that he is better then Jordan and Russel and noone ever beleives me.

[dpkvwells]

i believe you.....no one even in his class

[sbriegs]

best player ever hands down

[mickiacevedo]

I think and analize the records of all the gratest center in the basketball history and WILT is in the top of all the centers.The majority of his records probably will never be broken.Many good centers approach to him like Abdul Jabbar,Shaquile O Neal,Akeem Olajuon but Wilt Chamberlain is WILT CHAMBERLAIN!

[danno131305]

The best player ever...PERIOD!

[beagleman123456789]

Wilt was the BEST

[WiltatKansas]

That was the most especial ceremony for Wilt, because the team he most love were the Jayhawks, sure, he said it in this ceremony. Wilt is the real best ever.

[MommaJayhawk1982]

Love this video. Always makes me teary eyed. ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK! National Champions!

[sabman]

Damn Jordan, Magic, Bird all I can say is none of those guys will ever touch Wilt Chamberlain. He is really the Greatest and most Dominant player ever in the game.

[Mut3ki]

looks like he may need a zimmer frame now though

[Charlesokay]

great players play triple double, the greatest player here only need one triple.

[WaltFrazier]

Great video. I just read the book Wilt: Larger then Life, which described that scenbe beautifully, and how much it meant to Wilt. Behind the gruff exterior Wilt was a great guy, gentle giant, and sentimental. Thanks for posting.

[Justdoit000]

"Rock Chalk Jayhawk."

[frostjackMP]

"KU!!!!!"

[ddenuci]

It's ironic that the name on the banner (3:56) next to Wilt's is Clyde Lovelette. When they were both in the NBA, Clyde (who was a few years older than Wilt) sucker punched Wilt, pushing his teeth into his jaw, and causing him problems decades later. Wilt got his revenge in the 1964 NBA finals when he decked Lovelette with one punch. p.s. Great clip. Wilt was the greatest.

[zagy33]

did wilt really decked Clyde Lovellette??have you seen that?do you have that on clip???

[ddenuci]

Zagy, no sorry I didn't mean to imply a clip of the fight exists. However, it really did happen. It's discussed in a couple of the Wilt books that I have. Also, May 8, 1964 Time magazine (article on 1964 NBA Championship Game 2): "In the second game frustration finally got the better of Wilt: without warning, he hauled off and floored Celtic Clyde Lovellette with a whistling right to the jaw."

[ddenuci]

In Wilt's rookie season, Lovellette elbowed Wilt in the jaw pushing his two lower teeth backward. In the '64 finals, Lovelette was near the end of his career and he was sent in late in Game 2 for Russell. With 25 seconds left in the game, he elbowed Wilt. That's when Wilt punched Clyde in the jaw.

[d820m]

@ddenuci Terry Pluto's book Tall Tales says that this happened in the 5th and final game of the series, Clyde was throwinig elbows and Wilt basically told him to cut it out or he was gonna deck him

[ddenuci]

@d820m Sports Illustrated's website has an archive section, and so I went to the 5/4/64 issue. There is a relatively small article on the NBA finals, and it mentions nothing about the punch. Can you believe it? The NBA was really not considered a major sport back then. The finals didn't even make the cover ! There are articles claiming the punch happened in the 2nd game, and others claiming the 5th. The nba(dot)com encyclopedia, in a section called "Legendary Rivals" says it was the 2nd.

[d820m]

@ddenuci i mentioned that because what wilt told him "Look Clyde, you guys are the champs, we just want to get out of here, so cut that crap out or I'll knock you out....."

[ddenuci]

@d820m I've now found a few newspaper articles, and it confirms that the punch was thrown in Game 2. From Associated Press 4/21/1964 " SF's Wilt Chamberlain floored Boston's Clyde Lovellette with a punch in the nose last night, but the Celtics floored the Warriors 124-101 and took a two-game lead in the final NBA playoffs. The Lovellette-Chamberlain incident, at the foul line in the fourth period, touched off a near riot"

[ddenuci]

@ddenuci THe fight started after Clyde fouled Wilt. Believe it or not, after Wilt punched Clyde and bloodied his nose, the refs did not call anything on Wilt ! Wilt calmly went to the free throw line and sank his free throw.

[d820m]

@ddenuci Pluto's book says that Red Auerbach wouldn't continue the game until Wilt was thrown out, but Earl Strom just said, "Red, get this stiff(Lovellette) out of here so we can finish the game" Red said the game wouldn't continue until Wilt got tossed, whereupon Wilt tapped Red on the shoulder and told Auerbach that if he didn't shut up he would be on the floor with Lovellette...Red allegedly told Wilt to pick on someone his own size....

[WiltatKansas]

The greatest basketball player and sportsman of all time.

[jlam88x]

thank you so much dude, thank you.

[swishymcjackass]

brings tears to my eyes every time. excellent video.