Wilt Chamberlain put a 235-pound Celtics star in a vise, proving that his 500-pound bench press with Arnold Schwarzenegger may have been validated.
Wilt Chamberlain can best be described as one of nature’s first monsters. He was a well-accomplished multi-sport athlete, excelling most in track and field and, of course, basketball.
By the time he came into the league, he had already grown accustomed to an overtly dominant black center in the form of Bill Russell.
However, the way Wilt dominated was different than how Russell did. Russell knocked down the boards, deflected shots and threw the ball like Cousy on the fast break. ‘The Big Dipper’, on the other hand, was more skilled and used brute force to score points.
Whether it was finger flips on smaller defenders or posters against the likes of Elvin Hayes, Spencer Haywood and the rest, Wilt Chamberlain was an offensive machine. Going into the numbers on all of this would be foolish, since literally everyone knows about his scoring prowess.
As mentioned before, Wilt’s dominance was a direct derivative of his raw physique. He put this on display night after night, with one instance explained by a Celtics legend.
Wilt Chamberlain manhandled a Celtics player
When Wilt Chamberlain was in the Los Angeles Lakers, he wasn’t exactly the same as he was in 1962. He could score at will, but at the time, there was a slight and noticeable decline in offensive production due to both age and taking on more of a role later in life. Bill Russell style with purple and gold.
However, from time to time, Chamberlain proved to be as strong as when he was 20 years old.
“Once when I was with Boston and he was with the Lakers, Happy Hairston and I were about to have an affair. Suddenly, I felt a huge pressure around me.
I was 6’7, 235 pounds and Wilt picked me up and flipped me over. He said, ‘We’re not going to have those things.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’”
It seems that benching 500 pounds with Arnold Schwarzenegger really paid off when it came to stopping fights on the NBA court.
