Wilt once blocked 25 shots in one game.
Wilt is also perhaps the most freakish athlete in sporting history
Playing against, on average, the least athletic players in league history, on average.
Yea, Bill Russell and Kareem were pretty unathletic.
Were those two indicative of the average NBA player at that time?
See for yourself....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJGCySdvlPo&t=411s
I just wrote a whole post about that but timed out and lost it. I never saw him or Russell play, but would never have the audacity to take anything away from those guys. Just don't understand young people's need to do that because I never did that. I watched Jabbar in his later years and as slow as he was, he was just as unstoppable left or right, and anywhere from 18 feet in. It's so obvious those guys would be even MORE dominant in their primes today.
I watched Ali in his later years where he struggled against good fighters but still won. Then I saw clips of him in late 60's before the vietnam thing, and he was faster than Jones and Leonard while being a heavyweight with his intelligence on top of that.
They even forget how unstoppable Shaq was, with 2 and 3 guys grabbing him and he still brings them up with him and dunks. There was nothing anyone could do with him once he got the ball underneath and as big as he was, he lightning quick and even had handle. His hands were just too huge to shoot good. Like trying to shoot a tennis ball.
But anyway, I just don't understand why these guys feel no one could do anything before they were born and have to make up stuff like "modern nba". Just the most unintelligent position i've ever seen people take.
Who is trying to take away anything from Russell, Walt or Kareem. They blocked a lot of shots because they played against players, that were, on average, nowhere near as athletic as they were. I am not talking about Elgin Baylor, Jerry West or John Havlicek whose athleticism spans decades. I am talking about the vast majority of players in that time.
Just about every team had one or two huge unathletic goons as massive physicality in the paint and fights were common. Most players were still very one handed in their ability to dribble. Players weren't into weight training and didn't stay in NBA shape all year. It was a different time and the average player wasn't even as athletic as the current average Division 1 NCAA team.
And if you mix the majority of players not being as athletic as Russell and Will with the dominating physical presence Russ and Will were and the simplified game that tried to force things inside, then you get ridiculous block and rebound numbers that Will and Bill got.
It's not their fault that the average NBA player wasn't nearly as athletic as they were and it's not disrespect to Bill and Will to say so.
Nick, i'm not even that old and I don't understand this post. I even use to think that about players like Bob cousey, who had cheap sneakers out when I was a kid, and because of that, I thought he stunk because of the jokes about his shoes....UNTIL I WATCHED THE MAN. I didn't even see the Doc play one game in the ABA either, which was his best years. I can safely say there's not one player in this league today that is better than him just from his years in Philly. You can argue Lebron...but i'm not buying.
And what yall are doing is saying in the 70's players stunk. You gotta be kidding me, man. I won't even start naming players because I would be here all day, not to mention will forget alot because of my age then.
There's always youtube I guess, if some are clear enough to actually watch.
But if most of you guys are 20's and 30's...i'm sorry but you really don't know what you're saying, and if you didn't watch a season back then to see the little nuances of their ability...how on earth can you make that kinda statement?
That's like me trying to tell you about society in England or something.
And TODAY there are like 7 unathletic goons sitting on the bench of every team in this league.
That is no gauge at all.
Do you realize a relatively unassuming player like Bobby Jones in Philly was actually better than Hayward?
Because he sure was and was seen as an afterthought.
Olynik would have never gotten off the bench back then. I'm dead serious.