At first glance, Wilt Chamberlain's life appeared to be the epitome of athletic success. He was renowned for his popularity with women, unparalleled dominance as a center on the hardwood, and his larger-than-life personality consistently made the headlines. However, being 'Wilt The Stilt' was far more challenging and complex than it appeared.
From being as tall as 6'3" in the 8th grade, Wilt had to learn to be confident as a gigantic individual among his peers. And even as he took over the NBA, The Big Dipper got no peace, constantly on the move whenever fans hounded him. After witnessing this firsthand, his former teammate and MVP Billy Cunningham grew confident that he would never want to trade places with the 13-time All-Star.
Chamberlain wasn't confident about himself at first
By the time Wilt had passed high school, he was already past 7 feet, which created a unique set of challenges in his daily life. Moreover, his extraordinary stature often required him to physically adapt to his surroundings, such as ducking under doorways in rowhouses and consciously slouching when among friends to appear less imposing. Seeing him constantly adjusting to fit in, his friends and family started calling him 'Dippy.'
Eventually, this led Wilt to struggle to find confidence during his teenage years, and as his longtime family friend noted, the four-time MVP was never comfortable attracting everyone's attention twice.
"He was always slouching over because he was not very proud," John Chaney told the Philadelphia Inquirer . "It was a terrible, terrible thing to be tall because people would pick at you."
Billy Cunningham on Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt's confidence grew during his two-year college career at Kansas, averaging 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds, and his one-year stint with the Harlem Globetrotters. Upon entering the NBA, Chamberlain immediately established himself as a superstar, leading the league in scoring for his first six seasons and in rebounds for his first fours.
However, this success came with a price. Chamberlain's immense popularity led to constant attention from fans, which he found overwhelming. In response, he often drove across America alone, reportedly making at least 20 cross-country trips. Furthermore, Wilt also frequently changed residences to avoid being recognized, and Cunningham - the 1973 MVP - witnessed all of it firsthand and knew how challenging things got for his former teammate.
"I would never have wanted to be Wilt Chamberlain," Cunningham said . "There was no place to hide."
Related: “Considered Lemon the most ‘sensational basketball player’ he’d ever seen” - Wilt Chamberlain once had the most peculiar GOAT choice
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