Question of the Week

Jeff, New Milford, NJ
Subj: Trade winds are blowing
Has the NBA’s leading scorer ever been traded during the season?

Absolutely, Jeff, but it’s only happened once. This rarest of all NBA transactions occurred for the first and last time on January 15, 1965 when Wilt Chamberlain was traded from the San Francisco Warriors to the Philadelphia 76ers for guard Paul Neumann, forwards Connie Dierking and Lee Shaffer and $150,000 in cash. The trade was necessitated by San Francisco’s perilous financial woes and Wilt the Stilt went on to complete the season with averages of 34.7 points, 22.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Although he only finished fifth in MVP voting that season, The Big Dipper went onto win the award three times in the next three years.

Question of the Week

Tony, Yakima, WA
Subj: Wilt the Stilt
Is it true that Wilt Chamberlain almost retired after his first season in the NBA?

That’s correct, Tony. The Big Dipper nearly hung up his size 19-shoes because he was frustrated with the way rival teams manhandled him beneath the basket. Former Celtics forward Tommy Heinsohn still recalls how he and his teammates would hammer Chamberlain in the post. "We tried to send him to the foul line, and in doing that he took the most brutal pounding of any player ever,” Heinsohn says. “I hear people today talk about hard fouls. Half the fouls against him were hard fouls." Luckily for fans, Chamberlain’s friends and family convinced him to give the league another shot and he went on to enjoy 13 sensational seasons before retiring in 1973.

Question of the Week

Prince, Newark, NJ
Subj: NBA records
Who holds the NBA record for the highest scoring average in a single season?

That honor belongs to Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 50.4 points per game for the Philadelphia Warriors during the 1961-1962 season. The Big Dipper was so dominant that year that he also led the league in minutes, field goals, free throws, rebounds and over-all player efficiency while becoming the first player in the history of professional basketball to score 100 points in a single game. Despite his brilliance, Wilt wasn’t even named the league’s MVP. That honor instead went to Celtics center Bill Russell who led Boston to their fourth consecutive championship while contributing a mere 16.9 points per game. Although the pair may have been intense rivals on the court they were best of friends off of it. Russell was especially saddened when Wilt passed away from congestive heart failure in 1999. "I feel unspeakably injured," Russell said at the time. "I've lost a dear and exceptional friend and an important part of my life. Our relationship was intensely personal. We had a genuinely fierce competition that was based on friendship and respect. We just loved playing against each other. The fierceness of the competition bonded us as friends for eternity."

Question of the Week

Tony, Yakima, WA
Subj: Wilt the Stilt
Is it true that Wilt Chamberlain almost retired after his first season in the NBA?

That’s correct, Tony. The Big Dipper nearly hung up his size 19-shoes because he was frustrated with the way rival teams manhandled him beneath the basket. Former Celtics forward Tommy Heinsohn still recalls how he and his teammates would hammer Chamberlain in the post. "We tried to send him to the foul line, and in doing that he took the most brutal pounding of any player ever,” Heinsohn says. “I hear people today talk about hard fouls. Half the fouls against him were hard fouls." Luckily for fans, Chamberlain’s friends and family convinced him to give the league another shot and he went on to enjoy 13 sensational seasons before retiring in 1973.

Question of the Week

Prince, Newark, NJ
Subj: NBA records
Who holds the NBA record for the highest scoring average in a single season?

That honor belongs to Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 50.4 points per game for the Philadelphia Warriors during the 1961-1962 season. The Big Dipper was so dominant that year that he also led the league in minutes, field goals, free throws, rebounds and over-all player efficiency while becoming the first player in the history of professional basketball to score 100 points in a single game. Despite his brilliance, Wilt wasn’t even named the league’s MVP. That honor instead went to Celtics center Bill Russell who led Boston to their fourth consecutive championship while contributing a mere 16.9 points per game. Although the pair may have been intense rivals on the court they were best of friends off of it. Russell was especially saddened when Wilt passed away from congestive heart failure in 1999. "I feel unspeakably injured," Russell said at the time. "I've lost a dear and exceptional friend and an important part of my life. Our relationship was intensely personal. We had a genuinely fierce competition that was based on friendship and respect. We just loved playing against each other. The fierceness of the competition bonded us as friends for eternity."

Ask Ryan - Hollywood Hoops

Welcome back for another edition of Ask Ryan, the column where sports and entertainment go together like motorcycle cops and moustaches. This week's mailbag is bursting at the seams with queries about Wilt Chamberlain's early struggles, the silver screen's best ballers and Joe Montana's shady past. Read all about it at: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7636072

Ask Ryan - Green With Envy

Welcome back for another edition of Ask Ryan, the column where sports and entertainment go together like Bill Walton and long-winded monologues. This week's mailbag is bursting at the seams with queries about the worst team in NFL history, Beantown's sporting supremacy and George Steinbrenner's brand new high school. Read all about it at: http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/7587476

Speaking Of Sports...

This week's quote comes from legendary Lakers pivot Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain. Take it away Big Dipper!

"They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they'd make up their minds."