Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game (I've Got a Secret 3/12/62)

Wilt Chamberlain is "Mr. X" and Garry has to stand on a stepstool for both of them to fit in the camera shot. "I scored 100 points in a basketball game." An entire Wikipedia article is devoted to this record-setting game, played 10 days earlier.

[@jonmajarucon51]

He was so tall the lens could not accomodate him. He looked wonderful. I met him in 1967 when I was a kid.

[@44032]

"A very modest young man."

[@byHexted]

It’s insane there’s actually people who really think this game didn’t happen like they really can’t wrap their head around an 100 point basketball game being a million times more likely then getting all these huge sources to lie about it

[@Andrewgtv05]

Wilt Chamberlain scored 4,029 points that season. A Record that hasn't been beaten.

[@chasethrockmorton2736]

He was huge!

[@googlemyself4091]

@@juliangarcia1221 Crazy thing is there were numerous basketball players who were taller than Wilt doing that time. Maybe look up stuff before you say something kid.

[@aarondigby9859]

@@googlemyself4091 Swede Halbrook was 7'3" tall.

[@mynamedoesntmatter8652]

Tacko Fall - 7’6”

[@catcountry0099]

@@mynamedoesntmatter8652 Manute Bol of the 80s/90s 7'7

[@ddenuci]

I like how Garry enjoys a puff while hosting the show. Of course, Winston Cigarettes was one of the sponsors of the show. It seems unlikely, given the information provided to the panel, that within 3 questions Betsy Palmer could narrow it down to Wilt. (unless she, of course, recognized wilt's voice). I guess it is also possible that the news of the 100 point game was still fresh in people's minds. The panel are Bill Cullen, Betsy Palmer, Henry Morgan and Bess Myerson.

[@byHexted]

I think the fact they cut it down to sports right away helped a lot

[@AliceYobby]

Also yes, this was very soon after the game, so fresh in people’s minds.

[@taegotkash]

10 days after the game he got 100 points on 3/2/1962

[@godricsalazar5506]

What a gentleman was that Wilt... Both of them really.

[@MizzyStar21]

Wilt scored 100 with no 3 pointers - it's just pretty amazing to think about that in a regular game when players have to spend so much energy up and down the court, playing defense, etc.

[@cmsmhp]

Well, no 3 pointers didn't really add any degree of difficulty in Wilt's case here - in fact, that probably made it easier. Wilt was a 7-1 center who was completely dominant close to the basket, so hanging out and shooting 3-pointers would have made it harder for him to reach 100. Also, the width of the key was only 12 feet when he scored 100 - not the 16 feet it is today - so it was even easier for him to post up within comfortable range of the basket without being called for a 3 second violation.

[@mmagic3534]

Wilt, normally, was not real good from the free-throw line. However, on the night he scored 100 points, he actually made 28 of 32 free throws!

[@taegotkash]

@@mmagic3534I know right he had a hot hand that night.

[@jfchonors8873]

The game was played in Hershey because the Ringling Bros. Circus was scheduled for Madison Square Garden that evening and it took priority over NBA basketball in those days

[@jessyleppert2]

I never knew that

[@fredact]

He's no Jack Taylor, but still pretty good. Loved the comment at the end about the possibility of 350 pound football players.

[@drincogni]

Well seeing the ladies reaction ,i get to understand the 20 000 women record.🤣😂, and the lady who talked last was sharp!sharper than all the present day sport commentator

[@byHexted]

I never really noticed exactly how like insane this dude looks no disrespect intended but his head is super small and I only now am realizing that is partially what gives him the weird look, and also since his limbs are so big and long it makes it look even smaller by comparison, but it’s weird it’s not even necessarily smaller like in size it just seems a lot more round then the normal head I suppose

[@ddenuci]

Bess Myerson was the first Jewish Miss America (1945). Those of us in the NYC area also remember that she had a career in politics in the '70s and '80s. Garry Moore is listed as 5'7"; Wilt really towers over him. About 5 years ago, Time Magazine listed its picks for the top 15 game show hosts of all time, and Garry made it.

[@flyingchimp12]

I believe Bess actually got caught up in a corruption scandal and I don’t think she was ever actually elected to anything

[@carlislegamer]

Wilt’s 100 pt game happened in little town that’s more known for its chocolate. Hershey, PA

[@holylandfan3275]

That's actually a good question she had about the goal height. 💯

[@44032]

They thought about moving it to 12 feet but realized that the tall guys would still be closest to it.

[@flyingchimp12]

It’s funny that dunking wasn’t supposed to be part of the game lol, the assumption was that the net would have to be raised because why would we allow them to put it right in the goal? Lol

[@taegotkash]

10 days after the game he got 100 points on 3/2/1962

[@briansam2524]

I swear he looked even taller on TV!!

[@bluebear1985]

The game in which he score 100 points was a 169-147 victory for the Philadelphia Warriors over the New York Knicks, played in Hershey, PA for some reason.

[@shoredude2]

Pro basketball wasn't really popular back then. College basketball reigned supreme. Pro basketball was so unpopular that not one member of the New York press and only 2 photographers from the Philadelphia press attended the game. To try and drum up support for the game, the NBA would often have games in small towns to try and and drum up support for the league. This was the 3rd time that season that the Warriors played a "home" game in Hershey.

[@mynamedoesntmatter8652]

Ringling brothers circus was at Madison Square and took precedence, I read, thus the game was played in Hershey.

[@bluebear1985]

@@mynamedoesntmatter8652 That seemed to be the case for other sports at the old MSG back then. Whenever the NHL's New York Rangers made it to the playoffs, they often had to play most of their "home" games elsewhere, usually somewhere like Montreal or Toronto.

[@cokebottles5218]

That part about needing to be 350lbs to play american football in the future turned out to be true. lol

[@cma21993]

50.4 🔥

[@LordKAi9]

his headdd

[@blakfloyd]

*headd

[@icturner23]

It’s so small!

[@ayv-]

smol

[@jessyleppert2]

The Michael Jordan of The Beatles decade

[@pointchamberlain4782]

He’s wilt chamberlain

[@jessyleppert2]

@@pointchamberlain4782 yup

[@superluminal89]

Gary wasn't wrong about a kid needing to be 350lbs to go out for football. HS kids are that big right now.

[@mynamedoesntmatter8652]

Wilt was also a guest on WML. He gave his height as “7 feet and 1/16 of an inch.”

[@questionblock8949]

really cool!

[@NJtoTX]

Garry Moore was prescient about football players having to weigh 350 today.

[@timothylosee8831]

Wilt Built Chamberlain

[@HopeKing]

He was only 7'1" he looks so much taller! I have a friend who is 6'9"

[@catcountry0099]

"only"

[@akeme25]

7 feet is MASSIVELY tall lol

[@emmanuelenyinwa1443]

They KEPT the host on the stilt to talk to "the Stilt".. 😂😂😂

[@kincamell2]

Heavy

[@wiedep]

Gary's projections about size didn't include steroids

[@girlgeniusnyc272]

Well his head is normal sized compared to Gary - it just looks small compared to his body

[@apefilms7221]

That's part of what made Chamberlain more dominating, even when compared to other seven footers. He had a ridiculously small torso, a small neck and a small head. That made his overall body much bigger than the typical 7-footer.

[@boobiedefloop6097]

Wilt looks ridiculous

[@kenneth7826]

How??????? He is well dressed

[@jessyandthefancycats6229]

Wow

[@jessyleppert2]

Yup

[@RayManzarekRocks]

Hey, Bill Russell once scored 14 in a game, so there!

[@NJtoTX]

Career high was 37 (twice).

[@RayManzarekRocks]

@@NJtoTX Russell was overrated. He only had to play one end of the court for his team to be competitive. Wilt had to play both for most of his teams to have a chance.

[@godricsalazar5506]

@@RayManzarekRocks not exactly true but Bill wasn't so much of an offensive player. He was a mastermind defender and probably the greatest teammate because he worked with his players so much to make them better.

[@RayManzarekRocks]

@@godricsalazar5506 You're right -- Russell was a one-dimensional player. Then again, when you had Cousy, Sharman, Jones, Heinsohn, Ramsey and Havlicek to cover your butt, you could take off at the end of the court.

[@godricsalazar5506]

@@RayManzarekRocks not at all what I said...

[@kenyongray2615]

Geez, Betsy, and Bess were gorgeous women. Wilt was one of my favorites. He died much too young.

[@MrFranklinz]

He looks like he was photoshopped in lmao

[@emmanuelenyinwa1443]

Give you an idea how big Wilt was in his éra, as soon as he said "are you a very tall person?", there was no other candidate.

[@apefilms7221]

Wilt was super, super, famous in 1962. There were plenty of other tall people, but no one even remotely close to being his famous as Chamberlain was that year.

[@emmanuelenyinwa1443]

They kept calling him "the Stilt" to his face even though he hated that nickname.

[@flyingchimp12]

Ok I doubt they knew this…

[@orbyfan]

Wilt's the one on the right of your picture.

[@silewis9396]

😂 brilliant

[@byHexted]

Wow he wasn’t talking out of his ass kids are 350 going out for a football game like that was a joke back then you heard people laugh, but people today wouldn’t even get how that’s unbelievable, it just really puts into perspective how much of a monster wilt was Bc there’s still not really anyone like that, most guys that tall aren’t that powerful. But also I think the tallest man who ever lived (that’s recorded and has a picture at least) was either in the super early 1900s or the 1800s, which is weird it’s hard to understand when people are getting taller and bigger, I get it’s like a freak genetic thing but you think with how many more billions of people there are that there would of been someone who past that record

[@MizzyStar21]

Wilt the Stilt - nobody like him

[@93Jubilee]

A lot of women scored off him, too!

[@kittymervine6115]

I like that one of the women, gives the man NOT clapped a dirty look and a little hit. He'd said SOMETHING racist or wrong, but was not a basketball fan or... whatever. Keep hitting them nice woman!

[@nocomment1469]

Well that was white (quite) awkward. One of them dudes was seemingly a bit racist

[@chrisbrown9071]

Which dude? What was said that was racist? I just watched this 3 times & I never heard anything even remotely racist

[@LordFartamor]