Okay, so the other day I was diving deep into NBA history, and I stumbled upon Wilt Chamberlain’s insane 100-point game. I mean, 100 points? Seriously? I just had to try to recreate even a tiny piece of that magic in, like, NBA 2K or something. That was my goal.
Getting Started
First, I picked my platform. I went with NBA 2K23 on my PlayStation 5 – it’s got the classic teams, and the gameplay is pretty solid. Figured that was my best bet for this little experiment.
Next, I needed the right teams. Obviously, I selected the 1961-62 Philadelphia Warriors (Wilt’s team) against the New York Knicks. That’s the actual matchup from that legendary game.
The Hard Part: Actually Playing
Man, this was WAY tougher than I thought. I started by trying to force-feed Wilt the ball every single possession. I mean, duh, right? But the Knicks’ defense, even on a lower difficulty setting, was surprisingly tough. They double-teamed him constantly, and it was hard to even get him the ball in the post.
- I tried running pick-and-rolls, but the AI was pretty smart about switching.
- I tried posting him up, but the double-teams were brutal.
- I even tried having him bring the ball up the court himself, which, let me tell you, was a terrible idea. Turnovers galore.
After a few frustrating quarters, I realized I needed to adjust my strategy. I couldn’t just jack up shots with Wilt every time. I had to get his teammates involved, at least a little, to loosen up the defense.
Finding Some Success
I started using Wilt as a decoy sometimes, drawing the double-team and then kicking it out to open shooters. This helped a bit. It opened up the floor, and I was able to get Wilt some easier looks inside. I also focused on getting him rebounds – offensive rebounds, especially, led to some easy putbacks.
Slowly but surely, I started racking up the points. I remember hitting the 50-point mark and thinking, “Okay, this is somewhat respectable.” It was nowhere near 100, but it was better than the 20-something I was getting at first.
The Final Result (No, Not 100)
By the end of the game, I think I got Wilt to around 70-something points. 78, maybe? I’d have to check my screenshots. Still way short of the century mark, but a heck of a lot better than my initial attempts. I did win the game, though, by a huge margin, so there’s that.
It really made me appreciate how insane Wilt’s 100-point game actually was. Even in a video game, with all the advantages that gives you, it’s incredibly difficult to do. It just boggles my mind how he managed it in a real NBA game. Dude was a legend, no doubt.
