Was Wilt Chamberlain the strongest ever to play the game?

Question

How does a guy bench 465 pounds at the age of 59. That is incredible. At Shaq's peak fitness he could do about 450.

Answer 1

There's no way Chamberlain could have been the most physically strong player and there's simply no way he could have bench pressed 465 lbs (his skinny built probably means he could only bench 300 lb at most which is by any standards impressive).  

Answer 2

wow i didnt know that. did u know earl boykins can bench 350 and hes 5'5 133lbs?

Answer 3

Yeah i heard that he could stop a moving train. no probs

Answer 4

NBA Inside Stuff confirmed that Earl Boykins is pound for pound the strongest player to ever play the game of basketball.

Answer 5

best example of wilt's strength i ever heard was when jerry west said that wilt was so aware of his strength and was so strong that he would sometimes go up weak on a dunk or do a lay up because wilt was actually worried that he would injure the defender or break the defenders arm or wrist had he used his full strength.

thats impressive and scary.

Answer 6

He was da srrongest in his time. He dominated. There was no1 his size and that had his strength. But d**n that is incredible

Answer 7

I don't know about the strongest, but he sure had the most women.

Answer 8

Chillbon, great answer, Im with you.  I heard he can jump buildings in a single bound, stop bullets, and out run trains too.  He was also given a technical foul for using his flying ability in a game once.  

I can absolutely gauruntee you without any doubt what so ever that Wilt Chamberlain NEVER benched 465 pounds.  Not in his prime, not at 59 years old, NEVER!!  If you can, site your source please.  Im sure you prob heard him in an interview or something but anyone can talk, its much different to have to back up the words coming out of your mouth.  Most NFL players can not bench 465lbs, that is a huge amount.  A lot of people talk a big game, but in real life, there are very, very few people that can bench 400+ pounds.  If you can put up 315lbs you are in the top 1%.  With the length of Wilts arms and the lack of powerful thick muscle fibers (he had some lean muscle mass) there is NO WAY AT ALL.  He would be lucky to get 315 in his prime.  His biggest problem is the length of his arms, he has to move the weight like 2 or 3 times further then a normal person.  Every one rep he does is like 2 or 3 reps a normal person does.  Im telling you, no way, anyone with any powerlifting experiance will tell you exactly what I just said.

Additional info--

this is the same guy that claimed he slept with 10,000 women so if you have any doubts that he may exagerate things, look there first.  They did the math, at the time he made the claim of 10,000 women in order for him to have really done that he would have had to sleep with something like 8 women a day every day without exception.  Im sure this bench press thing is the same thing.  He prob put up around 300 and just did a little exagerating.

Additional (2)--

these comments are killing me, come on, 550 now, please.  Thats more then 99% of the NFL right now.  What a joke (not calling blitzkre coments a joke, calling Wilt saying he could bench 550 a joke).  Like I said, anyone can make a claim, but to back it up is a different story.

Answer 9

I think its between him and Ben Wallace.

Answer 10

I think Wilt at he's time was a strong player but he is not the strongest player ever in NBA history. There is many player in the NBA that is strong like Dennis Rodman,Ben Wallace etc.

Answer 11

h**l No!!!!!!! u think wilt the stilt is the strongest play because the bball just started to begin. there is no defence on that time and only bill russell actually plays defence and with bill russell guarding wilt. wilt only won title and bill russell got 11! For me the strongest player that ever played the game is either Hakeem or Shaq. but they are not the best player. but if best player itz Michael Jordan and then Kobe Bryant

Answer 12

Wilt was a strong guy but I don't think the strongest....I don't care how much Shaq can bench he is still the strongest biggest guy ever (he's a freakin train)