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Wilt: Larger Than Life
A capturing of basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain's personality and thoughts—known by relatively few people other than family and close friends—is made available to all in this intimate biography. The author, a native of Philadelphia and an alumnus of Chamberlain's alma mater, spent four years researching and interviewing the most important people in Wilt's life to produce these results.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
52 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
About the author
Robert Cherry
3 books3 followersI was born and bred in Philadelphia, although I have been fortunate enough to have traveled the world. My late sister imbued me with a love of good writing (and of course good reads). After two years teaching English in the African bush, I returned to America, where I entered journalism, eventually working as a reporter or editor at four newspapers, including the Arizona Republic, and my freelance work has appeared in The New York Times and The Jerusalem Post, among other publications. Both of my books are about Philadelphians--the great basketball player, Wilt Chamberlain; and my parents, Joe and Mary Cherry. Granted that, unlike Wilt, neither of my parents ever led the NBA in rebounding and scoring; nevertheless, they are still worth getting to know and reading about--which people can do through Cherry Delight: A Family Memoir.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 4, 2022
Total gem. Wilt’s reputation is mostly shaped by the 20,000 women comment he made in his autobiography, but that comment obscures his work as a model citizen, a champion of women’s rights, and a real humanitarian.
The media likes to take this and his insistence that he was better than Russell (he was) to crucify the character of a truly great man. A great lesson about listening to media narratives.
The media likes to take this and his insistence that he was better than Russell (he was) to crucify the character of a truly great man. A great lesson about listening to media narratives.
March 4, 2025
For basketball fans of my generation, Wilt Chamberlain is like a myth. His basketball dominance is staggering, yet there's not much film of him to describe him as a player or as a person. The NBA records he holds are are so preposterous that there are a subset of fans on NBA Twitter that simply dismiss him in historical NBA conversations. For example, I've heard fans say that his 100 point game should be scrubbed from the record books because a) it's impossible to score that many points in an NBA game and b) there's no film of him doing it. Regardless, you simply cannot get rid of Wilt's influence. Numerous NBA rules were changed because his dominance was so overwhelming. In fact, Wilt is confident that he is the greatest player to ever live, ahead of Michael Jordan, because: "When he played, they changed the rules to make it easier for him to dominate. When I played, they changed the rules to make it harder for me."
I picked up this book because Wilt's myth-like status prompted me to want to learn more about him. Robert Cherry's biography portrays a remarkably talented, yet profoundly sensitive man. He was extraordinarily gifted, but he always carried around this feeling of being slighted and under-appreciated, whether or not the evidence matched that claim. There's an honesty to him that's very likable, and also an insecurity that's deep and moving. I'll share a few scattered thoughts on different things I learned in the book.
Wilt's athletic talent was in the top .1%, but it is fascinating to me how he wasn't satisfied with the things he was best at. He loved to score wildly, but he hated the perception of him as a brute on the basketball court. He was also insecure about his enormous height because "nobody roots for Goliath", so he went out of his way to prove he had all the skills that smaller players had. He took fadeaway jumpers, passed the ball proficiently (he led the league in assists in 1968), and handled the ball much more than other big men of his era (many summers playing with the Harlem Globetrotters gave him the tricks of the trade). He didn't just want to be known as a basketball player either. He was a proficient track and field athlete (he beat NFL running back Jim Brown in numerous races), he played professional volleyball (he's in the volleyball hall of fame), and once he even tried to fight Muhammad Ali (thankfully that didn't happen). It seems like he had this ambition to be known as the greatest all-around athlete ever, which is fascinating for someone who reached the heights he did in basketball. Typically, you see players of his caliber specialize in their sport once they reach the professional level. But while Wilt was a hard worker, he wasn't the obsessive basketball junkie that many of his peers were, mostly because his goals were bigger than basketball. He wanted to be the sports Renaissance Man. Cherry calls him an "athletic hedonist".
His life outside of sports was equally intriguing. He moved to LA in the late 60s during the peak of Hollywood licentiousness, and it sounds like he took advantage of it and had a great time. He bought cool cars, hung out with cool people, and lived in an incredibly cool house that the author takes a whole chapter to describe. He was also by all accounts very philanthropic and there are a few anecdotes throughout the book that speak to his generosity. Being a celebrity of his status doesn't sound like an easy thing, but it seems like he handled it fairly well. He didn't abuse substances, and he didn't get himself into any major trouble. His one vice was sex. The book spends a decent amount of time discussing his outrageous and sad claim that he slept with 20,000 women over the course of his life. Through various anecdotes from close friends, Cherry does admit that Wilt was uniquely promiscuous, but that number is likely an extreme exaggeration. The book also touches on his political life and his view on social issues, which I found particularly interesting. Wilt drew criticism from the black community for his alliance with Nixon and the Republican party, but it seemed like his personal views were very progressive. He believed in and fought for the rights of black people in the US, as well as women, as he championed women's sports in many ways. It seems to me that on one hand Wilt needed to be different, so he couldn't behave like all the other black people, and he also didn't want to be typecast as an activist. I also think he genuinely thought he was important enough to shift the Republican party to the left.
Socially, Wilt was a bit of an enigma. He was close to his family and had many, many friends. He would host parties on a regular basis at his innovative mansion in LA, where he would cook for people and showcase his charming, gregarious side. Yet he always kept people at arm's length. The author describes him as "invulnerable", and he even goes as far as to say Wilt "liked to keep himself a mystery". He needed the attention and the affection of people, but he would leave friends confused by disappearing for months at a time. In that sense he's very relatable, but being a bachelor for his entire life, you'd have to assume that at some point he had to have gotten lonely. I would've been interested to hear more about that, especially because he wasn't religious.
The last thing I'll say is that you can't talk about Wilt and leave out Bill Russell, his chief rival who represented the antithesis to nearly everything Wilt represented on the basketball court, and also in life. Offense vs defense. Stats vs rings. Carrying the team on your back vs sacrificing your output for the team. The author is from Philadelphia, and his opinion is clear that Wilt was the superior player. Yet I found it interesting that when the book mentioned Philly's 1967 season, which was one of the greatest single season teams in NBA history, it mentions how part of the reason that team was so good was because Wilt concentrated less on scoring and more on rebounding and defense. Which is, in essence... playing more like Russell.
Ultimately, Wilt was a fascinating human who could never be seen as one-dimensional, whether that one dimension was tall, black, basketball player, or celebrity. But part of me feels like he missed out on some success/joy by not leaning into his identity and embracing who he was. Sadly, he died before I was born so I will never get to know him, but I'm sure I would've really enjoyed him if I did.
I picked up this book because Wilt's myth-like status prompted me to want to learn more about him. Robert Cherry's biography portrays a remarkably talented, yet profoundly sensitive man. He was extraordinarily gifted, but he always carried around this feeling of being slighted and under-appreciated, whether or not the evidence matched that claim. There's an honesty to him that's very likable, and also an insecurity that's deep and moving. I'll share a few scattered thoughts on different things I learned in the book.
Wilt's athletic talent was in the top .1%, but it is fascinating to me how he wasn't satisfied with the things he was best at. He loved to score wildly, but he hated the perception of him as a brute on the basketball court. He was also insecure about his enormous height because "nobody roots for Goliath", so he went out of his way to prove he had all the skills that smaller players had. He took fadeaway jumpers, passed the ball proficiently (he led the league in assists in 1968), and handled the ball much more than other big men of his era (many summers playing with the Harlem Globetrotters gave him the tricks of the trade). He didn't just want to be known as a basketball player either. He was a proficient track and field athlete (he beat NFL running back Jim Brown in numerous races), he played professional volleyball (he's in the volleyball hall of fame), and once he even tried to fight Muhammad Ali (thankfully that didn't happen). It seems like he had this ambition to be known as the greatest all-around athlete ever, which is fascinating for someone who reached the heights he did in basketball. Typically, you see players of his caliber specialize in their sport once they reach the professional level. But while Wilt was a hard worker, he wasn't the obsessive basketball junkie that many of his peers were, mostly because his goals were bigger than basketball. He wanted to be the sports Renaissance Man. Cherry calls him an "athletic hedonist".
His life outside of sports was equally intriguing. He moved to LA in the late 60s during the peak of Hollywood licentiousness, and it sounds like he took advantage of it and had a great time. He bought cool cars, hung out with cool people, and lived in an incredibly cool house that the author takes a whole chapter to describe. He was also by all accounts very philanthropic and there are a few anecdotes throughout the book that speak to his generosity. Being a celebrity of his status doesn't sound like an easy thing, but it seems like he handled it fairly well. He didn't abuse substances, and he didn't get himself into any major trouble. His one vice was sex. The book spends a decent amount of time discussing his outrageous and sad claim that he slept with 20,000 women over the course of his life. Through various anecdotes from close friends, Cherry does admit that Wilt was uniquely promiscuous, but that number is likely an extreme exaggeration. The book also touches on his political life and his view on social issues, which I found particularly interesting. Wilt drew criticism from the black community for his alliance with Nixon and the Republican party, but it seemed like his personal views were very progressive. He believed in and fought for the rights of black people in the US, as well as women, as he championed women's sports in many ways. It seems to me that on one hand Wilt needed to be different, so he couldn't behave like all the other black people, and he also didn't want to be typecast as an activist. I also think he genuinely thought he was important enough to shift the Republican party to the left.
Socially, Wilt was a bit of an enigma. He was close to his family and had many, many friends. He would host parties on a regular basis at his innovative mansion in LA, where he would cook for people and showcase his charming, gregarious side. Yet he always kept people at arm's length. The author describes him as "invulnerable", and he even goes as far as to say Wilt "liked to keep himself a mystery". He needed the attention and the affection of people, but he would leave friends confused by disappearing for months at a time. In that sense he's very relatable, but being a bachelor for his entire life, you'd have to assume that at some point he had to have gotten lonely. I would've been interested to hear more about that, especially because he wasn't religious.
The last thing I'll say is that you can't talk about Wilt and leave out Bill Russell, his chief rival who represented the antithesis to nearly everything Wilt represented on the basketball court, and also in life. Offense vs defense. Stats vs rings. Carrying the team on your back vs sacrificing your output for the team. The author is from Philadelphia, and his opinion is clear that Wilt was the superior player. Yet I found it interesting that when the book mentioned Philly's 1967 season, which was one of the greatest single season teams in NBA history, it mentions how part of the reason that team was so good was because Wilt concentrated less on scoring and more on rebounding and defense. Which is, in essence... playing more like Russell.
Ultimately, Wilt was a fascinating human who could never be seen as one-dimensional, whether that one dimension was tall, black, basketball player, or celebrity. But part of me feels like he missed out on some success/joy by not leaning into his identity and embracing who he was. Sadly, he died before I was born so I will never get to know him, but I'm sure I would've really enjoyed him if I did.
September 9, 2011
the best book a ever read
April 1, 2025
This is a traditional straightforward style biography that was enjoyable as well as informative. Wilt Chamberlain has been deceased well over 25 years but this book is helpful to keep younger people and those unfamiliar with the beginnings of professional basketball informed while also providing insight to Wilt's background and personality. Many family, friends, former basketball teammates, attorneys, celebrities and girlfriends were interviewed and the varied responses give colorful facts about "The Big Fella".
There is a fair amount of writing that focused on what it is to live as a man over 7 feet tall. A point was made about how much he worked out during games and the amount of sweat he produced that he rung out of his shirt and surprisingly stuffed worn garments back into his bags to be worn again unwashed. Unsurprisingly Elgin Baylor nicknamed him The Big Musty. It's still a mystery why Wilt chose not to marry nor have any children in spite of his many publicized girlfriends and the author doesn't provide answers beyond quoting Wilt saying he didn't want any little Wilties. There is obviously more to Wilt's personal life but not delved into here. It remains a compelling biography of a basketball player that continued to move in the sports field through supporting women's track and beach volleyball after he retired and varied personal charities that he supported without fanfare but enthusiasm.
There is a fair amount of writing that focused on what it is to live as a man over 7 feet tall. A point was made about how much he worked out during games and the amount of sweat he produced that he rung out of his shirt and surprisingly stuffed worn garments back into his bags to be worn again unwashed. Unsurprisingly Elgin Baylor nicknamed him The Big Musty. It's still a mystery why Wilt chose not to marry nor have any children in spite of his many publicized girlfriends and the author doesn't provide answers beyond quoting Wilt saying he didn't want any little Wilties. There is obviously more to Wilt's personal life but not delved into here. It remains a compelling biography of a basketball player that continued to move in the sports field through supporting women's track and beach volleyball after he retired and varied personal charities that he supported without fanfare but enthusiasm.
December 7, 2019
Great book
Great book
Great man
Like an older brother from a different generation
The author pulled from hundreds of sources and interviews and spent years on the research for this book
A very well rounded book about the man who dominated the nba for 14 years
In addition, he was extremely well read, a world traveler, a promoter of volleyball, track and field, and female sports
On and on and on
This man was a rockstar and a personable one
Most impressive was that he was given a large frame, big voice, and tons of charisma and did not put any of it to waste
I would recommend this book to anyone who has been burdened with high expectations
Great book
Great man
Like an older brother from a different generation
The author pulled from hundreds of sources and interviews and spent years on the research for this book
A very well rounded book about the man who dominated the nba for 14 years
In addition, he was extremely well read, a world traveler, a promoter of volleyball, track and field, and female sports
On and on and on
This man was a rockstar and a personable one
Most impressive was that he was given a large frame, big voice, and tons of charisma and did not put any of it to waste
I would recommend this book to anyone who has been burdened with high expectations
March 3, 2025
This book was outstanding. The best book I’ve read about a mythical god-esque athlete since David Halberstam‘s book: Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made. Robert Cherry’s biography “Wilt” is an excellent deconstruction of the mythic American athlete that we often put on pedestals and forget that they are, in fact, human beings like all of us (albeit with something extraordinary that has us all looking at them in awe as if they’re gods amongst us). I’m such a huge fan of basketball and history and this was exactly the type of intersection of my interests I was looking for.
April 29, 2023
The author was far too enamored with Wilt and downplayed the athlete's flaws and poorly thought-out acts. He repeated stories multiple times. For some reason, he added quotes pertaining to a chapter before the chapter's heading instead of after. That said, the writing style was easy to read and it was a decent biography that detailed Wilt's childhood, college days, basketball career, and post-basketball years. It's amazing how many lives Wilt touched in a positive way and which he did not boast about such as regularly talking with a teenage girl who had a terminal illness until her death and sending a condolence letter to her family and acting like old friends with unknown fans and how he received both adoration and condemnation solely because of his size and athleticism. Because of his presence and magnetism, he reduced racial tensions in and around Kansas University, increased audience size at NBA games, made volleyball more popular, and furthered women's track and field. Sadly, even he was affected negatively by old age, suffering from a bad hip and heart problems.
June 28, 2023
Not for everyone (ya know because of sports). But if one has any desire to learn about one of the most fascinating humans to ever live and learn about someone who was truly larger than life in so many aspects; this nails it. It does not glorify him in his faults nor tear him down from his strengths. Wilt was a man who was huge and freaking good at basketball. But was his own man 100 percent of the time.
May 3, 2025
a legendary basketball player
The impression of Wilt Chamberlain beyond basketball today largely revolves around his claim of having slept with 20,000 women. However, this book reveals his extraordinary versatility - he demonstrated remarkable prowess not only in basketball but across multiple domains. It"s particularly regrettable that this multi-talented figure passed away at the relatively young age of 63.
The impression of Wilt Chamberlain beyond basketball today largely revolves around his claim of having slept with 20,000 women. However, this book reveals his extraordinary versatility - he demonstrated remarkable prowess not only in basketball but across multiple domains. It"s particularly regrettable that this multi-talented figure passed away at the relatively young age of 63.
April 4, 2018
This book is a chronology of Wilt Chamberlain's life that goes into a great deal of detail. The number of people of interviewed is phenomenal. It is interesting that Wilt viewed himself as a "freak" who could not normally blend in with a crowd. Growing up in the 1960s, I was aware of Wilt Chamberlain but did not follow him or the NBA. Wilt's memory and kindness to people he interacted with is shown over and over again. A good read, a book hard to put down.
July 1, 2020
Great book, fantastic detail from start to finish on Wilts profession and personal life. Wilt seemed like a man who had a bad rep with the public but was completely misunderstood. After reading this definitely one of my favorite players.
Rest In Peace Wilt.
Rest In Peace Wilt.
July 22, 2020
I'm not really into sports, but this book had me hooked! Well written, funny, descriptive language that kept me engaged and intrigued, and wanting to learn more about Wilt, AND read more from this author. Highly recommend!
September 13, 2024
A very good biography of one of the greatest basketball players ever! Wilt was one of my favorites when I watched the NBA. I found that this book gave me a lot of new and different insights into what made him a unique person. I definitely recommend this title.
October 21, 2018
A terrific story about the greatest basketball player ever (sorry Michael and Lebron) that provides a good deal of personal insight to Chamberlain the man.
July 26, 2019
Amazingly researched book about the most interesting human to exist
March 18, 2023
I loved Wilt!
If you loved Wilt Chamberlain, you’ll love this book! This book shows you the real Wilt Chamberlain while painting an excellent picture of the NBA in the early days!
If you loved Wilt Chamberlain, you’ll love this book! This book shows you the real Wilt Chamberlain while painting an excellent picture of the NBA in the early days!
November 2, 2023
This book detailed the life of Wilt very well. Solid read.
March 12, 2013
I am not a huge basketball fan but Wilt Chamberlain the iconic Mr. NBA was a great human interest read. This book followed Wilts' own book which everyone seemed to remember from his brash statement of bedding over 20,000 women in his lifetime. Well that certainly stirred up talk and controversy, and subsequently sold books. Not that he needed the money, but Wilt was highly driven by ego and seen as a winner.
This book written is by Robert Cherry, a friend. So with that most of what is here is of a friendly nature. I consider Wilt Chamberlain along with Michael Jordan, Kareem, Oscar Robertson, and Lebron the top 5 of all time. Very debatable, I understand as many would probably put Magic over Oscar. In any event the book covers mostly the basketball years and related wars. Despite Wilts' dominance in the game he was able to garner two rings. His great battles against Bill Russell of the Celtics mostly ended with Celtic championships. But that was the team and Wilt clearly outplayed Bill in most of those contests.
After the career we get to know more about Wilt the man. A complex man like a lot of people and probably most athletic stars. But we find a man of many interests, many friends, but the classic loner. His house alone says a lot about him, and his cool bedroom with the opening roof. We get to learn about his generosity and his value as a friend to many. Also revealed his compulsion to win, why he remained single, and his sad decline. In summary Wilt Chamberlain, basketball superstar, cheated at backgammon.
This book written is by Robert Cherry, a friend. So with that most of what is here is of a friendly nature. I consider Wilt Chamberlain along with Michael Jordan, Kareem, Oscar Robertson, and Lebron the top 5 of all time. Very debatable, I understand as many would probably put Magic over Oscar. In any event the book covers mostly the basketball years and related wars. Despite Wilts' dominance in the game he was able to garner two rings. His great battles against Bill Russell of the Celtics mostly ended with Celtic championships. But that was the team and Wilt clearly outplayed Bill in most of those contests.
After the career we get to know more about Wilt the man. A complex man like a lot of people and probably most athletic stars. But we find a man of many interests, many friends, but the classic loner. His house alone says a lot about him, and his cool bedroom with the opening roof. We get to learn about his generosity and his value as a friend to many. Also revealed his compulsion to win, why he remained single, and his sad decline. In summary Wilt Chamberlain, basketball superstar, cheated at backgammon.
May 19, 2014
The great John Wooden once said, “Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability”. As a person who loves great quotes (Just go to any social media site and look up #Jimspiration), this quote always comes to mind when discussing two NBA players. These two players are Wilton Norman Chamberlain and Shaquille Rashaun O’neal. These legendary giants of the game seemed to be judged on a curve when it comes to their legacy.
As a native Philadelphian I can attest to the many stories passed down from generations about Wilt as not only a great basketball player but as a great overall athlete and lover............
To read more go to http://warroomsports.com/blog/2014/04...
As a native Philadelphian I can attest to the many stories passed down from generations about Wilt as not only a great basketball player but as a great overall athlete and lover............
To read more go to http://warroomsports.com/blog/2014/04...
July 21, 2017
Finished this some time ago, and was as interested in the last page as the first. Even as a long-time sports, notably basketball, fan, I found information in this great read that I never knew about Wilt. He wasn't, as too many view, all about himself; His friendship with Bill Russell was longstanding, as was his somewhat feud with "next", Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And did more for women's sports than was ever known or publicized. Notably, track and field.
Chamberlain remains Larger than Life, just as Babe Ruth does. We can never get enough.
Chamberlain remains Larger than Life, just as Babe Ruth does. We can never get enough.
December 21, 2015
A fairly comprehensive account of Wilt that ends up making him seem less interesting than he really is.
It felt like the author had clearly staked out the position that Wilt was a winner on the basketball court that didn't have winners around him at all times, and that accounted for his shortcomings versus Russell. I could have used a more detailed examination of that area.
It's well written and well organized, but lacks the punch that biographies like the Allen Iverson/Kent Babb "Not A Game" packed.
It felt like the author had clearly staked out the position that Wilt was a winner on the basketball court that didn't have winners around him at all times, and that accounted for his shortcomings versus Russell. I could have used a more detailed examination of that area.
It's well written and well organized, but lacks the punch that biographies like the Allen Iverson/Kent Babb "Not A Game" packed.
January 6, 2017
This book is for the serious basketball fan. If you have read other things about Wilt you won't learn much more about his NBA years, except that he lived in NYC while playing in Philly. Also some new material about his early years. I bought the book to learn more about his life after the NBA. There are about four chapters about this. Very little insight as to why he ignored his health problems.
Almost worth the price of the book to read the story told by Larry Brown about Wilt and Magic.
Almost worth the price of the book to read the story told by Larry Brown about Wilt and Magic.
January 20, 2012
The author immediately grabs my attention with the title of the first chaper..."The Ugliest Child I've Ever Seen". This title gets me interested because it is quite funny. The first couple of chapters talk about Wilt's life growing up. There are interesting facts throughout the chapters like the fact that he was already 6 feet tall when he was 10 years old. The first couple of chapters basically give us background of Wilt Chamberlain' life up to his high school years.
March 5, 2013
Decent book. Maybe I have read too much about this era, but I found it a little bland at times.
February 19, 2015
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and the author did a superb job in portraying the human side of Wilt, not just the athlete.
July 16, 2019
Good read
Amazing man. Great story. Well researched. Will recommend. You don't have to be basketball fan to appreciate this book. Recomend.
Amazing man. Great story. Well researched. Will recommend. You don't have to be basketball fan to appreciate this book. Recomend.
October 16, 2023
It is a good book I don't really care for the pacing but the book is very infrormative over Wilt Chamberlain. Robert Cherry has done a good job teaching people a better perspective.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews