Records

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Jason

Im sure Kobe could have scored a 100 if the defense backed off and let him hit that mark in the four quarter too. Plus they were intentionally fouling the losing team to save clock time and get the ball back to Wilt. What team does that? Great looking record but a kind of hollow one IMO if the stories are true.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...game-overhyped

If Kobe could have scored 100, he would have. If you don't think that Kobe was trying to score as many points as possible when he put up 81, then you are in a fantasy world.

In no way did the Knicks back off to let Wilt score. That is something you are making up. They were doing everything to stop him. The Warriors were fouling at the end of the game to get Wilt to 100, but that only resulted in 5 more FG attempts that the previous quarter. At Wilt's shooting percentage for the game it would account for ~6 points and that is ignoring the time on left when he hit 100. The real reason for his scoring total was 28-32 on free throws. Even without the effort to hit the magic number, Wilt scores 94+ and has the greatest game in NBA history.

[packs]

Would you say that Wilt was playing against competition that would be consistent with the current average NBA team / game? I would say definitely not. So if deadball era records are going to get asterisks, I never understood why Wilt wouldn't.

[jbhofmann]

Originally Posted by packs

Would you say that Wilt was playing against competition that would be consistent with the current average NBA team / game? I would say definitely not. So if deadball era records are going to get asterisks, I never understood why Wilt wouldn't.

Not even close.

Watch those old videos. Guys going left and using their right hand to dribble. The mechanics, the flow of the game, the very low level complexity of defense all play into the fact that basketball and football are just not comparable across eras.

[packs]

I agree totally. His record should be looked at the same way Cy Young's win totals are. Completely out of reach within the current game's structure and talent level.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by packs

I agree totally. His record should be looked at the same way Cy Young's win totals are. Completely out of reach within the current game's structure and talent level.

Meh...so then what about today's records in the context of a half century from now? A player can only compete against the competition in his own era. It is easy to dump on every record not set by an active player as having occurred in an era of little talent. There were also only eight teams in the NBA when Chamberlain was setting those records. The star players on rosters weren't diluted like they are today.

[packs]

Well the game was certainly different then than it is now, which is why dead ball era statistics are often taken with a grain of salt when it comes to talking about baseball. I think the same could be said for basketball, and that was really my only point. In my opinion Kobe's game is more impressive.

[bbcardzman]

Let’s not leave out Stan Musial, who had 5 homers in a doubleheader on May 2, 1954. He went 4-for-4 in the first game with three homers, including the game-winner, a three-run shot off Jim Hearn, and 2-for-4 in the second game with two more homers (unfortunately the Cardinals lost that one).

Statistically speaking in his 22 year career, he was probably the greatest hitter ever. Musial retired with a .331 career batting average and is fourth on the all-time hits list. In 1948 he finished with a .376 average and 131 RBI. He was one home run shy off the Triple Crown with 39, but led the league in every significant batting category: hits (230), total bases (429), doubles (46), triples (18), runs (135), on-base percentage (.450), and slugging (.702) He also had four games where he had five hits that year.

Here’s a few more records:
Played in a record 24 consecutive All-Star Games and hit an All-Star record six home runs.
Set a National League record for most years (17) and most consecutive years (16) batting .300 or better (50 or more games).
His 22 years as a Cardinal, covering 3,026 games, established an N.L. record for most seasons with one club.
Established major league records for most seasons leading his league in doubles (eight) and in extra-base hits (seven).
Holds National League marks for most seasons leading the league in runs scored (five), in triples (five) and in fewest strikeouts (four).

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by rats60

If Kobe could have scored 100, he would have. If you don't think that Kobe was trying to score as many points as possible when he put up 81, then you are in a fantasy world.

In no way did the Knicks back off to let Wilt score. That is something you are making up. They were doing everything to stop him. The Warriors were fouling at the end of the game to get Wilt to 100, but that only resulted in 5 more FG attempts that the previous quarter. At Wilt's shooting percentage for the game it would account for ~6 points and that is ignoring the time on left when he hit 100. The real reason for his scoring total was 28-32 on free throws. Even without the effort to hit the magic number, Wilt scores 94+ and has the greatest game in NBA history.

From everything I ever read about the Chamberlain 100-point game, the Knicks were trying desperately to stop him because it was a huge embarrassment to have a player score 100 points against them.

[Piratedogcardshows]

Originally Posted by rats60

If Kobe could have scored 100, he would have. If you don't think that Kobe was trying to score as many points as possible when he put up 81, then you are in a fantasy world.

In no way did the Knicks back off to let Wilt score. That is something you are making up. They were doing everything to stop him. The Warriors were fouling at the end of the game to get Wilt to 100, but that only resulted in 5 more FG attempts that the previous quarter. At Wilt's shooting percentage for the game it would account for ~6 points and that is ignoring the time on left when he hit 100. The real reason for his scoring total was 28-32 on free throws. Even without the effort to hit the magic number, Wilt scores 94+ and has the greatest game in NBA history.

Some good points but seriously if the Lakers fouled whoever they were playing while LEADING in the fourth quarter there would have been outrage if he hit 101. Wilt Chamberlain even said he wasnt comfortable with it. Did you peek at the article at all?

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Jason

Some good points but seriously if the Lakers fouled whoever they were playing while LEADING in the fourth quarter there would have been outrage if he hit 101. Wilt Chamberlain even said he wasnt comfortable with it. Did you peek at the article at all?

I'm sure there would have. At the time Wilt was breaking his own record. I did read the article, but my point is that they were doing that to hit 100, not break a record. Wilt sets the record, it doesn't matter if it is 94 or 100 or something between.

As far as competition, this game might be against inferior competition, but his 55 rebounds against Bill Russell is not. Overall I don't see him as playing against lesser because as was said before, there were fewer teams. All the games played against Russell, Thurmond, etc. more than make for games against bums.

[h2oya311]

although all of those feats on the list are amazing, nothing beats Rickey Henderson's 1,406 regular season career stolen bases. The next best (any era) was Lou Brock with 938. That's 50% more than Brock!!! That's Gresky-esque!

Even more mind-boggling to me is that Henderson is 2nd all-time in Bases on Balls w/ 2,190. This is a guy who opposing pitchers absolutely did NOT want to have on base, yet he walked more times than Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and all the stars before him. He was only eclipsed by Barry Bonds after those ridiculous "inflated" years (statistical and head inflation, I mean).

Henderson owns a few more records, like career runs scored (w/ 2,295) and career lead-off home runs (w/ 81), but the SB record seems absolutely unbreakable, in my opinion.