Wilt’s 100-Point Game – Does anybody care?

Have you ever cared so much about something—and wonder, does anybody care? That’s how I feel about Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game—a record so gigantic, so unbreakable, that it should be talked about endlessly.

But bring it up today–it’s the anniversary–and you’ll get a shrug. Nobody cares.

We had a friend who always said, “Nobody cares” about everything. It became our running joke.

But when faced with moments truly bigger than yourself, sometimes “Nobody cares” is exactly how it feels.

The Night Wilt Created A Whopping Record

Today marks 63 years since March 2, 1962—the night Wilt scored 100 points in a single NBA game. At that time it was “so important because pro basketball wasn’t very popular and it opened people’s eyes to the game of professional basketball,” my Dad told me. “They were amazed that someone could do something like it.”

It’s a record that stands untouched to this day. As Dad puts it, “It’s something that no one has ever done… There are certain statistics in all sports that appear to be untouchable. That’s 100 points in a game.”

“The last one to come close was Kobe Bryant with 80 points in a game,” Dad notes. “Interestingly enough, Kobe went to Lower Merion High School, and Wilt went to Overbrook.”

But what makes this achievement even more remarkable is how it happened. The game wasn’t even played in a major NBA arena—it took place in a small gym in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

“I Was There”: John Gabriel’s Story

John Gabriel was only 6 when his father took him to the game that night. His father, a former pro athlete, standing tall at 6’5″, wanted his son to see professional athletes play.

“Dad heard they were going to play in Hershey—only 20 minutes away,” John told me. “We got chocolate beforehand.”

Men dressed differently for games back then. “We wore a blazer and a collared shirt,” John remembers. “Men wore suits back then and their gentleman’s hats.”

Eight rows from the floor, John tugged at his Dad’s coat at the worst moment possible. His Dad gave him that universal “you’ve got to be kidding me” look when even a patient parent would respond, “What is it?”

“I got to go to the bathroom,” young John announced with impeccable 6-year-old timing.

Thankfully, his Dad made him wait. Within seconds, Wilt scored his 100th point. The crowd rushed the court. “We made it to half court but never reached Wilt,” John recalls.

The excitement cured his bathroom urge instantly.

“Between Hershey chocolate and game excitement, we couldn’t unwind,” he remembers.

That game shaped John’s life. He eventually entered the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame with Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal—on the same day and at the exact hour Wilt scored his 100 points.

A Teammate’s Perspective: My Father’s Words

My dad, Billy Cunningham, didn’t play in that particular game—he was still in college then. When I asked where he was when Wilt scored 100, he told me, “Quite frankly, I don’t remember.” And, reflecting further, he said, “It was hard to believe. I wish I got a chance to see that.”

He did watch Wilt on television occasionally: “On Sundays once in a while. He was such a drawing card. He and Bill Russell. That would be quite often a Sunday.”

Dad would later become Wilt’s teammate on the 1967 Championship team, forging a lifetime bond.

“Getting to know him personally,” Dad explained when I asked why he got involved with the Wilt Chamberlain Foundation years later. “What a good guy he was, and what a difficult life it was being 7’1″ tall. Everywhere you go—’how’s the air up there?’ Certain things were said that were stupid, and you had to tolerate it.”

The Basketball Family and Legacy

“We were always going to be a part of each other’s lives because we won a world championship—that makes you closer to each other than ever,” Dad explained. “That goes with any sport.”

This concept of teammates as family resonates deeply with him. “You see your teammates every day; you see them more than your own family. You have meals together, travel together, and have roommates. You play ball together and live together. You learn to accept each other’s faults. One of the successes on the court is that you become a family off the court.”

Dad’s bond with his teammates endures decades later. “I had lunch a few days ago with Steve Mix. He was an ex-player. We haven’t seen each other in 30 years, but it’s like we’ve been together every day since.”

Why We Remember When Others Forget

Why create Wilt’s statue when no one else had? “Cozen and I started it because one of the great athletes was getting no recognition in Philadelphia. There was a Rocky statue, one for Julius, but the great one got nothing. That led to the foundation.”

They knew Wilt’s legacy deserved preservation beyond athletics. “He was dominant… But the person was something else—he never sought recognition.”

Dad said, “Certain people you meet deserve that. Helping others was always important to him.”

Why did I join the Wilt Fund or write this? Same reason Dad gave about Wilt: certain things need remembering. When Dad passed me this ball, though I never met Wilt, I wanted to join a world where teammates were family.

And so the story continues, generation to generation. But for how long?

The Magic That’s Fading

During our conversation, John Gabriel said something troubling: “You know there are kids who don’t even know who Michael Jordan is.”

If today’s youth don’t recognize Jordan, how can they remember Wilt’s 100-point game? That’s what legacy-makers face—even with achievements worth preserving.

The legends before us remind us not to surrender. If it matters to us, we must make it matter to others.

We need Wilt’s story because he didn’t just think he could do it—he did it, long before Nike coined any slogan. If Wilt achieved greatness before it was celebrated, we can accomplish remarkable things regardless of our stature.

Small Acts, Giant Legacies

John Gabriel’s experience reveals a beautiful truth—one small act (his father taking him to a game) inspired a lifetime. “I did know this,” John told me. “It all started with my Mom and Dad.”

That’s what the 100-point game means—not just a basketball record but how small moments create giant ripples. John’s father bought tickets. My dad and Mr. Cozen decided Wilt deserved a statue. Simple decisions become threads in life’s legends.

Why Does It Matter?

Why does the 100-point game matter to me? I joined The Wilt because it was Dad’s passion. I wanted to be part of a world where skin color didn’t matter – long before MLK’s dream speech when the world was still segregated. On the basketball court, only one question: are you good enough? If not, get off.

Why should you care? Maybe basketball wasn’t your family’s thing, but this world was magical. And we all need magic. These memories preserve relationships: parent-child connections, myths, folklore, the tall tales we need.

Remember Wilt’s 100 because it changed our perspective—it made us see big when we were small and huge when we were fully grown.

The Lesson of Wilt’s 100: Some Moments Are Bigger Than Us

Wilt, at 7’1″, towered over most of us. But his achievement that night towered over all of us—even the sport itself.

Some moments deserve remembrance not because everyone cares, but because they should.

Frustrated that nobody cares? You care—deeply. And that matters.

I’ve discovered through writing these stories that people do care. I just needed to raise my pen higher for them to see it.

By pilgrimaging to the Wilt statue (albeit at Wells Fargo Stadium), standing there holding onto the ball and gazing up as he makes that eternal basket—I embrace a legacy that endures beyond time. Dad and Mr. Cozen created that statue, and people did care. I write these stories, and that means I care.

And so the story continues, generation to generation.

Explore More of Wilt’s Legacy

Footprints From Wilt’s 100-Point Game Last year when Wilt’s 100-point game floor went up for auction, I first uncovered John Gabriel’s eyewitness account of that legendary night and the footprints of that night.

13 Big Man Secrets To Jumpstart Wilt Chamberlain Day Philly declared July 13, 2023, as Wilt Chamberlain Day—but what does it take to celebrate a giant? This post reveals 13 big-man secrets to honor his legacy.

Why Wilt Chamberlain Stood Taller Than Goliath? After watching Goliath, I couldn’t help but ask: What made Wilt Chamberlain truly larger than life? Spoiler—it wasn’t just his height.

Watch 6ABC: Donald Hunt on Wilt’s Commemorative Stamp Journalist Donald Hunt, a true legend maker, helped bring Wilt’s legacy to postage. In this two-minute segment, he reflects on the 10-year commemoration of the stamp issued on December 5, 2014.

You’re Turn: Let’s Cut This Down To Size!

Wilt’s 100-point game is a legacy that deserves to be remembered, but what about yours? Do you have a moment bigger than you that you hold dear? Maybe it’s a story, a person, or a moment that shaped you. Share your thoughts in the comments below.