Hoops Habit
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Best Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee from each NBA franchise

By Daniel Lubofsky

INGLEWOOD, CA- JUNE 7: Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles against Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls during Game Three of the 1991 NBA Finals on June 7, 1991 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1991 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CA- JUNE 7: Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles against Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls during Game Three of the 1991 NBA Finals on June 7, 1991 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1991 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Wilt Chamberlain, Golden State Warriors
Wilt Chamberlain, Golden State Warriors (Photo by Charles Hoff/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) /

Best Golden State Warriors Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee: Wilt Chamberlain

There’s a reason the NBA record book is simply referred to as the career of Wilt Chamberlain. Standing 7’1” and roughly 275 pounds, he wasn’t built in the mold of some of the more modern unicorns, but Wilt played during a time where few could match his build with rules that allowed him to consistently impose his will.

Given his sheer power over just about everyone he matched up against, Chamberlain filled up the box score like nobody in NBA history. His numbers almost seem unreal, requiring a double-check before confirming them.

Wilt spent the first five and a half seasons of his career with the Golden State Warriors as they bounced around the coast from Philadelphia to San Fransico. During that time he averaged 41.4 points and 25.1 rebounds per game. He led the league in scoring for six consecutive seasons and rebounding in four straight.

A 50-point game is considered an incredible achievement by any player lucky enough to find the hot-hand on the right night, but Chamberlain made the feat look mundane. During the 1961-62 season, he averaged a whopping 50.4 points a game, a mark that included his famous 100-point outing that stands as an individual single-game record to this day.

Despite Wilt’s unique level of greatness, it was never enough to bring the Dubs a championship. That was always his biggest flaw. The statistical production was present in ways never seen before or after but just not in the way as conducive to winning as one would’ve expected.

Many, if not all of Chamberlain’s records will never be broken, and yet his level of team success never followed suit. For him, the individual accolades were enough, and it’s the legacy he created that still has him among the greatest in league history, arguably with the title of the most dominant player ever.