Ever since Wilt Chamberlain entered the NBA in 1959, he took over the league with monstrous numbers in the scoring and rebounding department. Yet the Boston Celtics remained unfazed, eliminating his respective teams in five of his initial seven seasons - twice each when he led the San Francisco Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers in the Conference Finals and once in the NBA Finals. Safe to say, although the 7’1” center led scoring and rebounding charts in most games of each of those playoff series, team success eluded him.
However, in the 1966-67 season, as the Celtics entered the campaign as 8-time winners, it was anticipated that the same fate would follow as Wilt’s Sixers faced off against them in the Conference Finals.
Even though a C's player led the scoring in four of the five games of that series, the 76ers progressed. Bill Russell, rather than being bitter, acknowledged the Sixers as one of the most well-knit and formidable teams built specifically to beat the dominant Boston squad.
Wilt couldn’t beat the Celtics before 1967
When ‘The Big Dipper’ crossed paths with the Celtics for the first time in the postseason in his career — 1960 Conference Finals — he averaged 30.5 points and 27.5 rebounds, but only Paul Arizin provided significant support. With no other teammate averaging half as many points as Wilt, and Boston having six players averaging points in double digits, the latter won easily in six games.
Similarly, in the 1962 Conference Finals, though Chamberlain improved his averages to 33.6 points and 26.9 rebounds per game, it was the Celtics’ balanced attack—with three players averaging between 19 and 22 points—that made them prevail past that round.
Lastly, in Wilt’s final bid to defeat the Celtics with the Warriors in the 1964 NBA Finals, his hard-fought individual effort of logging 29.2 points and 27.6 rebounds wasn't enough to overcome Bill and his team.
Joining the Sixers in 1965, it was clear that Chamberlain could not defeat the more team-oriented squad all by himself. However, on the 76ers’ roster, he found help from Hal Greer, who averaged 22.4 points, and Chet Walker, who averaged 20.1 points in the ‘65 Conference Finals, in which a one-point loss in Game 7 helped the Celtics progress further. Unfortunately, their 1966 matchup was once again dominated by Wilt, and the Celtics predictably closed out the series in 5 games.
However, the turning point came in the 1967 playoffs, when Greer led the Sixers in scoring (29.2 PPG), and Wilt, along with Walker and three other players, scored in double digits throughout the series, marking the first time in nine years the C's were defeated in the playoffs.
Russell didn’t feel envious at all; rather, he tipped his hat to the Sixers' stringing together a cohesive unit to tackle the Celtics’ team-first approach.
"They came together for a season as completely compatible group, in terms of physical talent and attitude," Russell said . "They surrounded Wilt with some extraordinary talent which no one talks about now… with great Billy Cunningham off the bench. They played together as a unit. They didn't defer to anyone."
Related: "The eye test is the real test" - Ron Harper reacts to allegation that LeBron and Klutch "hired minions in the media" to tear down Jordan
Wilt’s rivalry with the Celtics at least had one positive chapter
After Boston's defeat in 1967, they bounced back and beat Chamberlain twice more, including a particularly painful loss for him in the 1969 NBA Finals.
While Wilt’s legacy might be overshadowed by Boston consistently topping his efforts, he did have his moment of triumph. He led the Sixers past the Celtics and capped off that season by beating the New York Knicks in the championship round.
Related: “Please don’t call me Stilt” - Wilt Chamberlain was never fond of his nickname ‘Wilt The Stilt’
Most Popular
Comments / 0