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Wilt Chamberlain was larger than life in every sense. On the court, the former Philadelphia 76ers center built one of the most untouchable resumes in NBA history, from his legendary 100-point game to averaging 50 points in a season and finishing as the league’s all-time leader in rebounds with 23,924.
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At the same time, public intrigue and fascination with Chamberlain extended to his personal life. His claim of having slept with 20,000 women remains one of the most controversial statements of all time.
So, no surprise he never married. Those close to him have revealed in the past that he fell in love with an unidentified movie star, but the relationship didn’t lead to marriage and Chamberlain chose to remain a bachelor for the rest of his life. Additionally, he never felt the need to have children, pointing out overpopulation as one of the world’s biggest problems.
“He was so independent that it would have taken a special woman to deal with that independence,”said Yvonne, who was Chamberlain’s youngest sister.
As far as his getting married was concerned, his friend and attorney for 40 years, Seymour Goldberg, had some interesting insights to share as well.
What was Wilt the Stilt looking for?
A close associate of the NBA legend, Goldberg knew things about Chamberlain that the general public and media did not. In the past, when addressing Wilt’s problematic statement about sleeping, the attorney/friend had stated how the number was taken out of context. Not denying it was an exaggeration, he did mention that he’d witnessed women reaching out to the Sixers superstar in large numbers.
Hoping his friend would settle down someday, Goldberg revealed the response he got from Chamberlain when asked about marriage.
“I’m looking for a rich, Jewish girl. When I find one, I’ll get married,” he said.
Wilt was not the most welcoming toward the idea of living in as well. The veteran preferred to live alone at his residence, to the point that he never employed a full-time housekeeper. Though this didn’t mean he wasn’t welcoming to people at his home, his friend Goldberg once said the four-time MVP gave his guests royal treatment, provided they didn’t stay over.
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Marriage was not for him
An anomaly in many ways, Chamberlain led his life the way he wanted. The seven-footer led quite an eventful life, which is why he probably felt that conventional marriage didn’t fit his lifestyle during the 60s and 70s, even addressing it as outdated.
“Marriage? Wonderful institution for women and children, I don’t think so. But against the house, I believe in the percentages, faith, and right now in America, in our style of living, the fast pace of what’s going on here, marriage, maybe, somewhat outdated, maybe, five or ten years from now. It’ll be an end thing; it’ll be vogue again,”
The former NBA center didn’t seem open to the idea of monogamy, not hesitating to say he couldn’t be with one woman and that he was individualistic and gregarious with the young ladies. Well, looking at his ways of living, it was indeed wise of Wilt to never marry or have children in his life.
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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 8:17 AM.