Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell are two of the greatest basketball players of all time. Both players were dominant centers in their era, and their rivalry on the court was legendary. However, off the court, Chamberlain and Russell were close friends who shared many memorable moments together before their relationship took a turn.
Chamberlain and Russell first met in the late 1950s when they were both playing college basketball. Chamberlain was playing for the University of Kansas, while Russell was playing for the University of San Francisco. Despite their different backgrounds, the two players quickly bonded over their love of the game and their shared experiences as African American athletes.
Their friendship continued to grow when they both entered the NBA in 1959. Chamberlain played for the Philadelphia Warriors, while Russell played for the Boston Celtics. Despite being fierce competitors on the court, Chamberlain and Russell remained close off the court and often socialized together.
One of the most memorable moments between the two players occurred in 1961. Chamberlain had just broken the NBA record for most points in a single game with 100 points, and Russell was one of the first players to congratulate him. Russell even joked that he was glad he wasn’t guarding Chamberlain that night.
Russell was acutely aware of their rivalry and the jockeying for position and bragging rights. When Wilt negotiated a $100,000 contract—a lavish sum in 1965—Russell went to the Celtics, flashed his rings, and demanded $1 more.
The two rivals shared the undeniable bond—and, quite often, the burden—of being highly visible Black athletes whose stature made it impossible to blend into a crowd. They were asked to carry a teetering league, while also attempting to wrestle the championship trophy from one another.
And they were vying for the mantle of the best player in the game.
In spite of that tension, Wilt and Russell managed to maintain a relationship that was quite often very warm—and very personal.
When the Celtics played the Philadelphia Warriors on Thanksgiving, Russell came into Philly the night before and stayed at Wilt’s house. He claims he did that six years in a row.
“I mean, he’d come past my house on Thanksgiving, eat my food, sleep in my bed, and the next day whip my butt,” Wilt told Bob Costas in 1997. “Now my mother would say, ‘Now, Wilt, we shouldn’t feed Bill so well next time.”
Indeed, many suspected that Russell employed Art of War techniques to lull Wilt into a false sense of success.
Chamberlain and Russell also had a deep respect for each other’s abilities on the court. Chamberlain once said of Russell, “He’s the greatest competitor I’ve ever played against. He was a fierce competitor and a great basketball player.”
However, their relationship took a turn during the 1969 NBA Finals. Chamberlain was dealing with a knee injury and was unable to play in Game 7 of the series. Russell, who was the Celtics’ coach at the time, suggested that Chamberlain sit out the game and rest for the next season.
Chamberlain was understandably upset by Russell’s comment and felt that his friend had betrayed him. In his autobiography, Chamberlain wrote, “Bill’s comment changed my perspective about him. It made me realize that he was just like any other coach, looking to win at any cost.”
After that incident, Chamberlain and Russell’s relationship became strained, and their rivalry on the court intensified. They continued to face each other in high-stakes games, and their battles were some of the most memorable in NBA history.
Despite their rivalry, Chamberlain and Russell remained respectful of each other’s abilities. When Chamberlain retired from the NBA in 1973, Russell said of him, “He was the most dominant player of his era. He was a great player and an even better friend.”
- During an interview I did with Kobe Bryant in his final season, he shared with me a phone conversation he had with Bill Russell in the year 2000. Russell admitted to him that he would play Wilt tough while the game was in question, but would ease off once the game was in hand so that Wilt could score and be satisfied with his numbers in defeat. Kobe claimed that Russell believed if he defended Wilt too tightly, he would take it as a challenge and would “demolish” Russell because he was so big and strong.
Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell were once close friends who shared many memorable moments together. However, their relationship changed when Russell suggested that Chamberlain sit out Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals. That incident sparked a rivalry between the two players.
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