Customer Reviews

Wilt: Larger Than Life

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When Wilt Chamberlain passed away in Oct of 1997, it came as a shock to many that the 63 year old basketball legend died so young. Robert Cherry has written a wonderful biography and the first since wilt's passing that details his difficult final few years of struggles with many health related problems, that eventually led to his untimely death. Thirty years after he retired from basketball, Wilt still owns more NBA records then any player in history. Bill Russell may have won all those championships, but not even Russell was a match for Wilt statisically. Chamberlain almost always outscored and out rebounded Russell in every encounter. Russell no doubt almost always had the better teams. Abdul Jabbar played 20 seasons to Wilts 13, and yet Chamberlain has several thousand more lifetime rebounds. In the twilight of his career, a 35 year old Wilt led the Lakers to victory over the Bucks and a 25 year old Jabbar during the 1972 playoffs. Even more astounding, was wilt blocked 20 shots in two consecutive games in that series, and 11 of those blocked shots were on Kareem. Who the heck ever did that to Jabbar. Makes you wonder what Wilt would have done in his prime. As great as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson were, none of them had the impact or dominance of Wilt Chamberlain. The rules of the game were altered upon Wilts arrival into the league. Modern day fans talk of Shaq being the greatest center of all-time. Does anyone out there think Shaq could have blocked 11 Kareem shots in two games? Shaq wouldn't have been able to leap high enough to block a skyhook. That statistic alone, should be enough to convince anyone of Wilts athleticism. The book documents his all phases of his life, but none is more eye opening then the author's recounting of Wilts final years. Wilt developed a weak heart causing a condition called congestive heart failure. Along with High blood pressure, Diabetes and a debilitating hip condition, It was tough for Wilt who was always in top condition, to accept the fact that was becoming immobile and sickly. Because Wilt was so private, very few people new just how sick he was becoming. Through interviews with his closest friends and family, Cherry paints a vivid picture of this warm gentle giant of the sports world, suffering in the final months of his life. Unfortunately, his pride may have prevented him from correcting some of his aliments that led to his death. It is noted on the book, that Wilt often refused medical attention for his conditions. He needed a pacemaker and and hip replacement, but it seems that he always put it off until it was too late. Maybe that is the way he wanted it. All that put aside, I found this book to be quite an enjoyable read, revealing the strengths and weaknesses of one of the worlds greatest athletes.

If you want to learn about Wilt Chamberlain and can only pick up one book, this is the book. The most factual account of his life ever written, and unlike Wilt's autobiographies, this one isn't interested in putting forth a myth. Much of Wilt's life was indeed larger than life, and the book covers them, and at the same time, the author doesn't cover up Wilt's faults. He interviews countless people who knew Wilt and covers his life from all of the angles. You learn about his achievements, his greatness, and his faults. Too bad all biographies can't be this good.

I have the web's largest Wilt fan site as well as a basketball books review site. I've read countless books and articles on Wilt, so it's not easy to impress me, but I was blown away by this book.

Multi-faceted book on the life of Wilt Chamberlain, arguably one of America's greatest athletes, hits on every level - it's knowledgable, comprehensive, and a fun read. The presentation is tremendously researched and well-paced, touching each significant stage of Wilt's life without overstaying its welcome. And anyway, who am I to argue with the review of one of Philly's top sportswriters, Mr. Mulligan? A special treat for those of us who always had a fascination with The Dipper, and highly recommended for anyone who's a fan of sports.

As a Phila. sportswriter who has marveled at The Dipper and his movie-script life in and out of basketball for 40-plus years, I finally found the absolute definitive Chamberlain biography that perhaps Wilt could not have done better, were he still with us. Like Wilt, this is the Greatest. Educational, informative, anecdotal, respectful, fun and well done. Thanks Bob.

Being a loyal Laker fan of the 70's, I had to read this book on one of my favorite players. This in-depth book will not disappoint. The book does reveal alot that went on behind the scenes and not all of it is in a positive light.Still, Wilt was not just a great basketball player, he was a warm, genuine human being.

I often have and still here how people talk about Michael Jordan being the greatest of all-time, but Wilt was the one who changed the rules of the game. He was so dominant that they had to make it where you couldn't even be in the lane for 3 seconds. Plus, you couldn't touch the ball while it was on the cylinder of the rim. Now how dominant is that. Besides, this man scored a 100 points in a game and averaged 50.4 points that same season. Unfortunately, Wilt didn't always have the personnel around him to beat the Celtics. This book is a must have for any aficionado of sports. May the "Big Dipper" rest in peace.

Robert Cherry takes anecdotes from famous and regular people whose lives' intertwined with Wilt Chamberlain, and mixes them in with his narrative summary of the legend's life and statistics to form a biography that entertains while never sensationalizing. Anyone interested in the NBA or college basketball is going to find this book to be a captivating read.

Highly recommended, but be aware that the one thing the book lacks is a statistical record of Wilt's collegiate and NBA career.

Wilt Chamberlain once said "Nobody loves Goliath. I'm here to say that after reading "Wilt, Larger than Life" I refute that. The book gave an indepth look at not only Wilt the basketball icon, but Wilt the person. It explored relationships he established outside of basketball and how he maintained those frendships until his untimely death. After reading the book I also had more appreciation for Wilt the basketball player. I feel that not only was he one of the greatest players of all time, but he met and exceeded all of the expectations that were placed on him when he very well could and was in some cases viewed as a freak of nature.

At the risk of sounding redundant. This book was great and gives a lot of insight into a very fascinating individual. Personally I could have done with less information on what exactly happened in the quarters of key basketball games and more on the other things that Wilt did throughout his life. However this was still a good purchase, worthwhile read, and I am very greatful for the author to have taken the time and effort to write this book.

I am from Phila, and remember seeing Wilt as a child. He has always been my favorite sports figure. The book does not seem very favorable to him- maybe it is accurate. But, what is missing is many personal stories people have told about his accomplishments on and off the court. Cheery (the author) does not seem to be a fan of Wilt's or of Phila, even though he is from Phila. Even the front and back covers have photos of Wilt in Lakers uniforms!

A definitive biography is yet to be written.