Almost every NBA legend comes with a legendary nickname, and Wilt Chamberlain had more than his share. Today we’re looking at his Basketball Reference page. Chamberlain had been a center of attention ever since high school at Overbrook. But even before all this popularity, he had a name at home: “Dip” or “Dipper,” what his family and friends called Wilt. He earned the name from his height and having to ‘dip’ his head under doorways. During his sophomore year at Overbrook, he gained another nickname, arguably his most famous, “The Stilt,” a reference to his extraordinary height and lanky teenage frame. Jack Ryan, a sportswriter for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, came up with the nickname, and it stuck ever since. However, Wilt stated that he never liked the name. He felt like it portrayed him as a freak, and preferred “Dip” or “Dipper.” You may also hear “Big Dipper,” the other more popular version of his favorite nickname. Continuing the trend of height-related names, there is “Goliath,” portraying him as a giant in the paint. Two more Wilt nicknames are “Wiltie” and “Uncle Wiltie.” “Wiltie” came from those familiar with him, similar to “Dip/Dipper,” with “Uncle” added later in life.

Other names derived from his physical prowess are “Whip” and “Whipper.” Teammates gave them to him when he joined the Harlem Globetrotters. This nickname can have two separate origins: it may come from his electric fast play and quick passes whipping through the air, or it may refer to his well-endowed little Wilt. I personally believe both can be true, at least in my heart. Continuing the theme of teammate-created names, there is “Big Musty.” Wilt loved to play every second of every game, and he sweated his rear off each game. He did not like to shower in the locker room after games. So his teammate Elgin Baylor called him “Big Musty.” Keeping the theme of his play on the court, we have “The Load,” because he carried the offense and defense. A more obscure one is “Hook and Ladder.” However, this isn’t even a nickname for Wilt. On December 13th in ‘92, Scott Ostler interviewed Wilt for the San Francisco Chronicle. Wilt was asked about his and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s game. Wilt said, “If you watch Kareem and me both run the court end to end, there’s no way you’d say he had a more graceful style. Kareem ran like a hook-and-ladder. It was partly my agility and grace that helped me never to foul out, and to move around and get all those rebounds.” So “Hook and Ladder” needs to be removed from Wilt’s page.

Straying off of ‘nicknames’, how about we focus on a name Wilt went by: “George Marcus.” At 16, at Overbrook, he took an alias to play professional basketball early. Research shows that when he played for the Quakertown Fay’s, he was listed as both Marcus and Wilt Chamberlain. So, was he trying to avoid losing his NCAA eligibility? There is a good article by Brady Grogan; he includes photos and newspaper articles. If true, he dominated in high school and pro ball at 16. Wilt, however, had never flat-out said he had ever played under an alias, which is odd because he enjoyed talking about himself.

Potentially the best and most underrated name is “The Record Book”. It’s on the nose; Wilt filled the record book. He still holds 68 individual records and 72 total if you add his shared records. It features some insane ones like 100 Points in a single game, 48.5 MPG average for a season, and 55 Rebounds in a game. Plenty of them are unbreakable in today’s game. No one is sniffing a lot of them; the only way to be even close is for the game to change drastically.

All of Wilt’s nicknames summarize his career: “Dip/Dipper,” the name his family and friends called him; “The Stilt,” the public’s view of him, a circus freak; “Big Musty” and “Whip/Whipper,” what his teammates knew him as; and “The Record Book,” a pure dominant athlete, performing better than the rest. Wilt didn’t like being reduced to his height or treated like a spectacle. So when I see people introduce him as “Wilt the Stilt,” I cringe a little. A little research will tell you that the man’s most famous nickname was also the one he couldn’t stand. Wilt’s career before, during, and after his NBA tenure was extraordinary. He was a larger-than-life character who changed how the game is played and how players are handled. Do his nicknames stack up to his life? I believe this set of aliases matches his storybook career. So, which is your favorite? Know of any I may have missed? Wilt was a special man, and tales of his life will be told for as long as basketball exists.

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Luckily for Wilt, he never had a ridiculously crazy nickname. Unlike Jason Maxiell, also known as “The Baby Eater.” He earned this nickname in Detroit. His violent blocks and monster dunks became known as “eating babies.” Pistons fans would have shirts saying “Jason Maxiell eats Babies.” There was also a blog to follow Jason Maxiell, made by James Burns and a friend, at https://babyeater.wordpress.com/. The goal was to follow how many “babies” Jason had eaten. Maxiell is now an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings Summer League team. While researching him, I found out he was in an episode of Iyanla: Fix My Life called “Basketball Lies: Brandi and Jason Maxiell,” where Jason supposedly slept with 341 other women before and during their relationship. Reportedly, “more than 50” during their marriage. He and Brandi stayed together and renewed their vows.