INTRODUCTION From The Sports Time Traveler™
In the 1960s, the NBA was dominated by 2 athletes who literally stood above nearly all other players - Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.
They were the 2 greatest stars of the decade, and perhaps the 2 best across any decade.
They each won the NBA’s MVP award 4 times between 1960 - 1968.
And a case can be made that they were 2 of the top athletes in history across all sports.
Both of them performed legendary athletic feats outside of their primary sport.
Russell was among the best high jumpers in the world in 1956 and would have been a medal contender had he competed in the 1956 Olympic Games in track & field instead of basketball.
In that Olympic year, Russell won the high jump at several major track meets and tied Charles Dumas for first place at the West Coast Relays at a height of 6 feet 9 inches at a time when the world record was just 6 feet 11 inches. Dumas later that year went on to win the gold medal at the 1956 Olympic Games and also became the first man to jump 7 feet.
Russell ended 1956 as the #2 ranked high jumper in the United States and #7 in the world according to Track & Field News.
Chamberlain was also a great high jumper winning the Big 8 high jump title 3 consecutive years while attending the University of Kansas. He also broke 50 seconds for the quarter mile and 2 minutes for the half mile while still in high school. He achieved all this while focusing his efforts purely on basketball.
In addition, Chamberlain’s strength was comparable to some super hero characters as attested to by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who once watched Chamberlain workout in the gym. In the video in the link below, from a 2011 interview with Bill Simmons, Schwarzenegger said, “I remember he lifted me up with one arm like nothing.”
The Strength of Wilt Chamberlain
Sadly, because there is so little quality video of Russell and Chamberlain competing in their prime, and because key statistics in basketball were not recorded in their day, their legacies are slowly being eroded.
In a 2022 article, ESPN ranked Russell as just the #6 all-time player in the NBA and Chamberlain #5.
In a more recent article in Cluthpoints, Russell was rated only #11 all-time and Chamberlain #8.
I find those rankings to be absurd.
While I was too young to see Russell & Chamberlain play in the 1960s, I remember that in the 1970s, the debate about the greatest basketball player of all-time in the NBA was a discussion between only 2 men - Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.
No others were ever included in that conversation at that time.
And the debate revolved around the classic question of which is more important in evaluating the greatest - statistics or championships.
Chamberlain had put up mind blowing numbers in the 1960s - 100 points in a game, 50 points per game for an entire season, 55 rebounds in one game.
For the decade of the 1960s, the entire decade, he averaged 34 points, 25 rebounds and 5 assists.
In 1968 he led the league in assists - just because he wanted to.
Blocks were not maintained as an official statistic in the NBA until after both men retired. But hoops websites that have analyzed game films estimate that Chamberlain averaged 9 blocks per game in the 1960s.
Russell also had staggering statistics - 23 rebounds per game for the entire decade, a career high of 49 rebounds in a single game, and an unofficial estimate of 8 blocks per game during his career.
Russell wasn’t a prolific scorer, only averaging 15 points per game during the 1960s. But Russell led the Celtics to 9 out of the 10 NBA titles in the 1960s.
Chamberlain’s teams won the NBA championship just one time in the 1960s.
Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain competed on the court over countless encounters in every year of the decade. It is hard to imagine a more classic clash of big men. It might be the greatest rivalry between 2 athletes in American sports history.
But the first time they ever met in the NBA Finals was 60 years ago this week.
Naturally, The Sports Time Traveler™ couldn’t miss this. I just had to get in the sports time travel machine and experience what I had missed as a kid.
Here’s my report from through the first 3 games of the 1964 NBA Finals between Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics and Wilt Chamberlain’s San Francisco Warriors.
SAN FRANCISCO - April 23, 1964
Last night was game 3 of the 1964 NBA Championship Series between the Boston Celtics and the San Francisco Warriors. It’s the first time the NBA’s 2 premier players, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain have ever faced off in the Finals.
The Celtics, led by Russell are the heavy favorites. Not only did they have league best record of 59 - 21, but they’re also winners of the last 5 consecutive NBA Titles.
In the playoffs, the Celtics easily disposed of the 55 win Cincinnati Royals, led by the Big “O”, Oscar Robertson. The Celtics won the first 3 games of the series by double digits on the way punching their NBA Finals ticket 4 games to 1.
Russell averaged 29 rebounds per game and only sat for 3 minutes across the 5 games. In the last game, Russell scored 20, dished out 7 assists and grabbed 35 rebounds as Boston won it by 14 points.
That was back on April 9th and it gave the Celtics 8 days of rest while they waited to find out who their Finals opponent would be.
The Warriors, led by Chamberlain had a record of just 48 - 32 during the season, but that was good enough to win the Western Division by 2 games over the St. Louis Hawks.
In the playoffs, the Hawks took a 2 games to 1 series lead over the Warriors, but the Warriors battled back and the series went to the maximum 7 games.
Chamberlain averaged 39 points, 23 rebounds and 4 assists and sat for just 8 minutes in the 7 games. In the game 5 victory he scored 50.
In game 7, Chamberlain put up a giant 30-30 game with 39 points and 30 rebounds.
But the hero of game 7 was the shortest man on the team, 6 foot point guard Guy Rodgers.
With less than 3 minutes to play in the 3rd quarter the St. Louis Hawks, led by Bob Pettit, were ahead 77- 69.
At that point, Guy Rodgers led a spree that propelled the Warriors to victory.
In the last couple of minutes of the 3rd quarter and first couple of minutes of the 4th quarter the Warriors scored 14 straight points. Of the 14 points, Rodgers had 8, including the go ahead basket and the next basket.
Rodgers finished the game close to a triple double with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. And the Warriors won it 105 – 95.
For Chamberlain and Rodgers the win was especially sweet, as they were the only Warriors players who had been on the team since the decade started and now they would be playing in the NBA championship for the first time.
Chamberlain and Rodgers shared another connection as well, they were both born in Philadelphia.
Rodgers was 1 year older than Chamberlain and in his senior year of high school he was regarded as the greatest player in Philadelphia high school history.
That distinction was shortly bestowed upon Chamberlain the following year.
SPECIAL NOTE From The Sports Time Traveler™
I’m a big Guy Rodgers fan because my dad and Guy were best friends at Temple University in the mid-1950s. My dad didn’t play on the Temple basketball team, and didn’t have an official position with the team, but still was able to travel with the team to the 1956 Final Four and was allowed to stand near the bench during the games.
At that Final Four, my dad got to see Rodgers’ teammate, Hal Lear, set a Final Four scoring record with 48 points in one game. Lear was voted Most Outstanding Player of that Final Four even though the NCAA title was won by the University of San Francisco, led by Bill Russell.
My favorite Guy Rodgers story that my dad tells is the time that he accompanied Rodgers to a Philadelphia high school where Rodgers did a meet and greet and signed autographs. When students came up to Rodgers he insisted that they get my dad’s autograph too. If students asked who my dad was, Rodgers shot back, “If you don’t know who he is I’m not telling you!”
Now back to 1964.
GAME 1 - 1964 NBA FINALS - April 18, 1964
The Warriors victory in game 7 of the Western Division Finals in San Francisco on Thursday, April 16th, finished in the early morning hours Boston time on Friday, April 17th.
The Warriors had earned themselves a berth in the championship and game 1 was scheduled for Boston on Saturday, April 18th.
That left little time for the Warriors to fly cross country and prepare for the Celtics who had 8 days of rest and no need to travel coming into game 1.
That might explain why the Warriors were whacked in game 1, falling behind 57 - 39 at halftime on the way to a 108 - 96 loss with Chamberlain being held to just 22 points and Rodgers shooting 0 for 12. Rodgers shooting woes may also have been due to his suffering a dislocated thumb in the game.
But Rodgers and Chamberlain’s poor offensive outputs may at least in part have been due to the crafty defense of Celtics guard K.C. Jones. In the Boston Globe, 2 days ago, Jones described how he was trying to get into Rodgers head, “I started out thinking maybe Rodgers would be looking for me to torment him all the time. So I thought I would try and work a little psychology on him. I decided I’d give him a little room, let him take a pop at the basket… It’s given me a chance to help out in the middle with Bill and I’ve batted away a couple of passes to bother Wilt.”
GAME 2 - 1964 NBA FINALS - April 20, 1964
Game 2 on Monday night was even worse for the Warriors. Rodgers, with his right hand in a cast, could only play 13 minutes, and missed all 4 of his shots. The Warriors fell behind 98 - 68 after 3 quarters. Even though Chamberlain scored 32, San Francisco lost the game 124 - 101.
Now down 2 games to 0, the Celtics may have felt like they had just delivered a knockout blow to the Warriors.
However, in reality it was Wilt Chamberlain of the Warriors who quite literally had delivered a knockout blow in game 2.
It was a bizarre scenario that never could have happened back in 2024.
With 9 minutes to go in this blowout game, Celtics back-up center Clyde Lovellette was called for a foul when he shoved Wilt Chamberlain.
Chamberlain who rarely loses his temper, couldn’t contain his anger at Lovellette, who along with Russell, apparently had been shoving Wilt a lot.
Chamberlain punched Lovellette and knocked him out.
Here’s the incredible part. Chamberlain was not ejected.
He was not even called for a technical foul.
He was not called for any foul.
Instead, Chamberlain went to the free throw line since he had been fouled by Lovellette.
Celtics coach Red Auerbach was livid that Chamberlain was not ejected. Don Selby of the San Francisco Examiner wrote, “Red Auerbach, the fiery little coach of the Celtics, roared onto the court, demanding that the officials eject Chamberlain. He was really getting hot when Bill Russell pulled him from the court by one arm, as he might lead a reluctant little boy.”
Referee Mendy Rudolph explained his decision in the Boston Globe the day after the game, “Lovellette was the instigator. He fouled Chamberlain first with an elbow. Then he added a little shove. They had words and you saw what the big fellow did - he decked him.”
Chamberlain explained his behavior in a special to the San Francisco Examiner, “He (Lovellette) always does a lot of pushing. The referees don’t protect you. If you don’t protect yourself, he’ll push you clear off the court.”
Chamberlain was asked if his punch was a good blow and he said, “I kinda missed.”
Lovellette was lucky Chamberlain didn’t hit him squarely because Wilt’s miss was strong enough. Lovellette told the San Francisco Examiner, “I was out for a few seconds.”
GAMES 3 - 1964 NBA FINALS - April 23, 1964
So the Warriors came home for last night’s game in desperation mode.
The game started at 8:30pm Pacific Time / 11:30pm Eastern Time.
With 2 days rest and on their home court, and on their schedule, this game was as different as the Bay area is to Back Bay in Boston.
The Warriors came out roaring and took a 40 - 21 first quarter lead and a 67 - 43 halftime lead.
The Celtics never got closer in the 2nd half and the Warriors won it 115 - 91.
Chamberlain was brilliant with 35 points and 25 rebounds on 15 for 22 shooting.
Rodgers made a few baskets and finished with 10 points and 7 assists.
Sam Jones of Boston, who had led the Celtics with 28 points in game 1 and 31 in game 2, managed just 6 points in game 3.
Cliff Keane of the Boston Globe listened outside the locker room last night as Red Auerbach blasted his players in a closed door session.
Keane wrote this morning, “A man didn’t have to have his ear to the keyhole to sense that the coach was saying unkind things to his players. Had the door been 3 inches thick the words still would have filtered through.”
Chamberlain told Jack Barry of the Boston Globe, “We wanted this one. We needed it. And we went out and got it… We’ll even this thing Friday night here.”
You can actually watch highlights from the first 3 games in this short video. The clarity of the video will make you feel like you’re at the games.
Here is my commentary with the time stamp on the video:
1:28 - In game 1, Chamberlain gets the ball in the low post and turns for his signature “Dipper Dunk,” an impossible play for Russell to defend against.
2:08 - Just after the opening tip of game 2, watch as Russell rebounds a ball, saves it from going out of bounds with an acrobatic move, and in midair passes off to an open Sam Jones for a jumper. It is these types of plays that make Russell one of the greatest ever.
3:02 - Russell misses a hook shot but grabs his own rebound and feeds Sam Jones for an easy basket. This play was all due to hustle by Russell.
3:38 - Watch Wilt sky to block a K.C. Jones wide open jumper at the ball’s apex.
4:05 - Russell skies for a sensational offensive rebound and basket.
5:05 - In game 3 at San Francisco, Chamberlain shows off his deadly turnaround fall away jumper.
5:33 - Russell, fronting Chamberlain on defense, steals a pass and starts to drive up court, but Rodgers steals the ball right back from Russell and drives in for the score.
5:45 - Another turnaround fall away jumper from Wilt.
GAME 4 PREVIEW
The Warriors convincing victory last night has turned this championship into a real drama with the Celtics leading 2 games to 1, but the Warriors holding the momentum and playing tomorrow night on their home court again.
The Sports Time Traveler™ will be staying right here in San Francisco to experience it virtually.
I can’t wait!
Thanks for reading.
And please share The Sports Time Traveler™.
1964 NBA Finals PART 1- Russell vs. Chamberlain