Wilt Chamberlain got all over my case when I said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the greatest center of all time because Kareem was multi-dimensional and excelled in every area for a center.  Certainly, Bill Russell was the premier center on defense.  But Wilt was the greatest athlete of the all.  I mean, are you kidding me?  No one of Chamberlain’s size has ever had his combination of strength, quickness, versatility, grace and agility.  He was one of a kind.  Two-sport stars in college are rare in this era of specialization, but they were the rule rather than the exception during Chamberlain’s era in the 1950s and before.

Center Wilt Chamberlain, the leading scorer at the 1957 Final Four for national runner-up Kansas, was also a track athlete who participated in three events in college (high jump, triple jump and shot put).  He was especially adept in the high jump, winning the 1957 Drake Relays (6’6 ½”) and tying for first in the 1958 Big Eight indoor title with what was then a school record (6’6 ¾”).  Chamberlain also played professional volleyball after spending 14 seasons in the NBA.