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Russell-Wilt rivalry reaches 50-year milestone

AP file photo (1969)

Bill Russell, left, won 85 of his 142 head-to-head meetings with Wilt Chamberlain, and nine NBA titles to Wilt's one.

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2009

As golden anniversaries go, this one's a doozy.

Saturday marks 50 years since the dawn of the greatest individual rivalry in NBA history -- perhaps the most riveting duel in the annals of professional sport.

On the evening of Nov. 7, 1959, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain met on a basketball court for the first time. And when the sold-out crowd at old Boston Garden dispersed, everyone who witnessed the initial clash of the titans knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

Russell's Celtics won the game against Chamberlain's Philadelphia Warriors 115-106 and although Chamberlain scored 30 points, he shot only 12-for-38 from the floor against Russell, who was in the midst of leading Boston to eight consecutive NBA titles.

"Without Wilt, we still would have won 11 or 12 championships, but it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun,'' Russell said of his bigger, stronger rival, who died a decade ago at the age of 63. "My friend Wilt Norman Chamberlain was far and away the best player I ever played against. He was the most physically imposing player to ever play in this league, period. There's no one who comes close to him in physical prowess.''

Over the course of 10 years, these two Hall of Fame centers went at it 142 times, until Russell retired following the 1968-69 season.

The Celtics came out on top 85 times, compared to 57 victories by Chamberlain, who averaged 28.7 points and 28.7 rebounds in those head-to-head matchups. Russell, taking far fewer shots and usually playing with superior talent around him, averaged 14.5 points and 23.7 rebounds against Chamberlain.

"You always need the best to bring the best out of you,'' Chamberlain said when he and Russell were reunited for a TV special hosted by Bob Costas. "I was always fortunate to know I was going to play against the Celtics and William Felton Russell.''

The two fierce rivals were friends off the court, often eating at each other's homes on the road.

Russell, 75, preceded Chamberlain into the NBA by three years and after his first meeting with the 7-foot-1 Chamberlain, Russell remarked, "Let's see – he's four or five inches taller, he's 40 or 50 pounds heavier and his vertical leap is at least as good as mine. He can get up and down the court as well as I can and he's smart. The real problem with all this is that I have to show up.''

Russell showed up often enough to win nine championships to Chamberlain's one during the 1960s.

The only exception came during the 1966-67 season, when Chamberlain led a Philadelphia 76ers club that was chosen in 1981 as the best team of the NBA's first 35 years.

After the 76ers dispatched the Celtics in five games in the Eastern Conference finals, Russell walked into the Philadelphia locker room and congratulated Chamberlain.

"Great,'' Russell said to his worthy adversary rival. "Just great.''

In contrast to the epic Russell-Chamberlain rivalry, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson met only 37 times -- and they rarely guarded each other.

But for 10 years, Chamberlain and Russell dueled in the paint for NBA supremacy, thrilling fans and spawning rule changes.

Chamberlain almost always walked away with better numbers, but Russell usually walked away as the winner.

It all started on a cold Boston night, 50 years ago.

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