It may be the greatest individual single game achievement in the history of professional sports. Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in an NBA game.

The game was played in Hershey, PA as some NBA teams of the time would play a few home games in venues in neighboring areas to solidify a fan base. Wilt made an astonishing 28 of 32 free throws.

After the game two boys ran onto the court and grabbed the game ball. A security guard stopped them, and asked Wilt if he wanted the ball, but he wasn't interested, and told him that thboys could have it.

The young owner of the ball eventually became a cop in the nearby town of Middletown. He sold the ball about ten years ago. It was in rough shape because he and his buddies played with it for years in his driveway.

The Hershey Arena where the game took place still stands even though it has been replaced by a state of the art arena just a stone's throw away. The old arena exists today only because of this feat.

I remember reading about the game in the next day's newspaper. As remarkable as the one game record is, it's equally important to note that Wilt AVERAGED 50 points per game that season.

He put up some amazing numbers (on and off the court), but one fact that always interested me was that he had never fouled out of a game in his life.

Also, in 1962 although averaging 50+ points per game, I don't believe he won MVP.

Somewhat related ....

Also, 50 years ago today: "To Serve Man", an episode of "The Twilight Zone" was first aired. It starred a then unknown Richard Kiel as a spaceman visiting Earth, and it has a "twist" ending.

I actually remember watching the show and being totally surprised.

Definitely a top 5 episode.

ALSO 50 years ago today ....

Jon BonJovi was born.

Wow. SC. I didn't realize all that happened too. That episode of Twilight Zone is indeed a classic. One of the things I enjoy about it is the stereotyped portrayals of the different international UN representatives, especially the stern Soviet.

That episode was unintentionally hilarious. Senator McCarthy would have approved .

I had no idea Richard Kiel was still alive!

Big Wilt used to work as a bell hop at Kutcher's Country Club in the Catskills (New York) during his college summers. He could carry two valises under each arm.

Is valises slang for women?

I do consider Wilt's 100 points to be the greatest sports achievment of all time.

The most famous player Wilt ever played against was probably Bill Cosby, who went two years to Germantown High School in Philly before dropping out. Wilt was a legend at Overbrook High School.

Another stunning fact about Chamberlain is that in his first college game for Kansas he scored 52 points and had 31 rebounds, which were both school records.

Despite his undeniable greatness, he always seemed to be neutralized by Bill Russell and the Celtics.

http://www.bcrnews.com/2012/03/02/prince...rs-ago/aenf13v/

Interesting point of view from the man who passed the ball to Chamberlain for that 100th point.

That came later (no pun intended).

Interesting piece, indeed. A lot of the accounts I've heard suggested that the team was actually going out of their way to get Chamberlain the ball, even fouling the Knicks to stop the clock, but this game was in the same year that James Meredith entered the Univ. of Mississippi and there was plenty of discrimination in the country. I'm sure there were people on and off the court, who weren't thrilled to see Chamberlain achieve this feat.