Wilt Chamberlain's enduring legacy can be traced to a quote he uttered decades ago: "Nobody loves Goliath." He was right. Underdogs have always been popular in America. Not so with giants.
Haunted by claims that he was merely a big player whose main attribute was being 7-foot-1, Chamberlain faced widespread disapproval most of his career. It wasn't until retirement that he began to get respect.
With Karl Malone poised to move past Chamberlain into the No. 2 spot on the NBA's all-time scoring list this week, comparisons arise. Images of overpowering strength and unstoppable forces, of unfair advantages and unruly play.
It's a struggle both men have dealt with, though on different levels.
Actually, there are few similarities between them. Chamberlain was a center, Malone a power forward. Chamberlain was four inches and 16 pounds larger. The Big Dipper had no perimeter game, while Malone has developed uncanny accuracy from 15-18 feet. Chamberlain averaged 50 points a game one season, Malone has only scored 50 points in a game four times.
Chamberlain dominated the sport entirely, while Malone — playing in a league populated by larger players — only dominates occasionally. Chamberlain was an embarrassment from the free-throw line,
Malone is a lifetime 74 percent foul shooter.
Both have been phenomenal athletes, Malone by virtue of his relentless work ethic, Chamberlain his legendary combination of size, strength and coordination.
And each has endured being cast as a villain.
"I think sometimes, when it comes to big guys, people do that," says Malone's former coach, Frank Layden. "I don't know if people are jealous, or afraid, or what."
Although Chamberlain probably had fewer loyal fans than Malone, that's in part because he played in an era with few villains to choose from. Malone has played his career alongside such renowned troublemakers as Isaiah Rider, Derrick Coleman, Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley.
In Chamberlain's day, bad guys were hard to find. Nowadays there are plenty to go around.
Even so, Malone has had to deal with far more serious accusations than merely being too big. In 1991, he admitted having reservations about playing against Magic Johnson, who had announced he was HIV-positive. The negative backlash continues today, especially in Los Angeles, where he is booed regularly.
He became a lightning rod again that season when he tried to block a driving shot by Isiah Thomas and opened a cut over the Detroit star's eye. Though most of the stitches were for cosmetic purposes, Thomas insisted he could have been seriously injured.
Malone was quickly learning what being a villain is all about.
Since then, Malone's reputation for mayhem has grown. Although he probably takes as much abuse as he delivers, the casualty count is incriminating, from Donyell Marshall's broken rib to Joe Kleine's dislodged teeth. He kneed Shawn Bradley's sternum and caught David Robinson in the temple with an elbow, knocking him out. Just last month he backhanded Christian Laettner's face.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban accused Malone of deliberate "thuggery." Coaches such as George Karl, Chuck Daly, Phil Jackson and Danny Ainge made similar accusations. Ironically, the part of Malone's game that has drawn the most criticism — his physical play — is what allowed him to reach this milestone. He has scored points with players hanging, gouging, punching and slapping him his entire career. But equally important is that he made more than 11,000 trips to the free-throw line. Even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the all-time scoring leader, shot over 1,800 fewer free throws than Malone. Elvin Hayes, No. 6 on the all-time scoring list, attempted more than 2,000 more field goals than Malone but was awarded over 3,000 fewer free throws. Alex English, No. 11 on the scoring list, attempted only about 1,000 fewer field goals but shot around 6,000 fewer free throws.
Being a rough guy, then, has paved Malone's way into the Hall of Fame.
Thus, Malone will finish his career as the second-leading scorer of all time, the greatest power forward ever. Some will praise his work ethic and dedication. But others will claim he was nothing more than a roughneck and a bully. Malone has said he can live with that. After all, it's the price you pay for being a villain.
E-mail: rock@desnews.com