One coach, of some repute and conservative mood, says Wilt is as good as George Mikan was last year or the year before that. Another coach, of equal repute but more courage, says he’s better.
Tag Archives: Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt, February 1967
By February 1967, Wilt Chamberlain and the Philadelphia 76ers were on their way to notching a historic 68-13 regular-season record. With Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics struggling to find their rhythm, NBA arenas began asking the inevitable: Were the 76ers destined to become the league’s next great dynasty? “I really can’t say,” answered Wilt, also hoping to avoid comment on the recent whispers and winks making their way down Philadelphia’s Broad Street. Some considered “in the know” claimed that Philadelphia’s seven-foot wonder was preparing to jump to the brand-new American Basketball Association.
The ABA’s First Organizational Meeting
While working on my latest book Shake and Bake, I interviewed Joe Geary, the now-late former minority owner of the ABA Dallas Chaparrals. Geary mentioned that, in preparation for the interview, he’d pulled his ABA file. “You still have an ABA file?” I asked. “Why yes,” he answered, “I was the league secretary for several years.”
New Pro Cage Loop May Raid NBA
Now comes the American Basketball Association with teams slated for Seattle, Atlanta, Phoenix, Cleveland, New York, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Anaheim, Calif.
New Pro Cage League Plans Include L.A.
Below is the first mid-1960s mention of a named second pro basketball league to rival the NBA. The newspaper article ran in the Los Angeles Times on November 15, 1966. The United Basketball League was—you guessed it—the fleeting original name of the American Basketball Association (ABA).
From Way Downtown 