Can't believe I forgot that one.

Dream went 19/33 from the field, 49 points, 25 rebounds and 6 blocks in Houston's game 6 loss vs. the Sonics in 1987. I was a 2OT game as well.

I think it's also pretty damn impressive Rondo went the full 53

I'm pretty sure Chamberlain had some amazing games in losses--particularly in deciding games.

Chamberlain had great statlines in every game. and he tended to lose deciding games a lot. so i think its natural that he has a lot of big losses with big statlines...

I know I started this, but don't most players lose a lot of deciding games? I mean, if you don't win the championship, you'll end up losing the deciding game. Like I said, I brought it up, but it's kind of dumb. Wilt played a lot of games against the greatest dynasty ever, so his record is skewed accordingly.

Anyway, your basic point was that Wilt always had good stats, win or lose. And my basic point was trying to say that he always played well, even if his teammates didn't. Moving on...

you know i'm not gonna be fair to Wilt lol. he also lost deciding games to the Bucks and Knicks. although he didnt really lose the deciding game to Boston in '69 cause he was on the bench at the end of game 7 (lolz)

how many deciding games did Bill Russell lose?

there seemed to be a direct correlation between these two things though


(i'm just messing with ya btw)

It'd be three if Havlicek didn't steal the damn ball.

Actually, I think I'm just trying to stir up a rivalry that I'm 35 years too young to remember. I wish the Sixers-Celtics (as close as that series was) wasn't just a one-time thing that's no more meaningful than any other 7-game series.

yeah i dont know why i hate Wilt, who retired 15 years before i was born. everything i know about Wilt and Russell comes from interviews, highlights, secondhand stories, etc. i wish i could have watched Russell play. definitely would be one of my top 5 "go back to the past to meet/watch [insert famous performer]" answers. which would be:

1. watch Hendrix play live and tell him to record that album with Miles Davis before he died (greatest thing to never happen in 20th century popular music)
2. watch Russell play against Jerry West while Wilt sat on the bench watching
3. be in person to watch a young Ian McKellen play Hamlet
note: oddly enough, i could do all three of those by going back to a 3 year span between '69 and '71
4. watch Flair vs Steamboat live in person
5. i actually don't know what the fifth one would be

I don't know why you hate Wilt (I wasn't aware that you did). I'm deeply disappointed in you.

well i dont "hate" Wilt, i just think Russell >>>>> Wilt

I don't understand when people are picking sides with rivals, the feel the need to "hate" the other side. And this isn't limited to sports. I can't count the number of times I've heard someone say something along the lines of, "I don't like cats because I like dogs."

There are a couple examples where it's required, though. Like, "I hate the Yankees because I like the Red Sox," or "I hate the Cowboys because I like the Eagles," but those aren't all that common.

well with Wilt and Russell, its more that they've become (perhaps unfairly) linked to particular approaches to team sports. Wilt has become the symbol of an individual concerned with individual glory (and its not entirely unearned, as he often was very stats-hungry, but so was Jordan to an extent as well) and not as concerned with team glory (which undoubtedly Jordan was). while Russell's approach was to sacrifice individual glory as long as it made the team better.

and i think the reason why Russell fans like myself get very defensive is because Wilt fans put so much focus on his stats and Russell's perceived statistical weaknesses. despite that at the time they were playing, Russell was never seen as Wilt's inferior who happened to be on a good team. the "Russell had great teammates" narrative has grown over the years, and ignores that Russell himself is part of the reason that those teammates had the success they had, and that the Celtics dynasty had a revolving door of players with only 2 constants: Russell and Sam Jones. and yet every time they lost a Cousy or Heinsohn or Sharman, they still won the championship anyway. yet when they lost Russell, they missed the playoffs altogether. to me, Russell was without question one of the two greatest players ever. which is why the Wilt fascination just kills me. its not Wilt's fault that he's considered so great. but it still bugs me. i'm comfortable with Kareem vs Wilt arguments or Magic vs Wilt or Shaq vs Wilt. but the Russell vs Wilt argument imo shouldn't even exist. Russell won without question. over and over again.