Jerry West on Wilt Chamberlain: “I’m guessing that he felt like he didn’t get his just due as a player.”
Los Angeles Lakers legend Jerry West recently spoke to Matthew Roberson of GQ Sports. West told GQ that Wilt Chamberlain felt underappreciated as a player:
“But he really was one of the more sensitive people that I’ve ever been around. I’m guessing that he felt like he didn’t get his just due as a player. At times, people could be very critical, because he was so good that they expected the world from him.”
Jerry West on Wilt Chamberlain
The Logo and Wilt played five NBA seasons together for the Lakers, winning the 1972 NBA championship.
Wilt Chamberlain was the most dominant individual player in NBA history. However, Wilt’s teams were dominated by the Bill Russell Boston Celtics.
The NBA world is championship-focused, so Wilt’s two titles hurts his legacy. That, coupled with the lack of footage of play during his time, makes Wilt a tough player to rank.
Wilt still remains a mythical figure who scored 100 points in a game and averaged 50 points per game in a season.
Check out more quick quotes from the Jerry West GQ interview:
