A perfect breaking of tradition for a man who lived by his own rules
It is over 40 years since he retired and over 15 since he died but the name of Wilt ‘The Stilt’ Chamberlain still resonates with basketball fans. Despite all the great big men that have played in the game since, Chamberlain remains one of the first names mentioned when it comes time to pick the greatest.
Some things he achieved, like averaging over 50 points a game in a season (50.4 in 1961-2) and scoring 100 points in one game (against the Knicks in 1962) will never be beaten and he is a true icon of the sport.
Now he is getting recognition from outside the sport as Chamberlain has become the first basketball player to get his own stamp in the US.
But getting an image of the 7’1″, 300lb Chamberlain onto a postage stamp proved tricky so the Postal Service made a two-inch long stamp for him, almost a third longer than normal.
There are two versions of the stamp, one with Chamberlain in his Philadelphia Warriors kit, the other in his LA Lakers uniform.
We’re not stamp collecctors, but this might just make us start.
Image via NYT
