Throwdowns > Forfeited

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  • January 19, 2008 12:53 AM ET

Who was the best ? Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain?

KPKahder (10-6-2) vs Hllywd: Old Schoolin' (2-0-0)
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Both players were equally important to their teams. Both players are HOF'ers. Not a question in that.

I say Russell was the better of the two. I admire Wilt Chamberlain. Absolutely. Russell however won 11 championships for the Celts in 13 yrs. The most for ANY athlete in a No Amer. Sport (except maybe hockey). Two were as a player/coach ! In a racially decided.divided city like Boston was at the time, it had to be a nightmare. I'm not proud of what Boston or Massachusetts was then, but its a fact.

NBA MVP ? 5 times. Gold medal in the Olympics. Captain of the team in Melbourne !

First black NBA "superstah" (sniffing hands from armpits - thanks for the visual Oso) - First black coach in ANY major league - and it was a PLAYER-coach!

It might be argued that he was only what he was based on who was around him. I would argue that THEY were who they were, because they had Bill Russell.


All right. You asked for it. There should actually be an age limit on the voters here. The "kids" on this site will simply go to ESPN.com and say Russell had more rings.

Wilt Chamberlain was literally an unstoppable offensive force. The league actually implented rules in a effort to control "The Stilt." Wilt entered the league and put up 38 points a game as a rookie. (37.6) Then over his next 2 years, he averaged 38.4 and 50.4. The league immediately widened the lane. Wilt was terrible from the free throw line; so he began taking off from the line and dunking. The league immediately made another rule to disallow this. Russell was probably the greatest defensive player the game has ever known, yet Wilt in addition to scoring, blocked more shots, pulled down more rebounds, Then when confronted about his offensive prowess, he told the media in August the he would lead the league in assists for the coming season., then went about doing it.
Russell was great, but to imply that Sam Jones, KC Jones, Bill Sharmin, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek Tom Heinsohn, JoJo White, and others would not have been great withlout Russell is ludicrous. Coaching? Megan could have coached that team.


All right. You asked for it. There should actually be an age limit on the voters here. The "kids" on this site will simply go to ESPN.com and say Russell had more rings.

Wilt Chamberlain was literally an unstoppable offensive force. The league actually implented rules in a effort to control "The Stilt." Wilt entered the league and put up 38 points a game as a rookie. (37.6) Then over his next 2 years, he averaged 38.4 and 50.4. The league immediately widened the lane. Wilt was terrible from the free throw line; so he began taking off from the line and dunking. The league immediately made another rule to disallow this. Russell was probably the greatest defensive player the game has ever known, yet Wilt in addition to scoring, blocked more shots, pulled down more rebounds, Then when confronted about his offensive prowess, he told the media in August the he would lead the league in assists for the coming season., then went about doing it.
Russell was great, but to imply that Sam Jones, KC Jones, Bill Sharmin, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek Tom Heinsohn, JoJo White, and others would not have been great withlout Russell is ludicrous. Coaching? Megan could have coached that team.


Chamberlain was an offensive scoring machine. Russell was a defensive machine. He was never considered to be part of the Celts offense, he was however their entire defense!
If it werent for Russells shot blocking and rebounding, do you think the Celts would ever have won 11 of 13 ? He lead the NBA in rebounding 4 times, had over 21,000 in his career and had a 50 rebound game (extra point ? - only one other did that.. who was it ?). When the NBA Writers got to gether and voted on the Best NBA player of all time, they voted for Russell.
He was SI's Sportsman of the Year in a time where he couldnt even get dinner at a restaurant in most of the country.
He was the first to avg over 20 rebounds a game. And he did that almost every year of his career. He holds the record for total rebounds and avg per game in post season play.
He holds almost every single post season rebound record.

If you think the Celts would have won all those championships without Russell, you are nuts ! Crazy I tell ya !

(and Meg doesnt like basketball.. she's a Indy Colts fan - cant break her of that nasty habit)

Since I only get 2 arguments...lol.. Im done..


Once again, we're talking individual accomplishment. You mention Russells 4 rebounding titles. Wilt had 11, and had over 2000 twice. 55 one night ON RUSSELL. Any individual stat for determining a winner, shows Russell short--except championships. As soon as Chamberlain was surrounded with the tools, the Lakers established records that still stand. It wasn't until 25 years later that the Bulls eclipsed their 71 win season. And noone has ever been even close to their 33 game win streak.


hmm.. an extra space for argument.

Please vote for KP. She gets all moody and sensitive and stuff when she loses..


Thanks Hllywd.. it was fun :-)

Comments (82) Add A Comment

January 19, 2008  12:56 AM ET
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I told ya I would challege you on this... lol
and I NEVER do that..
you should probably just forfeit now.. ya know, as a thank you.... :-)

January 19, 2008  01:09 AM ET
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Woo! I was quoted on a throwdown. I have finally gotten my comeuppance!

January 19, 2008  01:10 AM ET
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put it on your resume...lol

January 19, 2008  01:11 AM ET
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Dang. Can't vote yet. LOL Good luck to both of you. Hope it's fun.

January 19, 2008  01:11 AM ET
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Oh. A sunny avatar again. Much better.

January 19, 2008  01:11 AM ET
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I hear the Wilt could thread a needle with the ball. Is that true?

January 19, 2008  01:12 AM ET
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always fun with hllywd.. he's under his kitchen table now.. rocking in a fetal....

January 19, 2008  01:13 AM ET
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LOL So very threatened by you!

January 19, 2008  01:14 AM ET
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I hear the Wilt could thread a needle with the ball. Is that true?

Oso 214* BS-CB NMI | 01/19/08

wrong sport...
OK, Im gonna head out.. Hllywd, if you send an argue tonite, I will pick it up in the am..

January 19, 2008  10:58 AM ET
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SORRY about the double post.

January 19, 2008  11:12 AM ET
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Thats ok Hllywd.. I only need 2 arguments for this....LOL

January 19, 2008  11:18 AM ET
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Kahder

January 19, 2008  11:19 AM ET
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Chamberlain played in an era where it was easier to dominate offensively

January 19, 2008  11:19 AM ET
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Rings dont normally mean 1 was better than the other......And as a Lakers fan, love Wilt but Russell was 1 of best defensively ever

January 19, 2008  11:34 AM ET
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I probably should have let you make your next argument so the arrows went the right way..
sorry bout that..
but Im hoping people will see that it got all messed up....
Good luck !

January 19, 2008  11:37 AM ET
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Nice landscape pic, Ira.

January 19, 2008  11:49 AM ET
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who's Ira ?

January 19, 2008  11:53 AM ET
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Laying the smack down. Debi

January 19, 2008  12:17 PM ET
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There is no doubt that Wilt was better than Russell. Russell may have had more rings, but he also played on a team with one of the greatest PGs off all time, numerous other HOFers, and the greatest coach ever. Wilt justs dominated the game. There is no question that he was the best scorer ever ( In one season he had more 50 point games (around 50) than anyone else did in their career (37, by MJ) He also scored 100 points and broke 4,000 points in a season (the only other person to even break 3,000 was MJ). He also was a better rebounder than Russel. He set the NBA record for rebounding against Russel with 55, and of the 15 times he pulled down over 40 rebounds, 7 were against Russell. He also was the most durable and versatile person to play the game. He once averaged 48.5 minutes per game and he never foulded out of a game. Ever. He also played point guard for the Globetrotters one season, and led the league in assits another. He also ran a 10.9 in the hundred meter dash (Ted Ginn ran a 10.5 I believe) which is rediculous when you compare that to todays centers, most of whom lumber up and down the court, and certainly none of them are the fastest player on their team. I will admit that Russell was better defensivly, but not by a lot.

 
January 19, 2008  12:19 PM ET
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Hllywd's name is Ira, KPK, according to the profile.

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