European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 19, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Measure by Ralph Bernstein a staff writer Wilt Chamberlain is the highest salaried athlete in sports but Pecan t afford the luxury of a window shopping stroll. ". Chamberlain has scored More Point than any basketball player in history but he d Trade a few thousand just forthe privilege of getting lost in a crowd. Chamberlain in his time has revolutionized the game of basketball but it has Cost him one of the Man s most privileged assets privacy. A Man of Many personalities the7-foot-l Star of the Philadelphia 70ers in the National basketball association says he s riot complaining just Baring one. Of the chief frustrations of being a7-footer in a 6-foot world. His salary is reportedly $250,000 a year and this helps his Outlook. I Tell you that As the years have gone by i have enjoyed it being 7 feet tall a lot More. There is Only one thing one disenchantment the fact. That it is impossible to get lost in a m the Type of Guy who sometimes would like to go out and do some thing Sand not let everyone know about it go out and walk in the Street and go win Dow shopping without being constantly harassed for autographs by people who mean nothing but sometimes you do like to go your own merry Way so to speak. Other than that i really enjoy being a 7-footer, and if i had a Choice of what size i d like to be i d pick the size i am right sat on a sofa his Long legs extended across a table and talked about the Wilt Chamberlain most people Don t know. He spoke of thoughts which occupy his mind other than basketball unfulfilled goals aspirations his future his past and his View from the top of the game that has made him materially secure. Baring his inner feelings does come easy to this Man of overpowering strength and surprising agility. He s con stantly on the defensive and suspicious of people s motives. I would imagine that with people do not know very Well 1 am on us defensive he said in his apartment on the 29th floor of a fashionable mid City Philadelphia apartment building. I vulnerable to get Hurt. There Are things i might say that get blown completely out of proportion by someone who is looking to slander me in some particular Way. There Are always these Type of people those i Don t know or sport writers out to do particular stories. Not All of them you can Trust. I would definitely say i m on the defensive. You have to be on the defensive. If 1 have what you would Call two or three different personalities i have pm because i need them. If i allowed myself to be completely honest and completely open with everyone i talked to i m sur things would be a lot worse for Chamberlain is a Man of Many v4 facets off the basketball court. He seeks peace quiet and Contentment i such things As music dominoes and water skiing. He enjoys decorating a apartment he keeps in san Francisco with expensive items. He likes to travel especially to foreign countries. There Are quite a few things i enjoy he said when asked what occupies his mind in the of season. I like music from Rock and Roll to some of the Clas sic Al Don t really like opera much but some of the classical music i do enjoy. Each year i try to pick something new to interest me. Last year i go interested in water skiing and racing Speed boats. I skied at speeds up to 85miles an hour. Also this year i Hope to go to Australia where i have som friends who play Tennis and they la teach me the finer arts of Tennis on of the better sports because it s an individual game with lots of running and san Francisco where i spend most of my time in the off season play a lot of an old persian game called sports scene shooting so much faster i recommend this change. I be Given it a lot of thought because since i was in Colleg people have been talking about raising the baskets to 12 know just what kind of conditions would be in a game with 12-foot would Only add to the prowess of the big Man. Everything coming off the boards would be higher. It would make it easier for the big Man to get to. I would eliminate him dunking the Basket Ball but it also would help him in Romany other ways. I think the Way to make the game Little bit better is to Widen and lengthen the court. This would give the Guys whore faster and have More agility More space to drive and go to the Baske with cutting and moving plays. I believe this would make a More interesting Chamberlain also had some observations on a couple of subjects fans automatically relate to his name records and foul shooting. He noted in retrospect that his greatest accomplishment was not scoring 100 Points in a single games he did against new York at Hersey pa., in 1962."i think that possibly that whole year 1962 was my year to remember he said. I think the 100 Points was quite a feat but the one feat i believe is alot greater was averaging better than 50 Points a game throughout that 80-game season. That and playing All but two minutes i believe of the season Are probably the two things i think Are outstanding in my basketball career. Know that when i score 50 Points today said the 31-year-old giant i realize Howard it is and i sometimes think How did i do it Over a Complete season " play a lot of an old persian game called dominoes says the Star of the 76ers in his Philadelphia apartment. I domroes. Over the years i have become quite Good at it. It becomes quite a Challenge for people to beat you and have responded to the Challenge. It Peg me a kick because 1 realize it Jas nothing to do with your physical Page 14 Wilt Chamberlain window shopping just in t his game. Wilt feels More negroes should be in sports executive posts or in ref ranks. The stars and stripes sunday May 19, i968 looking Back Chamberlain feels one boyhood aspiration he missed was a trance to participate in he decathlon lh.? olympic games. If there was one thing i can look Back upon that 1wont get a Chance to do. This would have been it Chamberlain War piety Good runner and High jumper and compete in most of the Field Chamberlain says he has Given a Lotof thought to his future although he in t drawn any conclusions. Sunday May 19, 1968 it s pretty hard not to think what you would like to do in the future. I could get involved in a record company own. I be thought of television behind the scenes Type of thing maybe production or some kind of sports shows. J be travelled about the world a lot and since m in the nightclub business i be thought of having nightclubs in various cities throughout the Chamberlain believes that not enough negroes Are Given jobs in the executive end of sports either in Amateur or professional situations. He noted there were 46 referees in the Aba and Only one negro. Bill Russell is the Only coach and Earl Lloyd is a scout for the Detroit pistons."1 Don t know what the True reason is but major league sports Are behind Inthis aspect he said. There Are Vari hous kinds of jobs Given various player Sas they Complete their careers. Larry costello just received a coaching Job with a new Aba franchise. I Don t know of any jobs being offered to any of the negro ballplayers As they come out College or professional. I think this is a nearsightedness on the part of the owners and the other people involved who have these jobs to offer. People will have to do something about this if we Are going to have any form the Man who holds More records than any player in the history of the game since or. James Naismith put up the first peach baskets has a suggestion to feels would help his Spur. With basketball players becoming so much bigger and bigger so much faster the stars and stripes in was quite willing to discuss his vexing problem at the foul could be one of the worst foul shooters in the history of pro Basket Analyse my problem at the f9ul line this Way he said. It s definitely mental problem during the game that i have. I Don t know what the answer some doctor would help me out. It has nothing to do with technically shooting As basketball. I feel it has be come a mental thing because it has Bee played up so much from time to time. It has become More and More m definitely becoming less effective at the foul line even though i practice Chamberlain s answer to people who ask Why he has changed his style from accenting scoring to being More of a lawmaker is Typ Cal of his logical approach to the game has made him Abig Man. I enjoy winning and i enjoy doing whatever i can do to help a team win. That May sound like something someone always says but that happens to be True most of us unfortunately can t change our style and still be effective. Fortunately 1 can. If 1 were on another team maybe it would t workout so Well maybe i would have to depend a Little More on my scoring prowess. Right now on this particular team i can pass and get away wit passing a lot. It has worked out effectively. We won the is what Wilt Chamberlain wants to be remembered As a Champion. Page 15
