List of career achievements by Wilt Chamberlain
This article concerns the career achievements of Basketball Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain, who holds numerous NBA records in scoring, rebounding and durability. Among others, he is the only player in NBA history to average 40 and 50 points in a season, score 100 points in a single game, and grab over 2,000 rebounds in a single season. He also won seven scoring, nine field goal percentage, and 11 rebounding titles in addition to an assist title.
With an assortment of fadeaway jump shots, his favorite one-hand finger-roll and powerful dunks in the low post, he scored 31,419 points, grabbed 23,924 rebounds, averaging 30.07 points and 22.9 rebounds and was also very durable, standing on the hardwood an average 45.8 minutes.
For his feats, Chamberlain was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, elected one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, ranked #2 in SLAM Magazine's Top 500 NBA Players of all time in 2011 and #13 in ESPN list "Top North American athletes of the century". In honor of Chamberlain, his jerseys have been retired six times, by Overbrook High School, the University of Kansas, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the Warriors, 76ers and Lakers franchises.
List of records and feats
Chamberlain holds 72 NBA records, 68 by himself. Among his records are several that are considered unbreakable, such as averaging 22.9 rebounds for a career or 50.4 points per game in a season, scoring 100 points or 55 rebounds in a single game, scoring 65 or more points 15 times, 50 or more points 118 times. During Chamberlain's time, defensive statistics like blocks and steals had not been recorded yet. However, according to Jack Ramsay, "Harvey Pollack|Harvey said he used to tell one of his statisticians to keep track of Wilt's blocks in big games... One night, they got up to 25."NBA scoring records
- NBA record – Most points per game in a season
- NBA record – Most points in a season
- NBA record – Most points scored in a game
- NBA record – Most points scored in a half
- NBA record – Most 50-point games in a season
- NBA record – Most 40-point games in a season
- NBA record – Most consecutive seasons leading league in points per game
- NBA record – Most career regular-season 60-point games
- NBA record – Most career regular-season 50-point games
- NBA record – Most career regular-season 40-point games
- NBA record – Most career regular-season 35-point games
- NBA record – Most consecutive 60-point games
- NBA record – Most consecutive 50-point games
- NBA record – Most consecutive 40-point games
- NBA record – Most consecutive 30-point games
- NBA record – Most consecutive 20-point games
- NBA record – Most consecutive games leading all players in scoring
- NBA record – Most consecutive games leading all teammates in scoring
- NBA record – Most points per game by a rookie
- NBA record – Most points by a rookie
- NBA record – Most points by a rookie in a game
- NBA record – Most consecutive 40-point games by a rookie
- NBA record – Most points scored by a player in his first NBA game
- NBA record – Fewest games played to reach 15,000 points
- NBA record – Fewest games played to reach 20,000 points
- NBA record – Fewest games played to reach 25,000 points
- NBA record – Fewest games played to reach 30,000 points
- NBA record – Most consecutive seasons leading the league in field goals made
- NBA record – Most field goals made in a season
- NBA record – Most field goals attempted in a season
- NBA record – Most field goals made in a game
- NBA record – Most field goals attempted in a game
- NBA record – Most field goals Made in a Half
- NBA record – Most field goals Attempted in a Half
- NBA record – Most field goals Attempted in a Quarter
- NBA record – Most Free Throws Made in a Game
- NBA record – Most seasons leading the NBA in free throw attempts
- NBA record – Most consecutive seasons leading the NBA in free throw attempts
- NBA record – Most free throws Attempted in a season
- NBA playoff record – Most points by a rookie in a game
- NBA playoff record – Most field goals in a seven-game series
- NBA playoff record – Most field goals in a game
- NBA playoff record – Most field goal attempts in a game
- NBA playoff record – Most field goal attempts in a three-game series
- NBA playoff record – Most field goal attempts in a five-game series
- NBA All-Star Game record – Free throw attempts in a game
Other selected scoring facts
- 2nd-highest career scoring average – record held by Michael Jordan
- 2nd-most career regular-season 30-point games – record held by Michael Jordan
- 2nd-most free throws made in a season – record held by Jerry West
- 2nd-most free throws attempted in a game – record held by Dwight Howard
- 2nd-most points in an NBA All-Star Game – record held by Anthony Davis
- 2nd-most Playoff games with at least 50 points: 4 – record held by Michael Jordan ;
- 2nd-most playoff games with at least 45 points: 8 – record held by Michael Jordan;
- 3rd most points in a Playoff game: 56 -- record held by Michael Jordan;
- 3rd-most points in an NBA All-Star Game half – record held by Anthony Davis; 2nd place held by Glen Rice; 3rd place shared with Tom Chambers
- 3rd-most field goals made in an NBA All-Star Game – record held by Anthony Davis; 2nd place held by Blake Griffin; 3rd place shared with Kevin Garnett and Michael Jordan
NBA rebounding records
- NBA record – Career total rebounds
- NBA record – Career rebounds per game
- NBA record – Most seasons leading the league in rebounds
- NBA record – Most seasons with 1,000 or more rebounds
- NBA record – Rebounds per game in a season
- NBA record – Total Rebounds in a season
- NBA record – Rebounds in a game
- NBA record – Most rebounds per game by a rookie in a season
- NBA record – Most rebounds by a rookie in a season
- NBA record – Most rebounds by a rookie in a game
- NBA playoff record – Most rebounds in a single postseason.
- NBA playoff record – Most rebounds in a playoff game.
- NBA playoff record – Most rebounds in a half
- NBA playoff record – Highest rebounding average in a playoff series.
- NBA playoff record – Most rebounds in a 5-game playoff series.
- NBA playoff record – Most rebounds in a 6-game playoff series.
- NBA playoff record – Most rebounds in a 7-game playoff series.
- NBA playoff record – Most rebounds by a rookie in a game
- NBA Finals record – Highest rebounds per game average, career
- NBA All-Star Game record – Most career rebounds in the NBA All-Star game.
- NBA All-Star Game record – Most rebounds in a half.
Other selected rebound facts
- 2nd-highest playoff career average – record held by Bill Russell
- 2nd-most consecutive seasons with 1,000+ rebounds – record held by Bill Russell
- 2nd-most rebounds in a half – record held by Bill Russell
- 2nd-most rebounds in a quarter – record held by Nate Thurmond, 2nd place is shared with three performances by Bill Russell
- 2nd-most rebounds in a 3-game NBA Playoff series – record held by Bill Russell
- 2nd-most rebounds in a 4-game NBA Playoff series – record held by Bill Russell
- 2nd-most consecutive games 20+ rebounds in the NBA Finals – record held by Bill Russell
- 2nd-most consecutive games 30+ rebounds in the NBA Finals – record held by Bill Russell; 2nd place is also shared by Bill Russell
- 2nd-most rebounds in a 5-game NBA Finals – record held by Bill Russell
- 2nd-most rebounds in a 7-game NBA Finals – record held by Bill Russell
- 2nd-highest rebounding average in the NBA All-Star Game – record held by Bob Pettit
- 3rd-highest rebounding average in an NBA Finals series – first two spots held by Bill Russell
- Chamberlain never grabbed fewer than 10 rebounds in any of playoff games he logged
- Chamberlain never averaged less than 18 rebounds in a season
- Chamberlain never averaged less than 20 rebounds in a postseason
- Chamberlain is the only player to grab more than 2,000 rebounds in a single season: 2,149 rebounds in the 1960–61 season and 2,052 in 1961–62.
NBA versatility records
- NBA record – Most double-doubles, all time: 968.
- NBA record – Highest single-season PER: 31.82 in 1963 season.
- NBA record – Most consecutive double-doubles
- *Chamberlain also holds the 2nd- and 3rd-longest streaks.
- NBA playoff record – Most consecutive triple-doubles in the same postseason
- NBA All-Star Game record – Most double-doubles
Other selected versatility facts
- Only player in NBA history to lead the league in points and rebounds the same season
- One of only three players in NBA history to lead the league in points and field goal percentage the same season
- Only player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds and assists the same season
- Only player in NBA history to lead the league in points, assists and rebounds in any season
- Only player in NBA history to lead the postseason in points, rebounds, assists and field percentage in any postseason
- Only player to lead the league in rebounds and assists in the same postseason
- Only of only two players in NBA history to record a double-triple-double
- Only player in NBA history to record a double-quadruple .
- Chamberlain led the league in total assists, with 702 assists : he remains the only center to lead the league in assists.
- Most 30-30 games in the history of NBA: 124;
- 2nd-most games leading both teams in points, rebounds and assists: 33
- Only player in NBA history to average at least 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists in the same season. Chamberlain did it in 1966–67 and 1967–68
- Only player in NBA history to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a 7-game Finals series
- 3rd-most double-doubles in the Playoffs: 143
- 5th-most triple-doubles, career: 78
- Third most points scored in regulation in a triple-double game . James Harden scored 60 in a triple-double with 11 assists and 10 rebounds January 30, 2018. Russell Westbrook scored 57 in a triple-double with 11 assists and 13 rebounds March 29, 2017.
- Second most consecutive triple-doubles . Russell Westbrook has the most consecutive triple-doubles with 11.
NBA durability records
- NBA record – Most seasons leading NBA in minutes played
- NBA record – Most consecutive seasons leading NBA in minutes played
- NBA record – Most career minutes played per game
- NBA record – Most minutes played in a season
- NBA record – Most minutes played per game for a season
- NBA record – Most complete games in a season
- NBA record – Most consecutive complete games in a season
- NBA playoff record – Highest postseason career average minutes per game: 47.24
- NBA playoff record – Highest average minutes per game in a playoff series
- NBA playoff record – Most minutes played in a three-game series
- NBA playoff record – Most minutes played in a four-game series
- NBA playoff record – Most minutes played in a six-game series
- NBA Finals record – Most minutes played in a five-game series
- Chamberlain never fouled out of a regular-season or playoff game in his 14 years in the NBA. His career average was only 2 fouls per game, despite having averaged 45.8 minutes per game over his career. His fouls per 36 minutes was a remarkable 1.6 per game.
Other selected durability facts
- 3rd-most minutes played in the NBA All-Star Game: 388;
- 2nd-oldest player to win Finals MVP award: 35 years, 8 months, 14 days old in 1972;
- 2nd-oldest player to lead the league in rebounds: 36 years, 8 months in 1973;
- 2nd-oldest player in NBA history to score at least 60 points in a game: 32 years, 126 days
NBA accuracy records
- NBA record – Most consecutive seasons leading NBA in field goal percentage
- NBA record – Highest field goal percentage in a season with 72.7% in 1972–73
- NBA record – Most consecutive field goals
- NBA record – Most field goals in a game without a miss
- NBA record – Career free throws missed
- NBA record – Career free throws missed per game
- NBA record – Free throws missed per game in a season
- NBA record – most free-throws missed in a single season
- NBA playoff record – Most free throws missed in a half
Other selected accuracy facts
- 2nd-most seasons leading NBA in field goal percentage – record held by Shaquille O'Neal
- One of only four players to lead NBA Playoffs in field goal percentage for more than one season
- 2nd-most free throws missed in a game – record held by Andre Drummond
- 2nd-most free throws attempted in a game with none made – record held by Shaquille O'Neal
- 3rd-most free throws missed in a playoff game – record held by Shaquille O'Neal ; 2nd place held by DeAndre Jordan
- 3rd-lowest career free-throw percentage in NBA history – record held by Ben Wallace
Accolades
- Rookie of the Year
- NBA All-Star Game MVP 1960
- 4× MVP
- 7× All-NBA First Team
- 3× All-NBA Second Team
- 2× NBA champion
- 1× Finals MVP
- 2× All-Defensive First Team
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
- Chamberlain ranked #2 in SLAM Magazine's Top 50 NBA Players of All Time in 2009.
- Chamberlain ranked #13 in ESPN list of top athletes of the 20th century