Remembering Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game

Joel Newschwander, Section Editor

Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors holds a sign reading “100” in the dressing room in Hershey, Pa., after he scored 100 points as the Warriors defeated the New York Knickerbockers 169-147, March 2, 1962. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis)

It was like nothing anyone had seen before.

55 years ago, on March 2nd, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain became the first-and still only-player to score 100 points in a single NBA game. Chamberlain made 36 of his 63 field goal attempts and 28 of his 32 free throws.

The 7’1’’ Chamberlain accomplished the remarkable feat while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors in a game against the New York Knicks.

The game ended in a 169-147 victory for the Warriors, while Chamberlain tallied 59 of his 100 points in the second half.

Due to the fact that it was a regular season game with little meaning, only 4,124 were in attendance at Hersheypark Arena, and the game received minimal media coverage. The game wasn’t televised and no video footage of the game has ever been recovered.

“It’s really something when you think about it. There’s no television coverage of the game. There are only a few photos. Wilt had this sensational game that only a few people saw that night.”, said Gary Pomerantz, who authored a book about the game.

Chamberlain’s 100-point game wasn’t the only NBA record he set during the 1961-62 season, as he went on to average a league record 50.4 points per game during that season.

In the 55 years since Chamberlain’s scoring record, no other NBA player has gotten close to that mark. Former Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant has the second-most points in a single game with 81. The recently retired Bryant came within 19 points of Chamberlain’s 100 on January 22, 2006 against the Toronto Raptors.

Chamberlain’s 100-point game was just one moment of a career that saw him score a total of 31,419 points, 5th most in league history. He also holds the NBA record for most rebounds in a single game with 55. The NBA even instituted several rule changes during Chamberlain’s career to slow down his dominance. Chamberlain died on October 12, 1999, but the legacy he left behind continues to be felt to this day.