YouTube Gold: Wilt Chamberlain At 17

It’s possible we used this video before but as you may have noticed, we find Wilt Chamberlain, even at this remove, to be an incredibly compelling talent and personality.

This is some great footage of Chamberlain at 17, when he was up in the Catskills making a bit of extra money working as a bellhop at Kutscher’s (he would later return to the resort to take part in the annual charity game for Maurice Stokes).

Some of it’s just footage of him walking around or carrying bags but there is some footage of him playing in Kutscher’s gym. It looks like most of the other players are just other employees and Chamberlain plays accordingly. Despite his immense size and strength, or perhaps because he didn’t want to be perceived as a bully, Chamberlain was surprisingly gentle on the court (unless he lost his temper).

Even so, you get an idea of his stunning potential.

Bonus: the narrator is Marty Glickman, who was the long-time broadcaster for the New York Knicks, Giants and Jets.