Most Rebounds in an NBA Game

On November twenty fourth, nineteen sixty, Wilt Chamberlain does something superhuman again. We all know Wilt for setting the record for the most point in the single game with one hundred, but his all around game was more than that, and he did that in nineteen sixty facing off against his rival Bill Russell in the Boston Celtics, setting the record for the most rebounds in a single game at fifty five, a number just as crazy as his one hundred point game. Wilt Tamberlain truly was a video game type player before video games were even around. Join us today as we dive into the build up to this game and what all happened to set this incredible record that will never be broken in the history of the NBA. Today on Davy Sports History, Welcome to daily'sport History. I'm Ethan Reese, your guide, because rebounding is literally the only thing I can do on a basketball court. So let's go back to the nineteen sixties. See, the NBA was not what it is today. Back then, it was growing in popularity and it exploded because of one man by the name of a Wilt Chamberlain. And he had a great adversary with the Boston Celtics and Bill Russell. If we look back in history, these great players and rivalries really helped shape the NBA. In the nineteen sixties, it was Wilt and Bill Russell. In the nineteen eighties it was Magic and Bird, and each of these rivalries really ramped up the NBA's popularity. Now, Wilt Chamberlain was literally a freak of nature. The closest thing we have today to Wilt Chamberlain would be Gianni's Antitokumpo. But he was bigger and faster and could jump higher. That's a scary thought to think of in today's basketball. He stood seven to one, weighing over three hundred pounds, but reportedly had over a forty inch vertical and could run a hundred yard dash in ten seconds while bingch pressing over five hundred pounds, and he dominated at every level. He grew up in the Philadelphia area and dominated in high school and was a prize recruit for everyone across the country. He ended up going to Kansas, who was a blue blood university started by the creator of basketball, James Naismith, and he put together some of the greatest college basketball seasons ever. While at Kansas, The problem was he didn't want to be there anymore. He was ready to go make money. At the time, amateurism was very rigorous. Amaturism was the end all be all, so there was no taking money of any kind. You just had your scholarship for the school. And he was ready to leave after his junior year of college. And he based dilemma. At that time. You had to finish four years out of high school to enter the NBA, and he had only three years. So there's a great team in the Harlem Globe Trotters that offered him a fifty thousand dollars contract for his first year. That's huge. That's more than any other basketball player was making at the time, and he dominated with the Globetrotters, and then his name came up the next year after his four years were up from high school and the NBA draft at that time gave preference to local teams, so if a kid grew up or played college in the area of the team, they got territory rights to draft them. So the Philadelphia Warriors had tarot tory wrights to draft Will Chamberlain, which they did at great cost. They gave him a thirty thousand dollars contract, the highest rookie contract ever and he made more than any other basketball player. The reason being is he came out and dominated. His rookie year was the stuff of legends. It's the greatest rookie years ever. The year was nineteen fifty nine and he averaged thirty seven point six points and twenty seven rebounds in seventy two games. These are all rookie records and some of the highest totals in the season all time. And he also averaged forty six point four minutes a game. He barely came off the floor. He was in that good of shape and able to dominate like crazy. Now at the time, Sinners were smaller than he was. They were normally around six', nine so he was a taller, player had more athletic, ability and he really used that ability to dominate on multiple ends of the. Court he would go on to Win rookie of The YEAR mvp as well as being THE mvp of The All Star game that. Year so coming into the nineteen sixty, season he was already one of the greatest players in THE. Nba maybe ever after one year in nineteen sixty was a banner year for. Him he would go on to do what he's most known, for his one hundred point, game but he also had another record game against his, Rival Bill. Russell, now if you don't Know Bill, russell he was a stalwarth with The Boston. Celtics he was known for his defense and his rebounding, ability and him And Wolk chamberlain would go back and forth In Eastern conference finals and in the finals for, years with him getting the best because his team was overall a better. Team will it was a better player, overall And russell did get the best of him a lot of, times but arguably The celtics at the time had the better overall team most of the. Time so On november twenty four to nineteen, sixty The warriors were hosting The Boston. Celtics at the, time they were both at the top of The, east with The warriors at eleven and five And boston at ten and. Three so this was a big matchup for the league as two of the top teams were facing. Off so they come into the game and The celtics back then were led By Bill, russell and they Had Bob, Coosey Sam, Jones Tom, hyson and this was a team that would go on to win championship after, championship and The, warriors of course Had Wilt, chamberlain Al, adoles who was a good player and would have his number retired by The, warriors And Paul, areason who was basically the running mate For Wilt. Chamberlain he was a ten Time All, star two time scoring, champ would Be ALL nba four times and make The hall Of. Fame but he was at the tail end of his career at this, time but still very. Good so The warriors came out put physicality above. Everything they knew they needed to be physical against a very Physical celtics. Team they really asserted themselves on the. Boards will himself didn't focus on, scoring which he was great. At he really focused on the. Boards and at the end of the first quarter it was twenty six to thirty, four The celtics in the lead And will had eight points and ten. Rebounds and the second Quarter will really put in his offensive prowess on, display getting to about twenty points and having another twelve to fifteen. Rebounds, now WHEN i give you these, NUMBERS i might give you a range because we don't know exactly the box scores kept in that day were not kept quarter by. Quarter we were lucky to have what we had at the end of the. Game so at the, half The celtics have been on offensive. Juggernaut they have sixty nine points opposed to fifty twenty three for The. Warriors it's a hard fought battle and even though they're crashing the, boards it's still not enough for The. Warriors for the second, half they come out and they take a jump on The. Celtics will ups his game even, more scoring about fourteen points and having almost twenty rebounds in this quarter, alone enough for any player to think it was a good game rebound. Wise this helped energize them and bring the lead to only thirteen and in the fourth, Quarter will puts it all. Online, now mind, You will has not come out of the game this entire. Time he ends up playing the entire forty eight minutes of the. Game that's how important this game was To Wilton warriors. Team The celtics haven't really become the rivals, yet but this was the. Beginning as he grabbed rebound after, rebound Keeping Bill russell and. Check he ends up with almost twenty rebounds at the end of this, quarter getting him fifty five rebounds for the. Game he only ends up with thirty four points on the, game which is a great number for any, player especially in today's day and. Age For, wilt that was a low average game because he was facing Against Bill, russell one of the best center defenders of all. Time but the physicality he put on the rebounding front was what really pushed. Him and just for, context he had fifty five rebounds The celtics had fifty nine as a. Team he almost out redbounded the Entire celtic team and he wasn't the only one on The. Warriors the rest of the team had thirty five rebounds and they came back to make it a game at the end of the, fourth but it was too, little too, late and they lost by three. Points in this iconic, game Giving Wilt, chamberlain whose star was rising, rapidly it gave him a record that stands to this. Day fifty five rebounds is an unheard of. Stat no one has come close. Since the closest one Was Bill russell around the same, era and he would And Wilt chamberlain And Bill russell account for twenty two of the twenty FOUR nba games where someone rebounded over forty rebounds in a. Game well is always remembered for his, scoring but his rebounding was. Ridiculous his career rebounding rate was just under twenty three rebounds a. Game it wasn't just a double, double he was averaging over twenty a. Game it just shows you how dumbinant he was as a player in all aspects of the. Game and Though Bill russell usually got the best of him when it came to winning, championships he got the best of him this, night getting fifty five, rebounds a record that if he did not, play would be owned By. Russell but at least he's able to have that Above russell for his legendary. CAREER i want to thank you you're listening To Today's Daily Sports. History if you like, this please make sure you like, them subscribe wherever you're, listening and leave us a. Review it helps me immensely do things to make this an even better podcast for, you and we'll see you on the next. One