December 13, 2022
No one is Philadelphia basketball royalty like Wilt Chamberlain. From his days as a star at Overbrook High School to scoring 100 points in a game with the Warriors to bringing the Sixers a championship, Chamberlain is essentially is Philly hoops.
Chamberlain will be the new namesake of the NBA Rookie of the Year Award trophy:
New names and trophies for NBA’s major individual awards:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 13, 2022
- MVP: The Michael Jordan Trophy
- DPOY: Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy
- ROY: Wilt Chamberlain Trophy
- Sixth Man of Year: John Havlicek Trophy
- Most Improved: George Mikan Trophy
- New Clutch Player of Year: Jerry West Trophy
Chamberlain dominated as a rookie in the prop like no other, leading the NBA in both scoring and rebounding in 1960 while picking up Rookie of the Year honors.
Chamberlain spent the first three years of his NBA career with the Warriors in Philly before the team moved to San Francisco ahead of the 1962-63 season. On March 3, 1962, Chamberlain became the first (and only) NBA player to score 100 points in a game.
The Warriors traded Chamberlain to the Sixers in the middle of the 1965 season. In his three full seasons with the Sixers from 1966-1968, Chamberlain won three-straight MVP awards. That stretch includes the franchise's first title in Philadelphia in 1967, as Chamberlain averaged 24 and 24 for a 68-win Sixers squad.
This year marked the 60th anniversary of Wilt's 100-point game. I discussed the wild stats behind that legendary performance back in March.
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