Wayback Wednesday: What If…Wilt Chamberlain Returned in the 80s?
This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m pondering another historical NBA What If, specifically what if Wilt Chamberlain made a comeback in the 80s?
Monday marked 64 years since Wilt Chamberlain scored a record 100 points as his Philadelphia Warriors defeated the New York Knicks 169-147. As a young basketball fan in the 90s eager to learn about the history of the game, that iconic performance seemed so long ago. After all, it happened 22 years before I was even born! To that point of course, now that I’ve witnessed and am nostalgic for events in NBA history that happened upwards of 30 years ago, it’s certainly changed my perspective of time. Nevertheless, to me Wilt Chamberlain will always be from a bygone era.
However, Wilt Chamberlain playing in the NBA came very close to feeling like more of a modern event from the perspective of a 90s kid. Even though many stars of the 80s had retired before I got into basketball, their careers intersected with the all-time greats that I grew up watching, such as Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and so on. They were frequently spotlighted in the NBA home videos that I watched, so in a way they still felt contemporary. The same could’ve been true of Wilt Chamberlain, had he made a comeback in the 80s. Let’s take a look back…way back…
Wilt’s final NBA game – the fifth and deciding game of the 1973 NBA Finals – came on May 10th, 1973. Although he was no longer being called upon to be the dominant scorer he once was, he was still an intimidating defensive force who could contribute buckets when needed. In that Game 5 loss to the champion Knicks, The Stilt finished with 23 points and 21 rebounds, while playing all 48 minutes at the age of 36. Wilt clearly had something left in the tank, and more importantly, he wasn’t quite done with professional basketball. However, he was unhappy that the Lakers had delayed renegotiating his contract after the 1972 title, and tried to make a jump to the ABA.
His attempts to join the San Diego Conquistadors as a player-coach were ultimately unsuccessful, though. The Lakers asserted that Wilt owed them his option year and thus was remained under contract for the 1974 season, leading the team to sue him. The courts upheld their claim, ruling that Wilt could coach the Conquistadors, but the Lakers were only the team that he could play for that year. His stint on the sidelines lasted a season, with assistant Stan Albeck reportedly handling a bulk of the coaching duties. It seems fair to suggest that Wilt would’ve much preferred to be playing, but after the contract dispute sidelined him for a whole year, he ended up retiring in 1974.
That brings to mind another What If regarding Wilt Chamberlain that’s worth diving into before we get into the possibility of him making a comeback in the 80s. Since he wasn’t actually done with basketball in 1973 and was still both capable of contributing and fit enough to play the entire game on any given night, it’s not unthinkable that if not for that contract dispute, he might’ve gone on to play 20 years in the league. As it stands, Wilt’s 31,419 points was the all-time regular season scoring record when he retired. Had he played another six seasons, he would’ve had the opportunity to pad that figure, which would’ve resulted in a longer chase for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
How many points could The Big Dipper have ended up with if he’d played 20 NBA seasons? Well, in his final two seasons where he was no longer the first option on offense, he averaged 14.8 and 13.2 ppg. Outside of the 1970 campaign where a knee injury caused him to miss most of the season, Wilt was incredibly durable, and indeed played in all 82 games in each of his final three years. With that in mind, if he was to average 14 ppg while playing every game for six more seasons, he could’ve added another 6,888 points for a total of 38,307; 80 short of Kareem’s 38,387. Obviously Kareem’s total would still set a new record, but it’d happen late in his 20th season.
Of course, we can’t just punch numbers into a calculator when it comes to What If scenarios. While it’s certainly possible that Wilt would continue to put up around 14 ppg for six more seasons given the opportunity, it isn’t necessarily guaranteed. During his final year with the Lakers, Chamberlain only scored 20 or more points 15 times, with a season high of 29. Furthermore, he scored in single digits 25 times, including a zero-point game against Kareem and the Bucks on March 27th in which he didn’t take a single shot. Granted, it was a case of taking on a different role rather than his skills evaporating, but he was still older, and far less concerned about being a big scorer.
This is something to keep in mind when it comes to these What Ifs involving Wilt Chamberlain. While he was a freak athlete who maintained incredible fitness after retiring, he was still past his prime, a different player, and would be facing tough competition. Had Wilt continued to play through to the end of the 70s, or made a comeback in the 80s, he wouldn’t be the player who had once averaged 50.4 ppg. It’s possible that he could’ve raised his average slightly if he’d been able to leave LA for a team where he’d have a bigger role, and I expect he could’ve remained a double digit scorer regardless. The big scoring nights would’ve been considerably rarer, though.
Still, because he remained in fantastic shape and there are so many stories of him dominating pick-up games against NBA players in the 70s and 80s, there’s no doubt that a Wilt Chamberlain comeback is an immensely intriguing What If. What really makes it interesting is that it’s more than just a fanciful thought; it did actually come extremely close to happening! Teams were serious about bringing Chamberlain out of retirement as early as the late 70s. Notably, both the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns apparently made unsuccessful overtures. In 1979 though, the Cleveland Cavaliers – with the help of Stan Albeck – almost brought the Hall of Famer back into the NBA.
From all accounts, the discussions were serious. The Cavs saw Wilt as being capable of making a significant contribution, and The Stilt was genuinely interested in their offer. It wasn’t just a stunt to grab headlines and sell tickets. In fact, both sides tried to keep negotiations quiet, and Wilt was displeased when word of them leaked. It didn’t derail their talks though, and with the late Dr. Jerry Buss indicating that the Lakers wouldn’t request compensation for allowing Wilt to sign with Cleveland – it was a different time in NBA free agency – there was definitely a chance of it happening. When it came time to make an official offer though, the Cavs bungled the situation.
The contract offer was hand-delivered to Wilt’s Bel Air home, but he wasn’t there to receive it. As the story goes, the late Ron Hrovat – the then-Cavs GM who had been entrusted to deliver the offer – stuffed the contract into the gate for Wilt to find. When The Big Dipper returned home, a strong wind had strewn the papers all over his yard. Unimpressed with their carelessness in handling the contract, Wilt turned down the Cavs and remained retired. It was the closest that Wilt came to a comeback, but it wouldn’t be the last time that teams tried. Notably, his former club the Philadelphia 76ers reached out in 1982, which would’ve seen him team up with Julius Erving.
Chamberlain ultimately declined their offer despite feeling that he could still play, stating he was satisfied with his career and didn’t fancy the prospect of not being able to live up to everyone’s expectations, including his own. He also rejected an offer to join the New Jersey Nets late in the 1986 season, when he was 49. While he remained confident that he could return if he put in the effort, unlike the potential comeback with the Cavs in 1979, he regarded the Nets’ offer as being unserious. And so, Wilt Chamberlain never made a comeback despite garnering genuine interest and offers from a handful of teams in the late 70s through to the mid 80s. But, what if he did?
Once again, tales of his impressive conditioning and dominance in pick-up games against NBA players in his mid 40s suggest that teams weren’t crazy to think that a middle-aged Wilt Chamberlain could be a valuable addition to their roster, even as late as 1986. At the very least, it would’ve been a huge event. He would’ve become the oldest player in NBA history, and the first Hall of Famer to come out of retirement. Had he accepted the Nets’ offer in 1986 after refusing earlier overtures, it would’ve been the longest absence between NBA stints. In fact, it’d be twice as long as any other player took to return following retirement or playing professionally elsewhere.
Moreover, his career would’ve ultimately overlapped with a new generation of stars. Wilt never faced Julius Erving in an official game as the latter was in the ABA during the former’s final NBA years, but they could’ve been opponents or even teammates if he’d returned between 1979 and 1986. The Stilt could’ve shared the court with Magic Johnson, and not just in some pick-up games at UCLA. We might’ve been able to say that he faced both Bill Russell and Larry Bird. If he returned in 1986 and kept playing into 1987, he’d encounter a young Michael Jordan averaging a Wilt-like 37.1 ppg. Who knows, the two might’ve even ended up being All-Star teammates that year!
These are all wild scenarios to consider, but the pertinent question is how well Wilt Chamberlain would’ve performed had he returned to the NBA in the late 70s or early 80s. Obviously we can only speculate, but we have a few data points to work with. As noted, Wilt was already slowing down and focusing more on being a defensive anchor towards the end of his NBA career. He could still score if needed and had a couple of 60-point outings during his Lakers years, though the big scoring nights became much less frequent after 1970. Even with his enduring skill and dedication to fitness, a team that signed Wilt in his 40s wouldn’t be getting the player who once scored 100 points.
Arguably, the most compelling evidence of how well a 40-year-old Wilt Chamberlain would’ve performed comes from the man himself. While discussing a comeback with the Cavaliers, Wilt was confident that he was in good enough shape to immediately rebound and defend effectively, but stated that it might take up to two months for him to find his footing at the offensive end. Of course, it’s quite possible that once he did, he’d be productive. A hobbled Bill Walton averaged 7.6 ppg and 6.8 rpg in 19.3 mpg for the Celtics in 1986. It’s not inconceivable that a healthier Wilt could’ve averaged similar numbers, possibly grabbing more rebounds if his minutes were slightly higher.
Averaging a modest double-double would’ve most likely been a long shot, but with enough playing time, it might’ve been possible; at least with the Cavaliers in 1980. I expect he would’ve had an impact, though I have my doubts that he’d have made them a legitimate threat to the Celtics and 76ers in the East. Their roster was decent, but not exactly stacked and primed to contend. He obviously wouldn’t have been a long-term solution, and even if he could’ve put up solid numbers for his age, chemistry would still be a concern. It may not have been a complete disaster, but there’s a good chance that it would’ve ended up feeling more like a stunt, despite everyone’s best intentions.
Even so, it would’ve undoubtedly been captivating for fans at the time, and fascinating to look back on and analyse years later. We’d likely have some fun highlights of Wilt mixing it up with the next generation, which might just change a few narratives. It’s difficult to imagine him playing long enough to retain the all-time scoring record – if nothing else, LeBron James would eventually break it – but it might’ve taken Kareem a bit longer to surpass Wilt if he’d returned to tack on some more points. He wouldn’t be posting the eye-popping stats from his prime, but his impressive athleticism and conditioning would at least give him a chance of keeping pace with other big men.
As far as the virtual hardwood is concerned, it’s highly doubtful that a returning Wilt Chamberlain would’ve stuck around long enough to be included in any video games as an active player. However, if he’d returned to the NBA with the Cavaliers in 1979, or joined the 76ers with Julius Erving and Moses Malone in 1982, or even signed on with the Nets in 1986, those would all be some incredible classic teams to include in NBA 2K or feature in retro roster mods! Sure, the 1982-83 76ers are already an iconic squad thanks to being the champions, but they’d be even more incredible to play with in video games if Wilt did indeed decide to return and back up Moses in the middle.
All things considered, it’s probably for the best that Wilt Chamberlain opted not to come out of retirement. While he admitted to wondering What If when reflecting on those opportunities, he concluded that he didn’t have a strong enough desire to return. He also noted that he’d prefer not to tarnish fans’ image of him, and fail to live up to their or his expectations. Considering the mixed feelings that many fans have towards Michael Jordan’s Wizards comeback, there’s certainly a good argument for leaving the memories alone. At a more advanced age and having spent a longer time out of the league, a return for Wilt might’ve been far less successful, and much harder to watch.
Then again, as with MJ’s Wizards years, it wouldn’t have erased the feats that Wilt accomplished in his prime. His legacy as one of the greatest players in the history of basketball would remain intact. For people my age, his career would’ve felt slightly more tangible and within reach, having ultimately overlapped with players that we were familiar with. And of course, there’s the tantalising possibility that Wilt could’ve surprised everyone with his performance and impact. Maybe he made the right choice, but like so many almost-comebacks and other What Ifs, Wilt Chamberlain returning to the NBA in the late 70s or early 80s is a fascinating alternate timeline to ponder.
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