Everybody loves a good ol' Wilt Chamberlain story, and this is one of those tales that was told from different angles. No matter what the version is, the only logical conclusion is that "The Big Dipper" was one bad man that nobody dared to mess with. Even the other main character in the anecdote, Mel Daniels , corroborated every detail of the account and then some.
As the story went, Chamberlain went to coach the ABA's San Diego Conquistadors during the 1973-74 season. It was the pre-merger era, so it was an entirely different league. "The Stilt" signed up primarily for show as he was either late showing up for work or couldn't even be bothered to be in the building.
Daniels vs. Robinson
Mel was a Pacers legend in his own right. He was a 6'9" center, listed at 220 lbs, but strong as an ox. The Hall-of-Famer was also known as a hothead who would fight anyone at the drop of a pin.
"Our second year, we had 82 games, and we had 82 fights. Mel started all," former Pacers teammate Bob Netolicky quipped . "The fight I remember the most, some of you heard the story, some of you haven't, but we were in San Diego. And Mel, of course, midway through the third or fourth quarter, Mel started a fight with a player named Flynn Robinson."
Robinson was a member of the 1972 Lakers team with Jerry West and Chamberlain. At the time, he was in the ABA for his last pro basketball season. The problem was that Flynn was a 6'1" guard, so he was no match in a scuffle against a big guy like Daniels.
"All these guys start backing up"
Netolicky recalled playing in the live game as the brawl happened. Back then, bench-clearing was acceptable, even required, to show a teammate that you had his back. So, as the benches cleared, Bob noticed something unusual.
"At the time I turned around, I saw all these guys all of a sudden, stopped, Like, it was a stop motion. They were running, and all of a sudden, they start backing up," remembered the four-time ABA All-Star.
"I see a figure who's walking towards Mel and it was Wilt. Wilt walked up to Mel, and this (pointing to Daniels) is one strong human being. Wilt, facing Mel, picked him up, and Mel's legs are dangling like this, and this lasted for a few seconds, then the fight calmed down," he added.
George McGinnis, another Pacer, told his side of things from his perspective in the book Basketball: A Love Story .
He said: " Well, Mel was still trying to go to the guy and take a swing over Wilt's shoulder, so Wilt turns around and just looks him up, 6'9", 250. Then Wilt lifts Mel in the air and says, 'Big fella, can you settle down?' And he takes two steps and sits Mel down. Mel goes, 'C'mon, guys, let's get Wilt!' We go, 'You gotta be crazy! We're not gonna mess with the Dipper!'"
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Unbelievably strong
Daniels was still in a fighting mood, but not for long. After Netolicky finished narrating, Mel took it from there, making the story even more fascinating.
"It was a true story… and Wilt Chamberlain is unbelievably strong. He picked me up and start walking towards our bench, and I knew I was done," said Daniels.
"In fact, he was telling me, there's no point in fighting; there's no point in getting upset and change the attitude. I'm saying, 'Yes, sir, Mr. Chamberlain. It's very emotional, and I lost my head.' And he said, 'Are you stuck squared away now, and you can behave?' Yes, Mr. Chamberlain, you have no more problems with me," he added.
The "Big Dipper's" strength and overall athleticism were the stuff of legend. Some of the stories and feats surrounding him were probably exaggerated, but his natural athletic abilities were unmatched. Arnold Schwarzenneger confirmed Wilt lifted him with one hand, while former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause considers the "Stilt" the "strongest human being who ever lived."
Whether Wilt was indeed the strongest ever doesn't really matter. What stands out in this story is how he used his strength to keep the peace and settle things down, showing that his power went beyond just physical feats.
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