I don’t know how people can’t have Wilt in their top 5. Yeah, his playoff history is a bit bumpy. Especially 1969 and 1970. But dude averaged 50 ppg, had a 100 point game, scored 40+ points in his debut. And it’s not like he didn’t win. He won two titles. And back in those days, the 1967 sixers and 1972 Lakers were considered some of the best teams of all time. So he was a champion. I haven’t even gotten into his rebounding and assist numbers. Yeah, he should have probably won a couple more titles but he choked a few times. But again, come on, he averaged 50 ppg. Do you guys realize how crazy that is? And he has rings
The same people who call LeBron the GOAT (4 rings in 20 years) will dismiss Wilt cause he only won 2 rings in 14 years (and played against “plumbers.”)
I feel like people should read the article.
First he apologized back in 2003 and second Jerry West said it in the Heat of the moment literally right after losing in the Finals to Celtics in 1969 and it was a heat of the moment comment that reflected badly on both Wilt and West.
In those same 2003 comments he talks about how both Russell and Wilt were good and forced adjustments.
This is all from the article, but he doesn’t assert who was better after apologizing, he just realized he’d been a jackass.
second Jerry West said it in the heat of the moment literally right after losing in the Finals to Celtics in 1969 and it reflected badly on both Wilt and West.
Did he? I was always under the impression that he said it at the Finals MVP Award Banquet, which was like three days after the series concluded.
EDIT: Yep, looks like my memory was correct - here is the quote in an AP newspaper article from May 9, 1969: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P_JNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7256,969871
Bill Russell seems like the Tim Duncan dynasty glue guy.
Wilt is more like Lebron - An unstoppable force of nature.
Wilt was a better basketball player than Russell. Russell had players like Cousy lead the scoring on his teams.
He literally immediately 3 peated after Cousy retired lol, and won 5 of the next 6 rings.
The apologetic quote by West was stated 20 years ago in 2003. Why is this being written about now?
This subreddit wants Bill Russell to not be considered a top-10 all time player because he played against grandmas and amputees but somehow Wilt is a top-10 player because the game of basketball is played to amass stats, not win games.