Wilt Chamberlain is one of the greatest players ever to play in the NBA. His statistics are so incredible it got us thinking, how many fantasy points would he score?
Let’s start with some background. Wilt’s per game numbers are listed below in the statistics provided by Basketball Reference.
It’s very important to note that there are no stats on blocks or steals (or turnovers for that matter) so Wilt’s fantasy numbers are actually slightly below what he would have actually scored if blocks were recorded.
Let’s take Wilt’s third season in the league. He was 25 years old and playing for the then Philadelphia 76ers. Wilt averaged 50.4 points per game, 2.4 assists and 25.7 rebounds PER GAME!
Wilt averaged 50.4 points per game, 2.4 assists and 25.7 rebounds PER GAME!
Using the Moneyball NBA scoring system (see below) we will convert that over.
50.4 points x 1 = 50.4 moneyball points
2.4 assists x 1.5 = 3.6 moneyball points
25.7 rebounds x 1.2 = 30.84 moneyball points
Wilt Chamberlain would have averaged 84.64 Moneyball points per game!
Move over Russell Westbrook, there’s a new fantasy sheriff in town!
Blowout proof? You bet!
Over the course of his playing career Wilt averaged a lazy 45.8 minutes per game.
Approximately a full quarter more than most star NBA players play these days.
2015/16 season
Steph Curry – 33.9 minutes per game
LeBron James – 35.8 minutes per game
Russell Westbrook – 34.6 minutes per game
During season 1961/62 Chamberlain was on the court for 3,882 out of a possible 3,890 minutes. That’s no mistype.
He went the distance (start to finish) in 79 games out of 80!
What about that 100 point game?
March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain set the NBA single-game scoring record (that still stands) by scoring 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 victory over the New York Knicks.
He also had 25 rebounds and 2 assists. So, let’s do the math.
100 points x 1 = 100 moneyball points
2 assists x 1.5 = 3 moneyball points
25 rebounds x 1.2 = 30 moneyball points
Just a lazy 133 fantasy points, not bad for your tournament play!
