*Note: The following is one part of a larger project on Wilt Chamberlain, with this particular piece having details on Wilt's connection to the city of San Francisco, the site of the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend.
On October 12, 1999, NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain passed away at the age of 63, which makes it 25 years and change since the death of one of basketball’s true icons. It was the premature loss of a man who gave so much to the game, and did so much for the game. Somehow, words like legend and icon seem insufficient when describing one Wilton Norman Chamberlain.
Over his 14 seasons, the 1979 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee suited up for the Warriors, 76ers, and Lakers. Four MVPs, two championships, 31,419 points and countless other accolades made up a career that produced such astounding numbers that Curt Gowdy, the late sportscaster for whom the Hall of Fame’s media award is named after, termed Chamberlain in 1978 at the big man’s Hall of Fame election announcement as “the greatest offensive player in pro basketball history.” ESPN Sportscentury in 1999 listed Wilt as the 13th greatest athlete in sports history. SLAM Magazine in 2011 ranked him as the 2nd greatest NBA player of all-time in their 500 Greatest Basketball Players issue.
“You don’t think about ever achieving an award like this when you start playing basketball, but I tell you when you see the people’s names and faces here in the Hall, it’s just really an honor to be part of it,” said Chamberlain at his 1978 election announcement.
This year’s all-star festivities, likely unironically held in the Bay Area, serve surely as an uncoincidental thank you to one its most accomplished athletes, Golden State Warrior superstar Stephen Curry. Curry is in the midst of his last couple all-star appearances. Next year’s weekend, in Los Angeles, could serve as LeBron’s last all-star appearance.
When we look at the history of Bay Area basketball, there’s Rick Barry and the ‘75 team (48 wins) upsetting the 60-win Washington Bullets. There’s Run TMC of the early ‘90s. For better or worse, there’s Latrell Sprewell, whose ugly exit from the franchise was preceded by 3 all-star appearances and an All-NBA nod. Don Nelson’s We Believe team ushered in a new kind of small ball, and Curry’s squads stretched the 3-point norm.
Before all of that, there was the Big Dipper in Northern California.
While the most celebrated moments of Chamberlain’s career happened in Philadelphia both as a Warrior with his 100-point game and a 76er with the 68-win 1967 championship team, and in Los Angeles with 69 wins plus a title in ‘72 (33 straight wins, too, still a record), he spent another portion of his career in a place that is not as high profile.
Alcatraz Island, the scenic Golden Gate Bridge, and picturesque bay and ocean views present a 180 from the birthplace of America, Rocky, and the home of cheesesteaks. San Francisco is a few hundred thousand shy of a million people. Los Angeles, nearly four million, is the epicenter of entertainment and more prominent than its northern neighbor.
But just as Chamberlain will be forever linked to his hometown of Philadelphia as well as the city of Los Angeles, he will eternally hold ties to San Fran, too. “European charm” and “California tradition”, in Wilt’s words in his 1973 autobiography Wilt: Just Like Any Other 7-Foot Black Millionaire Who Lives Next Door, were reasons why he came to love the city.
“With the views of the bay I had from the different places I lived in on Twin Peaks and Pacific Heights and Diamond Heights and right downtown,” says Wilt in his ‘73 autobiography, “I could see the fog circling in around the Golden Gate Bridge, and for a while, I even rented a houseboat and lived on the water just outside Sausalito. It was beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous.”
The All-Star Game, adding in 2025’s showcase, has been played three times in the Bay Area, with 2025 being the first time that San Francisco is the site of the game. Oakland hosted NBA All-Star Weekend in the year 2000 in a weekend that is primarily known for Vince Carter’s dazzling dunk display. 24 hours after Carter’s Slam Dunk Contest victory, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal took co-MVP honors in the game, which the Western Conference won 137-126. In 1967, at the Cow Palace in Daly City, Rick Barry, after scoring 38 points on 17-for-28 shooting, was named MVP in the Western Conference’s 135-120 win. 14 points, 22 rebounds, and 4 assists on 6-for-7 shooting was the 76er Chamberlain’s stat line in the game.
The Warriors moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco in 1962 after owner Eddie Gottlieb sold the franchise for $850,000 to a group of Bay Area investors led by local radio and television producer Frank Mieuli. Gottlieb stayed on briefly, for a year, as part owner. Chamberlain took a newly-minted 3-year, $85,000 extension with him to the bay. From 1962-1965, Wilt played 198 regular season games as a San Francisco Warrior (he played 429 games overall, combining the Philadelphia Warriors and San Francisco Warriors, from 1959-1965). 118 of his San Francisco ball games were played for Alex Hannum, who would also be his head coach with the 76ers from 1966-1968.
In 80 games in 1962-63, Chamberlain averaged 44.8 points and 24.3 rebounds, leading the NBA in both categories for the fourth consecutive season. He shot 53 percent from the field, 59 percent from the line and averaged 47.6 minutes per game, while teammate Guy Rodgers led the league in assists with 10.4 per game. Despite a 5-1 start to the season, the team struggled over the remaining 74 games, finishing with a 31-49 record in a campaign in which All-Star forward Tom Meschery dealt with a broken wrist. In 1963-64, Chamberlain played all 80 games once again, and shot 52 percent from the field and 53 percent from the line. The 27-year-old pivot posted 36.9 points (1st in the league), 22.3 rebounds (2nd behind Bill Russell), and 5.0 assists per game (6th) in 46.1 minutes as the Warriors won 48 games. Wilt’s output was good enough to finish second in MVP voting during the regular season. A 25-year-old Oscar Robertson took 1st place while essentially averaging a triple-double of 31.4 points, 11.0 assists, and 9.9 rebounds.
The 1963-64 Warriors, equipped with Wilt, Meschery (13.5 points, 7.7 rebounds), fellow Philly native and Overbrook alum Wayne Hightower (13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds), Rodgers (11.0 points, 7.0 assists), Al Attles (10.9 points), Gary Phillips (10.0 points) and a rookie future Hall of Fame center by the name of Nate Thurmond (7.0 points, 10.4 rebounds) won 48 games and made the Finals where they met the Boston Celtics. Wilt had game-highs in points in Game 2 (32 points, 25 rebounds), Game 3 (35 points, 25 rebounds), Game 4 (27 points, 38 rebounds), and Game 5 (30 points, 27 rebounds). Despite the 4-1 series loss, Chamberlain averaged 29.2 points and 27.6 rebounds on 52 percent shooting. His best playoff performance during that ‘64 playoff run came on April 10, in Game 5 of the Western Division Finals (the Warriors won the series in seven games) at the Cow Palace against the St. Louis Hawks. Wilt’s line in the 121-97 win over Bob Pettit and company? 50 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists on 22-for-32 shooting in 45 minutes.
During the 1964-65 season, Chamberlain’s 18 home games in San Francisco (a 19th home game was played at the Oakland Civic Auditorium) were played at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium, where the Warriors played a portion of their home games from 1964-1967, and the University of San Francisco’s War Memorial Gym. The gym, with a 5,300-seat capacity, is the oldest (1958) active basketball venue in the West Coast Conference. It is the current home of USF’s men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams. From 1962-1967, the Warriors occasionally played their home games at War Memorial Gym. The San Francisco Civic Auditorium, now known as Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, holds 8,500 people.
Chamberlain played his final 38 games as a west coast Warrior from October 31, 1964 to January 8, 1965. His season averages before being dealt to the 76ers:
38.9 points, 23.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 50 percent from the field, 42 percent from the line, 45.9 minutes per game.
The January 15, 1965 trade that sent Chamberlain from San Francisco to the 76ers for Connie Dierking, Paul Neumann, Lee Shaffer, and cash was ranked as the sixth biggest trade in sports history by ESPN’s David Schoenfield in a piece on the worldwide leader’s old Page 2 platform.
On December 29, 1999, the Big Dipper’s No. 13 was retired by the Warrior franchise. Chamberlain was the fifth Warrior to have his jersey retired, as he joined Attles, Barry, Meschery, and Thurmond as former Warriors to be given such an honor. Old time Piston adversary Bob Lanier, alongside Chamberlain’s sister Barbara Lewis, helped unveil the framed No. 13 jersey to the Oakland Arena crowd.
“If he were here, I think he would have enjoyed this,” said Barbara as her brother was honored.
*Note: On April 13, 2021 against the Denver Nuggets, Stephen Curry scored on a driving layup and passed Chamberlain on the all-time Warrior franchise (Philadelphia and San Francisco) scoring list. Chamberlain scored 17,783 career points as a Warrior, leading the league in scoring in each season that he played for the franchise.
*Note: On January 30, 2023 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a scoop layup by Curry was his 7,217th career field-goal, passing Chamberlain for 1st in Warrior history in that category.
Chamberlain’s 60-Point Games as a San Francisco Warrior
Eleven of Wilt’s 32 career 60-point games were produced in a San Francisco Warrior uniform.
*Note: Madison Square Garden III was the home of the New York Knicks from 1946-1968, the Onondaga War Memorial was home to the Syracuse Nationals from 1951-1963, the Cincinnati Gardens was the home of the Cincinnati Royals from 1957-1972, Philadelphia Convention Hall was home to the Philadelphia Warriors from 1952-1962 and the 76ers from 1963-1967, and the Cow Palace was home to the San Francisco Warriors from 1962-1964 and 1966-1971. Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena served as home of the Lakers from 1960-1967.
73 points, 14 rebounds (29-43, 15-19) Nov. 16, 1962 at Knicks. SFW 127 NYK 111.
Venue: Madison Square Garden III.
72 points, 18 rebounds (29-48, 14-18) Nov. 3, 1962 at Lakers. LAL 127 SFW 115.
Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.
70 points, 18 rebounds (27-38, 16-22) March 10, 1963 at Syracuse. SYR 163 SFW 148.
Venue: Onondaga War Memorial.
67 points, 25 rebounds (28-47, 11-17) Jan. 11, 1963 vs. Lakers. LAL 134 SFW 129.
Venue: Cow Palace.
63 points, 30 rebounds (24-41, 15-20) Dec. 14, 1962 vs. Lakers. LAL 120 SFW 118.
Venue: Cow Palace.
63 points, 32 rebounds (27-58, 9-20) Nov. 26, 1964 at Philadelphia. PHI 128 SFW 117.
Venue: Philadelphia Convention Hall.
62 points, 12 rebounds (27-44, 8-17) Jan. 29, 1963 at Knicks. SFW 123 NYK 103.
Venue: Madison Square Garden III.
62 points, 22 rebounds (26-44, 10-21) Nov. 15, 1964 at Cincinnati. SFW 122 CIN 106.
Venue: Cincinnati Gardens.
61 points, 26 rebounds (27-57, 7-11) Dec. 11, 1962 vs. Syracuse. SFW 136 SYR 124.
Venue: Cow Palace.
61 points, 27 rebounds (26-53, 9-14) Dec. 18, 1962 vs. St. Louis. SFW 130 STL 110.
Venue: Cow Palace.
61 points, 22 rebounds (27-52, 7-15) Nov. 21, 1962 vs Cincinnati. CIN 143 SFW 139.
Venue: Cow Palace.
40-Rebound Games as a San Francisco Warrior
Chamberlain recorded 40 or more rebounds 14 times in his career, with two of the instances coming as a member of the San Francisco Warriors.
41 rebounds, October 26, 1962 (20-29, 50 points). SFW 132 DET 131.
Venue: War Memorial Gym, University of San Francisco.
40 rebounds, November 22, 1964 (21-39, 50 points). DET 99 SFW 97.
Venue: San Francisco Civic Auditorium.
*Note: On March 16, 1964, in a 111-110 loss to the 76ers at the Cow Palace, Chamberlain tallied 14 assists, the fifth-highest assist mark of his career and his highest assist output while a San Francisco Warrior. He also put up 30 points and 15 rebounds in the game.
Book reference: Wilt: Just Like Any Other 7-Foot Black Millionaire Who Lives Next Door. October 1, 1973 by Wilt Chamberlain and David Shaw
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