Jan 1, 1975; New York, NY, USA; FILE PHOTO; Los Angeles Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain (13) drives the baseline as New York Knicks forward Jerry Lucas (32) defends at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dick Raphael-Imagn Images Dick Raphael-Imagn Images

Author Sheds Light On Two Often Questioned Wilt Chamberlain Feats

Originally posted on Back in the Day NBA on SI
By Shandel Richardson | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 1:42 PM ET

NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain is the holder of two of the most questionable marks in league history. There are claims of him scoring amazing feats on and off the court. Gary Pomerantz, author of Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era, recently shed light on both topics.

He spoke about it on a podcast with ESPN's Pablo Torre. He first addressed the issue of Chamberlain claiming to have slept with 20,000 women in his lifetime.

"The fact-checking is difficult to do as a matter of fact," Pomerantz said. "I interviewed one of the 20,000 ... who became a great friend at the end of Wilt's life. She said, `Wilt, why did you say 20,000? Wilt's response was, `What's an extra zero between friends?"

The second issue was Chamberlain scoring 100 points in a game in 1962. Many have debunked this because no proof exists of the performance. The league continues to stand by the story despite the many questions.

"I got this sense as I was working on this book, excavating this 100-point game," Pomerantz said. "There's a comic book, superhero quality to Wilt, his life, his numbers. I interviewed ultimately 56 people who were there, 15 of them players, broadcasters, statisticians, shot-clock operator, a number of fans ... The league was trying to grow new fans."

This article first appeared on Back in the Day NBA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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