Memory Jogger Thread

[Redz]

Use this thread if you think you remembered something happening, but you're not clear whether it's just your mind messing with you or not.

What made me think of this was a picture of Wilt Chamberlain.  I seem to recall there being some talkk about him making a comeback when he was in his 50's or something.  Can anyone confirm or deny this.  Give some details?

Now, I know I could probably just Google this, but that would defeat the purpose of the thread.  

[Chris]

Use this thread if you think you remembered something happening, but you're not clear whether it's just your mind messing with you or not.

What made me think of this was a picture of Wilt Chamberlain.  I seem to recall there being some talkk about him making a comeback when he was in his 50's or something.  Can anyone confirm or deny this.  Give some details?

Now, I know I could probably just Google this, but that would defeat the purpose of the thread.  

Not sure if Wilt did, but Gordie Howe came played for the Hartford Whalers at age 51...and scored 15 goals. 

Great thread idea.

[Roy Hobbs]

I know a lot of teams talked about bringing Wilt back after he retired.  The Knicks and the Sixers did, and I think each was quite a bit after he retired.

[Redz]

Use this thread if you think you remembered something happening, but you're not clear whether it's just your mind messing with you or not.

What made me think of this was a picture of Wilt Chamberlain.  I seem to recall there being some talkk about him making a comeback when he was in his 50's or something.  Can anyone confirm or deny this.  Give some details?

Now, I know I could probably just Google this, but that would defeat the purpose of the thread.  

Not sure if Wilt did, but Gordie Howe came played for the Hartford Whalers at age 51...and scored 15 goals. 

Great thread idea.

yup, I remember that one, and the ill fated Jim Palmer comeback.

[CelticsWhat35]

I don't know about Wilt, but I seem to recall Daryl Dawkins trying to make a comeback in training camp with the Celtics when he was like 40 or so.  But since he wasn't that good in his prime, I'm not quite sure who thought that would be a good idea.

[misha]

Wilt, like many former superstars around that time, was bitter about the increase of salaries in the following years after his retirement and thought he was underpaid over his career. He hinted few times about the possibility, but I don't think he was really serious about comung back.

BTW Pippen played few games in Finland in 2008.

[thirstyboots18]

Did Dominique Wilkins play in Europe then try to come back to finish his career with the Celtics or was it the other way around?  And Magic Johnson made a very brief comback after the Olympics didn't he?

[Redz]

Did Dominique Wilkins play in Europe then try to come back to finish his career with the Celtics or was it the other way around?  And Magic Johnson made a very brief comback after the Olympics didn't he?

He came to the C's the season after he played with the Clippers.  Not sure when he went to Europe. 

[RebusRankin]

I think Nique went to Europe after the 1994/95 season with us and then ended up in SA in 1996/97.

[thirstyboots18]

Then I guess Dominique didn't have a comeback....more like a long goodbye! 

[Redz]

I think Nique went to Europe after the 1994/95 season with us and then ended up in SA in 1996/97.

He went to Europe after playing for the Celts.

I remember being all excited because he averaged a ton of points the second half of the year for the Clippers (apparently the Celtics were excited by that too  )

[thirstyboots18]

I think about dumb things like this all the time, too...    Now I have a place to ask without hours of googling!  Was it Gerald Wilkins who first made a comeback after blowing out his knee and surgery?  Seems to me that before that a blown knee was a career killer, but I am not sure it was Gerald.

[oldmanspeaks]

Wilt got upset that centers quit getting high rebound numbers. In particular he thought that Kareem wasn't doing a good job and said he still could still get more rebounds than Kareem was getting. However no one really took him up on it even though he looked in good shape. Basically Wilt was a physical freak throughout his entire life and he did things you wouldn't think he could do. For instance, he beat a fast guard Hal Greer in a race the length of a court. He used to offer a bet of 1000 dollars that he could lift a thousand pounds but no one would take the bet. He was going to fight Ali but the boxing people wouldn't sanction the fight for Ali. At the end of his career Kareem had scored on him and when Wilt went to the other hand he demanded the ball. When he got it, he spun around Kareem for a big dunk and Kareem hasn't even started to move yet. People see those pics of Wilt walking up the court but in those days Wilt was playing 44 minutes plus every night so he walked up on offense rather than leave the game.
I watched many a matchup between Wilt and Russell and it was incredible. People think it is physical now but that was a war because the refs didn't want either to foul out. I remember before there was a spring loaded basket. Wilt went up to dunk, Russell up to block and they met at the basket. The basket lost as they actually snapped the weld on the rim and bent it sideways until it was vertical. Wilt made all sorts of brags during his life and the problem is that you never were sure if just maybe he might be able to back it up. Including when he talked about coming back when he was 50. (remember he retired only because they wouldn't give him big money. Not because he couldn't still play. He only quit scoring big numbers because the team asked him to change his game for the good of the team because they already had so many scorers).

[thirstyboots18]

TP oldmanspeaks!  Now that you are talking about it, I remember it too.    Now if I could only remember what I had for breakfast,  .

[Greenbean]

Wilt got upset that centers quit getting high rebound numbers. In particular he thought that Kareem wasn't doing a good job and said he still could still get more rebounds than Kareem was getting. However no one really took him up on it even though he looked in good shape. Basically Wilt was a physical freak throughout his entire life and he did things you wouldn't think he could do. For instance, he beat a fast guard Hal Greer in a race the length of a court. He used to offer a bet of 1000 dollars that he could lift a thousand pounds but no one would take the bet. He was going to fight Ali but the boxing people wouldn't sanction the fight for Ali. At the end of his career Kareem had scored on him and when Wilt went to the other hand he demanded the ball. When he got it, he spun around Kareem for a big dunk and Kareem hasn't even started to move yet. People see those pics of Wilt walking up the court but in those days Wilt was playing 44 minutes plus every night so he walked up on offense rather than leave the game.
I watched many a matchup between Wilt and Russell and it was incredible. People think it is physical now but that was a war because the refs didn't want either to foul out. I remember before there was a spring loaded basket. Wilt went up to dunk, Russell up to block and they met at the basket. The basket lost as they actually snapped the weld on the rim and bent it sideways until it was vertical. Wilt made all sorts of brags during his life and the problem is that you never were sure if just maybe he might be able to back it up. Including when he talked about coming back when he was 50. (remember he retired only because they wouldn't give him big money. Not because he couldn't still play. He only quit scoring big numbers because the team asked him to change his game for the good of the team because they already had so many scorers).

The Old Man Has Spoken!

TP