Wilt Chamberlain’s Confessions: The 20,000 Women, the 100-Point Game, and Others

Wilt Chamberlain’s 1973 autobiography reveals the truth behind his 20,000 women claim, his feud with Bill Russell, and the private loneliness of the NBA’s most dominant force. Its more than a sports book, Wilt Chamberlain’s autobiography is a confession about sex, race, money, and privacy. I break down the 20,000 women claim and what he really thought of Bill Russell.

Reader Recommendation

Who will love this book: Basketball purists who want to understand the NBA’s racial and tactical evolution in the 1960s. Fans of Wilt Chamberlain who want to hear his side of the “loser” narrative. Readers interested in celebrity culture and the price of fame.

Who will bounce: Readers looking for a traditional sports biography with a linear, hero-worship narrative. People uncomfortable with explicit discussions of sex, race, and bitterness. Anyone expecting Wilt to be humble. He is not.

Introduction: The Book That Made Sports Writers Nervous

Wilt: Just Like Any Other 7-Foot Black Millionaire Who Lives Next Door was published in 1973 by Macmillan. It was co-written with David Shaw, then an award-winning investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times. The title comes from a quote by Alex Hannum, who coached Wilt in both San Francisco and Philadelphia. Hannum used to answer the question “What’s Wilt Chamberlain really like?” with a glib but perceptive line: “Wilt is just like any other 7-foot, black millionaire who lives next door to you”.

That quote captures the paradox at the heart of the book. Wilt Chamberlain was unique, but he wanted to be seen as ordinary. He was a superstar who resented being treated as a freak. He was a black man in a white sports world who refused to play the role of the humble, grateful Negro. And he was a bachelor who slept with thousands of women and saw no reason to apologize for it.

The book caused a sensation when it was released. As the original cover flap put it, “So candid and outspoken, it makes ‘Ball Four’ look timid”. Jim Bouton’s Ball Four had shocked America in 1970 by revealing that baseball players drank, chased women, and cursed. Wilt’s book went further. He talked about sex, race, politics, and his own ego in ways that no athlete of his stature had ever done before.

But Wilt is not just a scandalous book. It is a document of a specific time and place: the NBA in the 1960s, a league that was just beginning to integrate, a country that was rioting over civil rights, and a man who was trying to figure out who he was when everyone else had already decided for him.

Background: Who Was Wilt Chamberlain When He Wrote This?

By 1973, Wilt Chamberlain had been in the public eye for nearly two decades. He was born on August 21, 1936, in Philadelphia, the sixth of nine surviving children. His father worked as a janitor and handyman, never earning more than $62 a week. His mother worked as a domestic. The family was poor but not destitute.

Wilt grew up fast. He was 6 foot 3 by age 12 and 6 foot 11 by the time he started high school. He led Overbrook High School to two city championships and scored 2,252 points in three years. He was recruited by over 200 colleges before choosing Kansas, where he played for the legendary Phog Allen and then Dick Harp.

His NBA career began in 1959 with the Philadelphia Warriors. He was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1965 and then to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1968. By the time he wrote Wilt, he had won two NBA championships (1967 with Philadelphia, 1972 with Los Angeles), scored 100 points in a single game, and set dozens of records that still stand.

But he had also been labeled a “loser” for losing to Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics in the playoffs year after year. He had been criticized for being selfish, for not winning enough, for being too big, too black, too outspoken. Wilt was his response to all of that.

The Book’s Central Thesis: I Am Not Your Stereotype

The main argument of Wilt is simple: Wilt Chamberlain refuses to be reduced to a stereotype. He is not just a basketball player. He is not just a black man. He is not just a seven-footer. He is not just a ladies’ man. He is a complex human being, and he demands to be seen that way.

This thesis runs through every chapter. In the preface, David Shaw writes that he and Wilt wanted to write a book that was “not just another sports book, not just another black book, not just another celebrity book”. They wanted to capture Wilt “the man, as he really is—a complex, diverse, unique, immensely self-assured and self-possessed human being”.

That is the book’s promise. Whether it delivers on that promise is something I will discuss later. But first, let us look at what Wilt actually says.

Summary: What Is Inside Wilt?

Chapter 1: The 1973 Playoffs and the “Loser” Label

The book opens with Wilt in tears. The Lakers have just beaten the Chicago Bulls in the 1973 playoffs, but Wilt is not celebrating. He feels sorry for the Bulls. He goes to their locker room before he goes to his own. He tells them they deserved to win.

This is classic Wilt. He is a competitor, but he is also empathetic. He knows what it feels like to lose when you deserve to win. He has been called a “loser” for most of his career, and he hates it.

“Loser, shit!” he writes. “If I’d been a loser, so were such so-called basketball ‘immortals’ as Bob Pettit and Dolph Schayes—to say nothing of such sports heroes as Hank Aaron and Willie Mays and Joe Namath and Jim Brown”.

Wilt then lays out his case. He beat Boston in the playoffs once, in 1967, which is once more than any other team did during the Celtics’ dynasty. Every team he played for won more games and did better in the playoffs while he was there than before or after. And most knowledgeable observers agreed that Boston almost always had better players, better coaching, and better luck.

This is Wilt’s defense against the “loser” charge. It is detailed, statistical, and bitter. He has been carrying this resentment for years, and he is not going to let it go.

Chapter 2: Childhood in Philadelphia

Wilt’s childhood was not a rags-to-riches story. His family was poor, but they were not destitute. They lived in a row house in West Philadelphia. His father worked multiple jobs. His mother cooked, cleaned, and sewed. All nine children worked as soon as they could.

Wilt was the biggest worker among the kids. He delivered papers, washed windows, shoveled snow, and collected junk. He had his first job at age five. By the time he was ten, he was a “regular businessman—a budding Rockefeller”.

He also sucked his thumb until he was in junior high school. He was 12 years old, 6 foot 3, and walking around with his thumb in his mouth. It is a detail that humanizes him. He was not always the confident superstar.

Chapter 3: Being Seven Feet Tall

Wilt devotes an entire chapter to the experience of being seven feet tall. He is measured at 7 feet 1 1/16 inches for the book, which is exactly what he had been telling people for 15 years.

He hates the questions. “How’s the weather up there?” “How tall are you?” “You must be a basketball player.” He has heard them all a thousand times. He has developed a repertoire of put-ons. When someone asks how tall he is, he says “6 foot 13.” When someone asks if he plays basketball, he says he is a jockey.

But the chapter is not just funny. It is also angry. Wilt argues that people treat him as a “freak” because they cannot relate to a seven-footer. They can fantasize about being Joe Namath, but they cannot fantasize about being seven feet tall.

He also hates the nickname “Wilt the Stilt.” It makes him sound like a carnival attraction. His friends and family called him “Dip” or “Dippy” or “Dipper”. He preferred “Big Dipper,” which is also the name of a constellation, Ursa Major. He had that name on his boat and his house.

Chapter 4: High School and College Recruitment

Wilt’s high school career at Overbrook was legendary. He scored 2,252 points, broke Tom Gola’s state scoring record, and won two city championships. In one game, he scored 90 points against Roxborough, including 60 points in about 10 minutes.

His college recruitment was a circus. Over 200 schools pursued him. He was offered money, cars, jobs for his parents, and just about everything else. He chose Kansas because of Phog Allen, the legendary coach who had been at Kansas since 1920.

But his time at Kansas was not happy. The NCAA investigated him repeatedly. Other teams used stall tactics and triple-teamed him. He was called a “loser” after Kansas lost to North Carolina in the 1957 NCAA championship game.

Wilt left Kansas after his junior year and joined the Harlem Globetrotters for one season. He says he needed a break from the pressure and the racism.

Chapter 5: The NBA and the Bill Russell Rivalry

Wilt’s NBA career is the heart of the book. He describes his rookie season with the Philadelphia Warriors, his battles with Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics, and his eventual championships with the 76ers and Lakers.

The Russell rivalry is a major theme. Wilt insists that he was not the loser in their matchup. He outscored Russell by more than two to one in their first year. He outrebounded him. He even blocked more of Russell’s shots.

But the press loved Russell and hated Wilt. Wilt believes this was because Russell was married, had children, and fit the “respectable” image of a black athlete. Wilt was a bachelor who dated white women, and the sportswriters hated that.

Wilt also believes that Russell was more popular because he was seen as a “team player” who couldn’t score, while Wilt was seen as a “selfish gunner” who could do everything. “I could shoot, rebound, pass, run, and block shots,” Wilt writes. “That made me seem almost inhuman”.

Chapter 6: The 100-Point Game

Wilt’s 100-point game against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962, is one of the most famous performances in sports history. Wilt describes the night in detail.

He had been out until 6 AM with a woman. He drove her home, caught an 8 AM train to Philadelphia, ate lunch with friends, and then played a pinball game with Eddie Gottlieb and Ike Richman before the game. He was exhausted.

But he scored 100 points anyway. He hit 36 of 63 shots from the field and 28 of 32 free throws. The crowd of 4,124 fans stormed the court.

Wilt says it was not his biggest thrill. He values field goal percentage and rebounding more than scoring. He is prouder of his 55-rebound game than his 100-point game. But he also acknowledges that the game was special. “Scoring 100 points in one game is a freak,” he writes. “But averaging 50 for a whole year is something else again”.

Chapter 7: Women and Sex

The most controversial part of Wilt is his discussion of women. He says he has slept with 20,000 women. He is not exaggerating for effect. He means it literally.

“I was just in the mood for a woman,” he writes. “I’ve never been able to understand why people get so upset about a man who likes women. I like women. I like everything about them—the way they look, the way they smell, the way they feel, the way they talk, the way they think, the way they move”.

He describes his system for picking up women. He has a 20-point scale for rating their looks. He has slept with women of every race and nationality. He has a collection of 10,000 phone numbers stuffed into paper sacks and small suitcases in his closet.

He also explains why he has never married. He is too fickle. He gets tired of a girl quickly. He has never told a girl “I love you.” He is a “gambler” and “smart gamblers don’t buck high house odds”.

The 20,000 figure has been debated for decades. Some people believe it. Some people think it is an exaggeration. But Wilt never backed down from it. Whether you believe him or not, the number is part of his legend.

Chapter 8: Racism and Politics

Wilt devotes significant space to racism and politics. He describes being refused service in restaurants in Kansas. He describes being stopped by a cop in New York who called him “boy” and pulled a gun on him. He describes the racism he faced in the NBA, where there was an unwritten quota of three black players per team when he entered the league.

He also explains why he supported Richard Nixon in 1968. He met Nixon on a plane ride and was impressed by his intelligence and his grasp of world problems. He believed that Nixon would be better on foreign policy than the Democrats.

But he was disappointed by Nixon’s Supreme Court appointments and his choice of Spiro Agnew as vice president. He was also angry when Nixon had astronauts plant an American flag on the moon. “Outer space is supposed to be for all mankind, not just Americans,” he writes.

Chapter 9: The 1972 Championship and the 1973 Loss

The book ends with Wilt’s reflections on the 1972 NBA championship with the Lakers and the 1973 loss to the Knicks. He played the 1972 championship game with a broken hand. He soaked it in a whirlpool for 30 hours and took a shot of Celestone to reduce inflammation. He scored 24 points and grabbed 29 rebounds. The Lakers won, 114-100.

In 1973, the Lakers lost to the Knicks in five games. Wilt was injured again. He had a swollen eye, two fingers taped together, a pulled hamstring, and a sore heel. He was 36 years old. He was tired.

He ends the book by saying he might retire. He might not. He is not sure. “So this book doesn’t really have an ending,” he writes. “You may be seeing me soon on the floor of your local NBA arena. Or you may be more likely to find me on a movie or television set—behind a camera, not in front of one. Or on the beach, playing volleyball and running with my dogs. Or floating down the canals of Venice, in a large gondola, with a beautiful girl on my arm and a smile on my lips and a twinkle in my eye. Ciao”.

Analysis: What Works and What Doesn’t in Wilt

Strengths

The book is brutally honest. Wilt does not hide his flaws. He admits he is egotistical, fickle, and sometimes bitter. He admits he has made mistakes. He admits he has been jealous of other players and resentful of the press.

The book is also historically valuable. It provides a first-hand account of the NBA in the 1960s, a time when the league was struggling for survival and racial integration was just beginning. Wilt’s descriptions of the racism he faced, the physical pounding he took, and the psychological pressure he endured are important historical documents.

The book is entertaining. Wilt tells great stories. The story about the vodka-drinking contest with the Russians is hilarious. The story about the lion escaping from its cage in the Los Angeles Sports Arena parking lot is surreal. The story about the woman on the plane is explicit but funny.

Weaknesses

The book is self-serving. Wilt is always the victim. The press is always unfair. The coaches are always incompetent. The teammates are always letting him down. He takes some responsibility for his failures, but not much.

The book is also disorganized. It jumps from topic to topic without much structure. The chronology is confusing. Some chapters feel like they were written separately and then stitched together.

The book is dated. The language is sometimes offensive by modern standards. Wilt uses words and phrases that would not be acceptable today. He also expresses opinions about women and sex that many readers will find problematic.

My Verdict

Wilt is a fascinating but flawed book. It is not a great work of literature. It is not a definitive biography. But it is an essential document for anyone who wants to understand Wilt Chamberlain, the NBA in the 1960s, or the experience of being a black superstar in America.

I found it compelling, frustrating, and occasionally shocking. Wilt is not always likable, but he is always interesting. And in a world where athletes are trained to say nothing controversial, his willingness to say exactly what he thinks is refreshing, even when he is wrong.

Comparison with Similar Books

Wilt is often compared to other sports autobiographies of the era. Ball Four by Jim Bouton (1970) is the most obvious comparison. Both books are candid, controversial, and critical of the sports establishment. But Bouton’s book is funnier and more self-deprecating. Wilt’s book is angrier and more defensive.

Another comparison is The Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam (1981). Halberstam’s book is a more literary and analytical look at the NBA. It is less personal but more insightful about the league as a whole.

Wilt also resembles I Never Had It Made by Jackie Robinson (1972). Both books are by black athletes who broke barriers and faced racism. Both books are angry and unapologetic. But Robinson’s book is more focused on the civil rights movement, while Wilt’s book is more focused on personal grievances.

Conclusion: Who Should Read Wilt?

You should read Wilt if you are a basketball fan who wants to understand the NBA’s evolution. You should read it if you are interested in race and celebrity in America. You should read it if you want to hear Wilt Chamberlain’s side of the story, in his own words, without any filtering.

You should not read it if you are looking for a balanced, objective biography. You should not read it if you are uncomfortable with explicit discussions of sex. You should not read it if you expect Wilt to be humble.

Wilt: Just Like Any Other 7-Foot Black Millionaire Who Lives Next Door is a time capsule. It captures a man, a moment, and a culture that no longer exists. It is not always pretty. But it is always real.

Additional Resources

For more information on Wilt Chamberlain, you can read Wilt: Larger Than Life by Robert Cherry, Goliath: The Wilt Chamberlain Story by Bill Libby, and Tall Tales: The Glory Years of the NBA by Terry Pluto. You can also watch the documentary Wilt Chamberlain: Borscht Belt Bellhop (2013) and Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era by Gary M. Pomerantz.