European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 2, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Shooting by Bill Barnard associated Prass it Chamberlain s teammates knew f something was right that night. They first noticed ii on the two hour ride from Philadelphia. We played pinochle on the bus and he won every hand recalled teammate Guy Rodgers. When we got to Hershey we had a few hours to said Hamy Pollack the Philadelphia warriors publicity director to he went to a shooting gallery and broke the Points record. It was like a was destined to break records Hal added Rodgers he Hil every Duck and Bear the data was March 2,1963, a thursday and the warriors had come to Hershey to play the new York kicks. The stars were shining on him that Day Pollack said. That night was even better. Chamberlain scored 100 Points the greatest individual Effort in pro basketball one Hal has stood lot 25 years. It was Ida third tiros that season the warriors played a Home game in this town of less than 10,000, chocolate town Usa. The site was the Hershey sports Arena a rectangular building now called Hershey Park Arena which could Seal 7,200. Liberace played More concerts Here than any other Arena. There was t a bad seat in the House and that night 4,124 of them were fitted. Chamberlain a scoring rots of Points that Aba season. He went on to average 50.4, an accomplishment. He considers less Likely to be equated than 100 Points in a single game Only Thrata months before he had scored an Aba record 78 Points in three overtimes. No other player aver has scored More than 73. So it caused ill la stir among players and fans when Chamberlain scored 41 in the first half helping the warriors to a 79-68 Hallie Lead. I was extremely hot in the riot half Chamberlain fold. I thought i would Coo Down in the second half Bui i never did. I did t Start thinking about How Many Points i had until i was in the 60s in the third Quarter and people snarled chanting.". In the sowd half Dave Zinkoff a warriors and 76ers Public address announcer who died last year snarled calling out Chamberlain s Lota Points after each Basket. It was a Philly crowd and they wanted will to kicks player Richie Guerin said. When Zink started calling out the Points the crowd went crazy chanting we want 100, we want 100. " the game did t matter anymore. It was All Chamberlain who had 79 Points after three quarters. With Philadelphia leading 125-106, the outcome was decided. That s about when the other warriors realized what was happening. All season we thought the Best Way to be effective was to get the Ball to him warriors guard a allies said. Bui when Zink alarm eco calling out the Points that s when we started going for Chamberlain said the kicks held the Ball until the last two or three seconds on the 24-second shot clock and Hsy were told to Loul whoever brought the Ball up court before he could get it to Butatt-foot-1, Chamberlain was too big and Quick for the kicks so they fouled him to prevent him from gelling easy baskets. Guerin lha kicks leading scorer with 39 Points that night said he remembered no specific instructions regarding Chamberlain from coach Eddie Donovan. The game became a travesty because they were fouling us to get the Ball Back Guerin said. What will did was a fantastic achievement but it blemishes his record for him to say we had the philosophy of trying to keep him from scoring 100. Sure we fouled Wilt a lot. But that was the weakest Parsu the stars and stripes part of his game. But the game became a joke after awhile. We just wanted to gel it Over with " since 10 kicks Center Phil Jordan was injured. 10 Darrall Imhoff got lha Job of trying to Slop Chamberlain. It was a Nightmare Imhoff said after the game. He was awfully fast and i could t keep up with him. He must have scored 40 Points off me then i fouled out Early in the fourth new York s strategy of fouling Chamberlain backfired he made 28 of 32 free throw attempts. He was a 51 percent free throw shooter for his career. Fouls Are what really did it Lor him allies said. He usually could t make anywhere near that Randy Vathis was 10 years old and a warriors fan intent on seeing Chamberlain at the foul line. It was the first pro game i Ever went to he said. I went to the game because i had heard Wilt shot his free throws underhanded and was terrible at in. Then a went out and made All those free Vathis was accompanied by his father associated press photographer Paul Vathis in the third Quarter the senior Vathis Lell his son and dashed to the Carlo grab his cameras for the Chamberlain pictures. Chamberlain said the kicks attempts to Stop him made him More determined to reach 100. When it became obvious that they no longer were trying to win and jus trying to Stop me i thought that was ridiculous Chamberlain said in a Telephone interview that made me want to do in More. My teammates said they were going to get me the Ball at any said teammate Paul Anzin when writ began to get close even though new York was behind they were trying to freeze the Ball and we were fouling them to gel the Ball to was really the reverse of what you see in a Normal Donovan now the assistant to the president Olsi Bonaventure said in was just As much the Lull of the warriors As of the kicks that the game became a farce they would foul us and we would foul them he said. Pollack recalled that there were Many More fouls on Chamberlain than were called. The referees. Willie Smith and Pete d Ambrosio got caught up in the moment he said. They wanted to see him shoot. I think they ignored some fouls on other players Chamberlain usually Cool on the court got caught up too. Wilt Chamberlain s rec i won t say i was nervous but 1 got caught in the excitement he said. As the game got weirder and weirder lha pressure got to me i think t Raj Assad four foul shots the whole game and three of those were at the end. I also missed some easy shots i Riorer Nulty Bill Campbell who was doing the radio play by play said a fan sent him an audio tape of Chamberlain s final eight Points of the game which Philadelphia won 169 147. /. ,.-. According to thai tape a 12-foot Bank Shol gave the warriors a 161-139 Lead and Chamberlain 94 Points. Another Basket moments Laler made ii96 Points and put Philadelphia ahead 163-143, with 1 27 left. Chamberlain had 93 and the score was 167-145. He then stole the inbound pass and Shol for 100, but missed. _ " Campbell told his audience the kicks Are eating up time and the warriors foul Guerin Quern v free throws made in 167-147 with 101 to go. About this time Zinkoff told the crowd now surrounding the court he s going Lor 100, sit Back and give ii to will give it to Wilt the crowd shouted. Rodgers pressured in the backcourt throws a Long pass to Chamberlain who shoots and misses. Except for Chamberlain and Rodgers who played the entire game Philadelphia has reserves on the floor. Forward Ted Luckenbill who played three minutes rebound the shot and passes to Chamb Waln he misses Agalr-., and there s another Luckenbill rebound. Luckenbill passes to another Reserve Joe Ruklick who passes to Chamberlain. Bingo 100, some say in was a Dunk some say a jump shot. Even Chamberlain remembers two versions. No one seems to know for sure because there s no film of the game. Fans pour onto the floor some trying and failing to yank the precious Ball from Chamberlain s hands. It was bedlam on the floor Pollack said. Chamberlain who had taken 63 shots and made 36, was embarrassed by those numbers. He looked at the Slat Sheet in the locker room and could t believe it Attles said. We had to buoy him up and say it was of to shoot 63 limes if you can make 36." Back in the Arena he scoreboard clock showed 46 seconds left. In the excitement they forgot to finish the game. Monday. I
