Despite loving Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain thought he was a terrible holiday guest.

Despite loving Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain thought he was a terrible holiday guest.

There was no greater rivalry between individuals in the 1960s than that between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. During the decade, Russell’s Celtics won nine titles, with Chamberlain’s 1967 run of success being the lone exception. Though they were intense rivals on the court, Wilt and Russell were good friends off it. Older people frequently criticize the friendships displayed by today’s NBA stars.

When Wilt Chamberlain and Russell faced off in the regular season, from Wilt’s rookie year in 1959–60 to Russell’s final season in 1968–69, the NBA was a considerably smaller league. They met 94 times. They added 49 more matches in the playoffs. Eight postseason collisions between the superstars occurred throughout those ten seasons. Seven of those series were won by Boston, giving Russell a significant edge.

Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell represented a battle of playing styles.

For better or worse, Wilt Chamberlain earned a reputation as a fantastic player who valued statistics more than victories. However, Bill Russell was seen as the epitome of a team player who put larger honor ahead of personal ambitions.

Wilt began his career with six consecutive scoring titles, and when he retired, his average of 30.1 points per game was the most in NBA history. His record of 22.9 rebounds per game on average is probably unbreakable.

Russell, who averages 22.5 rebounds a night, is second only behind Chamberlain on the all-time list and was a five-time rebounding champion. But the rings were with him. Chamberlain possessed the women. Although Chamberlain wasn’t treated fairly, it was the storyline of the day.

Many fans were unaware of the strong bond between the two titans of the NBA at the time, since newspapers provided the majority of the coverage of the NBA (and other sports) at that time.

In the 1960s, there wasn’t much NBA coverage on television. The network aimed to showcase Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. That should have meant Wilt v. Russell. Typically, the two would be paired over the holiday season.

The year before the teams’ game, Chamberlain remembered having Russell over at his house for Thanksgiving. The pals went to battle after eating together and spending the evening at home.

As Wilt and Russell noted in a joint interview with Bob Costas in 1997, Wilt’s recollections of the holiday are mixed.

“We had Philly vs. Boston the next night, so Bill would come to my house on Thanksgiving night.” After taking some meal and sleeping in my bed, he would go outside and beat my butt.

That was usually the situation. The Celtics’ record against Chamberlain in the regular season was 57–37. Postseason standings were 29–20, but Boston had won nine of the ten series.