13 days left until the 2010-11 NBA season tips off.
Brought to you by Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain and the 50 point 25 rebound season.
The 1961-62 season is one of the wildest years in NBA history. Six players averaged 30 points or better per game. Five players averaged better than 15 rebounds per game. To put that in contrast, during the 2009-10 NBA season, only one person (Kevin Durant) averaged better than 30 points and no one grabbed more than 13 rebounds per game.
1961 was such a bizarro year that Elgin Baylor averaged 38 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 assists and came in 4th in MVP voting. If he pulled of that feat today, the media might crown him the greatest player, ever. Baylor’s teammate, Jerry West, dropped 30 ppg himself. Then there is Oscar’s triple doubles.
With all of these monster stat lines it’s hard to believe that anyone really stood out, but one if them did. Wilt averaged a mind blowing 50.4 points, 25.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game including the 100 point game. They didn’t keep track of blocks or steals back then but one can only guess that the most dominant man on the hardwood racked up his fair share of defensive stats also. The amazing thing about this is that rebounding total was Wilt’s third best rebounding season.
It’s hard to fathom, but Chamberlain finished 2nd in MVP voting that year to his arch rival, Bill Russell.
A lot of people wonder if Wilt could be as dominant playing in today’s NBA. I’m not really sure if I can answer that question. I do know that he moved really well for a 7-footer, he played in an era where the best shoe available was a Chuck Taylor and they played with solid mount rims.
