Postal Service Creates Wilt Chamberlain Stamps

Just like Wilt Chamberlain himself, these new official United States stamps be larger than life (or at least other stamps).

Next week (Oct. eight) the new Wilt Chamberlain commemorative stamps will go on sale and they are larger than even the average commemorative stamp — two inches tall. They will be available through the Postal Service or the Sixers.com Web site, so you’ll be able to get them in time to put on all those Christmas cards your wife buys, addresses and does all the work on for you (well, that’s how it goes at my house).

It’s fitting because Wilt was larger than life — this is a guy who scored 100 points in a game, averaged 50.4 points a night in 1961-62, who averaged more than 30 points a game for nine seasons and more than 20 rebounds a game for a dozen seasons, whose career averages were 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds a game, a man who dished out more assists than anyone in the league in 1968 just to show he could. And that’s just his on-the-court exploits.

Philadelphia Tribune sportswriter Donald Hunt pushed a campaign to get Wilt on a stamp, and it has finally happened.

The Sixers will have a tribute night for Chamberlain Dec. 5 when the Oklahoma City Thunder come to town.




bob
MY NOTE:  A little known fact is that Chamberlain's custom-built Bel-Air home had no right angles in it.

1972 LIFE photos


Built on a World War II anti-aircraft gun sight, Chamberlain's new pad overlooks Los Angeles




Aerial view of basketball star Wilt Chamberlain's $1 million home built in the hills of Bel Air




Basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain w. dog outside his home




The stone-walled pool room reflects Wilt's taste for color and for triangles. There is no right-angled corner anywhere in the house





Basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain swimming in his pool




Wilt's "X-rated room" is paneled in mirrors, upholstered with sofas, and dominated by a fur-covered waterbed



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When not in use, Wilt's size 14 sneakers and his number 13 Lakers' uniform shirt hang in a 25x6 cedar wardrobe closet tended by his housekeeper




A 16-foot Venetian glass chandelier dominates the dining room and $17,000 worth of custom-made chairs




Among the concessions made specifically to Wilt's height are a wine rack high off the floor, an oversized shower, and a 14-foot-high front door




On a cantilevered balcony, Chamberlain overlooks his pyramidic living room






One of the Wilt's three Great Danes sleeps on his master's bed beneath a sliding roof. The spread is made from soft fur muzzles of Arctic wolves. He bought 1,500 of them from the Alaskan bounty hunters eight years ago




bob




.

If given the choice, I wonder whether he would have preferred having that home or living longer.

Sam

Love those vintage hi-top canvass Converse All-Stars.

Russell said that after that Life photo spread of Wilt's new digs came out he was approached during a flight by a nice looking stewardess who said, "I just love your new house."

Russ responded by asking her to come over next Saturday night and to be sure that she brought some of her friends.

Cool house. Interesting concept. Though still not enough to convince me to become an architect.


KJ

Bob wow!

Can you get us some snapshots of the 40,000 some odd women that he gave autographs to?

dboss

Sloop,

That's a great story. And I bet it's true too.

Sam

I would have thought Wilt's feet were bigger so I checked and found this titbit of some pretty good centers/forwards...

Yao Ming:
Height: 7-5.75 (7-5 October 2002, 7'5.75 September 2004)
Wingspan: 7-5
Standing Reach: 9-6.25 (3/4 inch shoe adjusted)
Hand Length:10"
Playing Weight:
296lbs - early career
310lbs - mid career
276lbs - 2010 FIBA
Shoes: U.S. size 18

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:
Height: 7-1.88 (7-1.375 UCLA, 7-1.625 Bucks training camp, 7-1.88 Bucks training camp yr 2)
Wingspan: 7-5
Playing Weight:
228lbs - rookie
231lbs - 2nd season
235lbs - early career
240lbs - mid career
267lbs - late career
Shoes: U.S. size 16

Wilt Chamberlain:
Height: 7-1.06 (6-11.5 age 17, 7-1.06 age 23)
Wingspan: 7-8
Standing Reach: 9-6 (No adjustment needed - played in Chuck Taylors)
Hand Length: 9.5"
Hand Spread: 11.5"
Playing Weight:
225lbs - Kansas
230lbs - Globetrotters (signing on)
249lbs - Globetrotters (several weeks before leaving, evidently put on a lot of weight that year, lead to rookie list weight of 250lbs)
258lbs - Kutchers game just days prior to rookie debut
265lbs - 3rd season
275lbs - 4th season (list weight from there on out)
292lbs - 5th season
310lbs - late career
320lbs - maximum (overweight at training camp of 5th season)
Shoes: U.S. size 15

Shaquille O'Neal:
Height: 7-0.88 (At age 21, 7-0.63 NBA draft measurement 1, 7-0.88 draft measurement 2)
Wingspan: 7-7
Standing Reach: 9-4 (1 inch shoe adjusted)
Hand Length: 11"
Hand Spread: 9"
Playing Weight:
280 - Freshman LSU Season
285 - Sophomore LSU Season
294 - Final LSU Season
301 - 1992 draft measurement 1
303 - 1992 draft measurement 2
315 - early career
325 - early-mid career
350 - mid-late career
368 - maximum (out of shape after an injury)
Shoes: U.S. size 22

Bill Russell:
Height: 6-9.63 (6-9.63 at age 21, Junior NCAA Season 1955)
Wingspan:7-4
Hand Length:10.5"
Playing Weight:
215 - rookie
222 - early career
230 - late career
240 - final season
Shoes: U.S. size 14
______________________________________

- Center / Power Forwards -

Elvin Hayes:
Height: 6-9.5 (6-8.5 UCLA age 19, 6-9.5 UCLA age 21)
Wingspan:7-2
Playing Weight:
240 - Junior NCAA season
235 - early NBA career
240 - majority of NBA career
Shoes: U.S. size 16

______________________________________

- Power Forwards -

Kevin Love:
Height: 6-7.75 (2008 draft age 20)
Wingspan: 6-11.25
Standing Reach: 8-8.75 (1.25 inch shoe adjusted)
Playing Weight:
255 - 2008 draft measurement
260 - 2nd season weight
265 - 3rd season weight
235 - 4th season weight
Shoes: U.S. size 19

beat

14 is real actively small for a man his size. Where did all the stats come from? They have him listed at 16 . Anyone who has been to the Hall Of Fame can see Shaq's huge sneakers. Imagine carrying those around day in and day out? Bill is a 14, and growing!so I just can't see Wilt with that size!

Rosalie

Here is the site I found....

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=261350

beat

How about Bob Lanier's size 22's for the bigfoot record.

Lanier was as well known for his huge shoe size as for his playing ability. Too bad. The guy was a great player.