Three-part documentary series examining the historic life, career and impact of Wilt Chamberlain. One of the greatest and most misunderstood athletes of all time, Chamberlain changed the game of basketball, breaking records and racial barriers along the way while conforming to his own standards on and off the court. From his unparalleled athleticism to his pioneering achievements, Wilt Chamberlain was an icon who lived his life on an epic scale.
Episodes
Wilt Chamberlain emerges from a working-class home in West Philadelphia with a combination of size and athleticism that college basketball and the NBA had never seen before. His undeniable achievements on the court challenge the racism embedded within his own league and teammates. Yet from his triple overtime loss in the 1957 NCAA national championship game to his last second disappointment in 1962 to the Boston Celtics, one accomplishment eludes him...to be a champion.
In the 1960s, Wilt Chamberlain’s ongoing rivalry with Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics drives a basketball boon. Wilt learns to better blend his singular gifts and by doing so he raises his team to a championship. Despite his great achievement, Wilt remains controversial - a Nixon Republican in the era of Civil Rights, yet it’s his business acumen that drives up the salaries of himself and all the players who follow in his wake.
Wilt Chamberlain became the first basketball star to force his way to the Lakers, the first to build a mansion in the Hollywood hills, the first to guest star on TV shows and movies. But when he was humbled by age, he rediscovered his purpose and helped the Lakers have the greatest season in NBA history. Yet it was his boast that he slept with 20,000 women that would forever cast a shadow on his great professional and personal legacy.
