Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50.4 PPG in the 1961-1962 NBA Season. Yes, you read that right. That was not a typo. In today’s NBA, that is something that’s just completely unimaginable. It’s not just because the way defenders play and the skill in the NBA has gone up. There are many more reasons why this record will never be broken.
Wilt Chamberlain played a whopping 48.5 minutes per game on average during this season. In today’s NBA, a number as small as 37 minutes per game is very feared. There is more load management and all of that which contributes to lesser minutes played. In the Wilt era, there was so much domination that he had to be on the court all the time. What is even more remarkable is the fact that he played 80 games in that season. What he did in that season if probably impossible in today's NBA.
In today’s NBA, nobody takes that many shots. Yes, Chamberlain averaged 50.4 PPG, but it was 50.6% FG. This was in an NBA that didn’t have a three point line. In today’s NBA, some players such as Luka Doncic have the ball as much as Wilt. But, there is one major evolution in the game over the years that has changed everything; the drastic improvement in passing. In that season, Chamberlain only averaged 2.4 APG. In today’s NBA, the paint is so different after all of the evolutions in the game, making it nearly impossible for a player like Wilt to average 50 PPG.
The skill in the NBA has greatly gone up since Wilt’s era. Back then, players weren’t even jumping to defend shots. Players were only coming from America. In today’s era of basketball, it is an international sport with so many levels of talent that simply can’t be matched by Wilt Chamberlain’s era.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's iconic NBA Finals block.
Wilt Chamberlain playing defense in his era.
There is a clear difference between these styles of basketball.
Wilt Chamberlain will always have his name in the basketball record books, yet he will never be mentioned in GOAT debates and that area. Even though what Wilt did was in a very different era, it still deserves a lot of credit. I think he definitely deserves more credit than what he is currently getting for what he did in that era of basketball.
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