On the night of March 2, 1962, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, right up the street from the chocolate factory, Wilt Chamberlain, a young and striking ath...
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reviews
Aug 02, 2009
Garth
rated it: 
A fun book for even the nominal Wilt Chamberlain fan. If you happen to be a big fan of The Dipper, this is a must-read. The additional drama involving the provenance of the ball used in the game is great fun. Wilt really did revolutionize basketball, and this book offers an entertaining, in-the-trenches perspective while serving up lots of tidbits about the supporting cast in the game including Darryl Imhoff, Al Attles, Guy Rodgers, Richie Guerin, Paul Arizin, Tom Gola... six or seven Hall of Fa
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Oct 27, 2011
Oliver
rated it: 
A reasonably good reconstruction of Chamberlain's famous game, with plenty of contextual details about other actors involved in this drama (Frank McGuire, Eddie Donovan, Al Attles, Darrall Imhoff, Richie Guerin, Tom Gola (who heard it on the radio), Paul Arizin, etc.). Pomerantz does his best to discuss what a pivotal moment in basketball history this game was, yet can't escape the fact that there's no surviving videotape; that the game took place in Hershey, PA in front of a tiny crowd; that b
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Mar 26, 2008
Garrett
rated it: 
To some degree Wilt, 1962 is a biography of Wilt Chamberlain that centers on his famous 100-point game. Pomerantz also provides interesting details about the infancy and adolescence of professional basketball, race relations in the 1950s and 60s, the town of Hershey Pennsylvania (site of the Big Game), and Wilt's teammates and competitors.
I didn't come away feeling like I knew Wilt, though Pomerantz indicates throughout (especially via quotes from the Dipper's teammates), Wilt was a More...
I didn't come away feeling like I knew Wilt, though Pomerantz indicates throughout (especially via quotes from the Dipper's teammates), Wilt was a More...
Mar 21, 2010
Sean
rated it:
The story of Wilt Chamberlin scoring 100 points during an NBA game between the Philadelphia Warriors and Knicks in Hershey Pennslvania on March 2, 1962.
Sep 29, 2009
Goatville9
rated it:
a fun read...best thing i remember is the story about the kid who ripped the ball from wilt's hands after the game.
Dec 04, 2011
Eric
rated it:
A terrific account of the game, but a better look at the personalities and the era.
Jul 16, 2011
A sports story for the ages...Wilt, the Big Dipper, is amazing in so many ways!
Oct 14, 2008
Dave
rated it:
The story jumps around quite a bit, with the overarching narrative being a detailed description of the game in which Wilt scored 100 points. But the author gives a vivid account of Wilt's personality and character. He tries to make the game stand as metaphor for the emergence of the black athlete (and black culture) in the USA, but at the same time he repeatedly alludes to the fact that the 100-point game drew little attention when it happened.
Oct 07, 2011
Kevin
rated it:
Maybe I'm spoiled by the excellent sports writing of Mark Bowden and Michael Lewis, but I really found this book boring. The best of these kinds of books read like novels; this read like a series of clippings. Worst of all, through most of the book, the author is completely uncritical about Wilt's life. This could have been a lot better.
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