Russell vs Chamberlain

Bill Russell terrorized the NBA for three seasons. No one had ever seen anything quite like him.

Then came Wilt Chamberlain.

Bigger by at least three inches, stronger, arguably just as quick, and in possession of the greatest offensive skills from the center position the basketball world has yet seen, Chamberlain loomed as a major threat to Russell's supremacy. On the eve of the 1959-60 NBA season, many people automatically assumed that the Russell Era was over, that the next dozen years or so would belong exclusively to Wilt Chamberlain.

Carl Braun was not one of those people. The veteran Knicks guard had played against each of the pivot greats during the exhibition season, and he figured he knew what made Bill Russell tick after watching him play from the moment he entered the NBA, fresh from winning an Olympic gold medal, in December 1956.

"This challenge by Chamberlain is going to make [Russell] better than ever," Braun forecast. "He's got a lot of pride, and nobody is going to knock him off that All-Star team without a fight."

Red Auerbach couldn't have said it better. Nor could Bill Russell, of course. You want to talk about an A-1 prophecy, start with this one: The Bill Russell reign of terror was only beginning.

But so was the greatest individual subplot in American team sports history. For Wilt Chamberlain was every bit as gifted as his advocates believed. He would rewrite the NBA record book many times over. He would become the greatest individual force in the sport's history. And he would prod Bill Russell into playing some of his very best basketball. Absent Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell would have been great. But because of Wilt Chamberlain's terrifying presence, Bill Russell became, as the old Army ad said, all that he could be.

"People say it was the greatest individual rivalry they've ever seen," Russell says. "I agree with that. I have to laugh today. I'll turn on the TV and see the Knicks play the Lakers, and half the time Patrick [Ewing] isn't even guarding Shaq [O'Neal], and vice-versa. Let me assure you that if either Wilt's or Russ' coach had ever told one of them he couldn't guard the other guy, he would have lost that player forever!"

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[WhoresOfTijuana]

not all at the same time

[Mitch Peters]

Wilt played with Jerry West, Gail goodrich, Elgin baylor, Billy Cunningham, Hal Greer, etc.

[Dylan Patterson]

his celtics team that won 11 rings had 7 hall of famers on it just saying

[duprez2]

Why would Russell average 50 ppg if it only got him 3 rings instead of 11? Wilt was the bigger man and bigger scorer, but from day one Russell saw the bigger picture.

[duprez2]

To this day, there is no greater athlete in the game of basketball than Wilt Chamberlain. But to this day, there is no greater winner in the game of basketball than Bill Russell. All due respect to Wilt, Kareem, Akeem, and Malone but Russell is the best because he was smarter, more cerebral than those other great centers. Russell is in the same class as Magic, Jordan, and Bird because he made his teammates better.

[Caponis]

11 titles. Holy shit balls. Why did I think it was like 7-8? Either way chamberlain was the better all around individual dominant player

[Travis Hammar]

Scalabrine was the best. White mamba!

[bosserist]

come back when bill russell averages 50 points a game

[qwertyuiop554433]

Russell had 11 rings? Ah what da fook?

[annacocoros]

Russell is better than chamberlain. if wilt did not get 100 points or like 50 rebounds in agame people would not be talking about him that much also wilt had 3 rings and russell had 11 rings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!