How thorough was Wilt Chamberlain's statistical dominance in the NBA? Not only does he own just about every scoring and rebound record known to man--including single-game scoring (100), single-season scoring average (50.4), single-season rebound average (27.2) and career rebounding total (23,924)--but in 1968, basically just for the hell of it, he decided to lead the league in assists as well, dropping off 702 dimes to go with his 1992 points and 1952 rebounds. To date, Wilt the Stilt is the only 76er to ever lead the league in that category--a freaking center. Astounding stuff.
Perhaps the most impressive game in Wilt's point-guard-aping 1967-68 season came on February 2nd, 1968. In a home game against Detroit, Wilt went for 22 points, 25 rebounds, and 21 assists in a 131-121 win. It was, to date, the only 20-20-20 performance in basketball history, and something no other Sixer has ever got close to accomplishing--Charles Barkley's 15-14-14 against Boston in 1986 was the only time a Liberty Baller even nearly approached a 15-15-15 game.
Of course, it's true that when you're a giant in a league of normies, you're going to get a chance to dictate the terms of your basketball success more than the great majority of other players. Still, imagine Chris Paul just deciding "I'm bored with all this assist and steal stuff, I'm gonna get me some blocks" and averaging three a game for the '10-'11 season. It just doesn't compute. Bill Russell might have had the hunger to win 11 rings, but only Wilt had the drive to rack up the numbers in every category known to man--a slightly less noble pursuit, perhaps, but one whose results were just as eye-popping.
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