Michael Jordan vs Wilt Chamberlain

This is not a fight.  Assume you're the GM.  Assume you can tell how each would pan out as a player in the future.  Assume you have the #1 pick.  Assume they play in the same time era.  Assume you can ONLY pick one with which to build your team around.  Who would you pick and why ?

Jordan easy lol


Wilt will get destroyed in todays game lol

i  guess nobody wants to play GM.  C'mon:  Wilt the Stilt, or the Greatest 2-Guard That Ever Played Hoops ?!!!?

" Jordan easy lolWilt will get destroyed in todays game lol "

" @Wisppeons said:

" Jordan easy lolWilt will get destroyed in todays game lol "

"

"@Wisppeons said:

" @Wisppeons said:

" Jordan easy lolWilt will get destroyed in todays game lol "

"

But a Center who can score 100 pts. and averages 20+ rebounds season after season....you're gonna pass up on that pick ???!!!"

" @Wisppeons said:

" @Wisppeons said:

" Jordan easy lolWilt will get destroyed in todays game lol "

"

But a Center who can score 100 pts. and averages 20+ rebounds season after season....you're gonna pass up on that pick ???!!! "

difficult, their primes were in different era's so who knows how well wilt would stack up in jordan's league.... Kareem schooled Wilt at the end of his career... but he was way past his prime by then...

usually i would go with the talented big man, much harder to find one of those... but I dont think wilt would have been as great in jordan's time. Plus, Wilt couldnt will his team to win like jordan could. Jordan did'nt need a true big man to win.

I would have to go with jordan.

That's fine.  So put him in MJ's years then (late 80's - 90's).  Now, who would you pick ?

He played in a time where no one was his size, and there was no goaltending or three second violation. Do you know what Shaq in his prime could do with those rules? "

"That's fine.  So put him in MJ's years then (late 80's - 90's).  Now, who would you pick ?"

Still Jordan Wilt isnt even that good lol  he scored 100 becuase he was playing against a bunch of little dudes put him against a good center especially this day and age and he will get owned lol.

As others have said, I would choose Michael Jordan. Wilt played in a time when no one else was anywhere near his size. No chance in hell would he get a 100 point game in Jordan's era. Wilt had size, but Michael Jordan had the talent in so many aspects.

So far everyone wants Jordan....jeez....poor Wilt.....Is there ANY GM here who would like to take Wilt with the #1 pick at all ? 

put Jordan against someone better then you may have a real discussion lol.

Well no one's disrespecting Wilt.  He's just not Jordan. 

The Chicago Bulls were the only dynasty that didn't wasn't dependent on a dominant big man.  With Jordan you could get another good center if you wanted. 

" put Jordan against someone better then you may have a real discussion lol. "

" Well no one's disrespecting Wilt.  He's just not Jordan.  The Chicago Bulls were the only dynasty that didn't wasn't dependent on a dominant big man.  With Jordan you could get another good center if you wanted.  "

I am sorry to disappoint you but I would take Magic #2.

since theres no one else yea lol

@WindCloud said:

Okay then.  Is Wilt worth the #2 pick for the next GM ?  (Don't tell me he's not.....please )!!!   Any takers ? "

If I had the option to choose any center in history my first pick would not be Wilt.  I'd pick Kareem, Shaq and Hakeem before I picked Wilt. I'd also pick Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan before I picked Wilt.

Wilt was a naturally good athlete.  He could have been an Olympian had pros been allowed.  I don't mean as an Olympic basketball player either.  I think it was track, long jump and some others that he could have qualified.

This isn't really relevant but I wanted to give him his respects.

OMG !!!  No one here thinks that Wilt is worth even the #2 pick.  Amazing !!!

"OMG !!!  No one here thinks that Wilt is worth even the #2 pick.  Amazing !!!"

I'd rather choose Larry Bird and then get myself a mediocre center. I'd still win more games than with Wilt.

" @WindCloud said:

"OMG !!!  No one here thinks that Wilt is worth even the #2 pick.  Amazing !!!"

You have to understand. That in the modern era there are quite a few players that would be more valuable. My point about the goaltending and the 3 second violation would limilt Wilt's effectiveness. He would be good. But he wouldn't be better than Kareem, Shaq, or The Dream. And that's just at center. Guy's like Magic and Jordan, just make the guys around them better in ways The stilit couldn't. "

" @Secret Turchin Man said:

" @WindCloud said:

"OMG !!!  No one here thinks that Wilt is worth even the #2 pick.  Amazing !!!"

You have to understand. That in the modern era there are quite a few players that would be more valuable. My point about the goaltending and the 3 second violation would limilt Wilt's effectiveness. He would be good. But he wouldn't be better than Kareem, Shaq, or The Dream. And that's just at center. Guy's like Magic and Jordan, just make the guys around them better in ways The stilit couldn't. "

A'ight.  So, which pick do you think Wilt is worth ?  "

" @WindCloud said:

" @Secret Turchin Man said:

" @WindCloud said:

"OMG !!!  No one here thinks that Wilt is worth even the #2 pick.  Amazing !!!"

You have to understand. That in the modern era there are quite a few players that would be more valuable. My point about the goaltending and the 3 second violation would limilt Wilt's effectiveness. He would be good. But he wouldn't be better than Kareem, Shaq, or The Dream. And that's just at center. Guy's like Magic and Jordan, just make the guys around them better in ways The stilit couldn't. "

A'ight.  So, which pick do you think Wilt is worth ?  "

depends whos in the draft "

If I am choosing from any player ever I would probably take Wilt if I were picking 7th. The only reason I would take him there ic because Charles Barkley's lack of work ethic and late night carousing cost the Suns at least one ring, maybe even two. Otherwise I would say 8th.

For me, personally,  i  would pick him at 15th or so.   i  can  think of at least 14 other players  i  would rather pick before him.

If i were just drafting for a center? I'd probly take him in the top ten, maybe 8th, 9th...

late first, early second round imo

"For me, personally,  i  would pick him at 15th or so.   i  can  think of at least 14 other players  i  would rather pick before him."

If i was picking players at any position I wanted, I dont think Wilt would be in the first round....

" If i was picking players at any position I wanted, I dont think Wilt would be in the first round.... "

actually , the idea that Wilt was a giant playing among pygmy's is pretty overblown,
He was 7-1 but there were a lot of guys in the league that were at least 6-10 and able to match his height and reach, was it easier back then maybe, but it was no cakewalk.
that said Jordan could dribble the ball up the court and control the tempo of the game single-handedly.
But Jordan did have a lot better a supporting cast then Wilt.
In the end it depends on the playing style you want your team to play, and having been a fan of the mid 90's Phoenix Suns (the Charles Barkley years) that kept losing to teams with elite centers I would go with Wilt. A great center can make any team instantly better.
and come on 8th or 9th? the man averaged 30pts-20rebounds.

Kareem>Wilt

" Kareem>Wilt "

Wilt averaged crazy numbers back when there were only nine teams and he was the only seven footer with his set of skills.  When he did play against the one person who could rival him, Bill Russell, his team would lose... Now, granted, Russell's teams were much better, but Russell was able to hold down Wilt pretty good. And when Kareem came into the league he schooled Wilt.

i'm not saying Wilt was'nt great, but he deffinately played in a different era and his greatness would not be the same if he were to play today.

"actually , the idea that Wilt was a giant playing among pygmy's is pretty overblown, He was 7-1 but there were a lot of guys in the league that were at least 6-10 and able to match his height and reach, was it easier back then maybe, but it was no cakewalk. that said Jordan could dribble the ball up the court and control the tempo of the game single-handedly.But Jordan did have a lot better a supporting cast then Wilt.In the end it depends on the playing style you want your team to play, and having been a fan of the mid 90's Phoenix Suns (the Charles Barkley years) that kept losing to teams with elite centers I would go with Wilt. A great center can make any team instantly better. and come on 8th or 9th? the man averaged 30pts-20rebounds. "

I don't see how you can call Barkley lazy, the man was at least three inches shorter, if not more, then most power forwards, and he still managed to out rebound and out score almost all of them in that era except Karl Malone, but this is a discussion for another thread.

Outside of the Jordan era, the game and championships are won through the big man.

Jordan the great.

There are many "stilts" in the NBA. 

Not saying Chamberlain wasn't good...He did fight off Arnold in that Conan movie.

" Jordan the great.There are many "stilts" in the NBA.  Not saying Chamberlain wasn't good...He did fight off Arnold in that Conan movie. "

" @High Revolutionary said:

" Jordan the great.There are many "stilts" in the NBA.  Not saying Chamberlain wasn't good...He did fight off Arnold in that Conan movie. "

ha ha ha "

this is hilarious - i see ESPN and the media have brainwashed so many

read http://wiltfan.tripod.com/wiltrules.html and call me in the morning

people forget that jordan's bulls failed for 6 straight years in the playoffs, "he" only moved on after the celtics, pistons and lakers dynasties had ended and gotten too old, while his own team had added pippen and great role players to "dominate" a garbage league with offensive rules that favored scoring from the perimeter - and remember championships are a contextual indicator, as "teams" win titles, not individual players - Wilt was on two of the teams many informed nba folks consider the best ever - the 1967 sixers (only team to beat the dynasty 60s celtics who featured 7-8 HOFers almost ever year on the roster) and the 1972 lakers (33 game win streak, which still stands, where he outplayed a prime-young-kareem, blocking his hookshot more than once and being recognized in the media/time magazine as somehow outplaying a player 11 years younger with bad surgically repaired knees, in a pivotal playoff series on the way to winning the title)

jordan also "retired" for the last time when it was clear that at that point in his career he would've fallen behind Wilt's scoring average with just another 5-10 games at his current pace (to me that's a mark against...) - even though Wilt played most of the end of his career as a rebounder/defender/definitely-not-first scoring option after a horrible knee tendon rupture and also in the interest of his team's success... he scored more early in his career cuz his team needed it and he was asked to do it by his coaches and above all else required to for his team as he had little help then, and scored less later in his career as he aged and his role changed - remember that he led the league in rebounding as a 36 year old man in his last year in the league for god's sake (led the last 3 years of his career, and 4 of his last 5 - astounding!)

Of course it's hard to compare a Center and a Shooting Guard, but because people want to, it's not crazy to say that Wilt destroys MJ in most indicators, such as stats, dominance, breadth of skills, eyeball test, and eyewitness accounts of those who saw BOTH players play

i'm sorry but "championships bro" doesn't pass muster upon closer scrutiny - although these are some of the greatest players, if you wanna rank 'em and say stuff, back it up with facts and context of history

If Wilt would've came in to the league around the same time as MJ, he would've not put up the stats he put up during his era.

Put MJ in Wilt's era....my gawd..nobody and I mean NOBODY would've stopped him.

I would take Jordan over Wilt for sure.