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But even more stunning on this autumn afternoon is the news that Chamberlain had died in his Bel Air, Calif., home. He was 63 going on 23.

At 7-feet-1, 275 pounds, Chamberlain still looked like he could play in the NBA when I last saw him 18 months ago at the NBA All-Star game in New York.

Proud and egocentric, Wilt "The Stilt" changed basketball into a big man's game. As a star with surprising quickness at Kansas, the Philadelphia native inspired changes in the rules because he was so dominant. The lane was widened and goaltending was implemented at the collegiate level.

Averaging 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds during his two varsity seasons with the Jayhawks, he opted to play with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1958 before returning home with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959, and that's when the legend of Wilt exploded.

It wasn't just the way he could turn and dunk the ball, but the finger roll that he created. He had a fadeaway bank shot, mostly from the left side of the lane, that had surprising touch.

Then again, there was his albatross -- free throw shooting. He tried everything; from under-hand, to shooting from well behind the foul stripe, to moving over on either side.

Nothing worked. For his career, he shot just .511 from the line, well below his .540 field goal percentage. Those were only minor details.

Wilt rocked in every other area. Considering he averaged 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds for his career is only the start.

He was the all-time leading scorer in NBA history until Kareem Abdul-Jabbar --- another center who changed the game -- broke his record. However, Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons compared to 14 for Chamberlain, further enhancing the legend.

Chamberlain's feats were extraordinary, most notably the 100-point game in Hershey, Pa., on March 2, 1962, against the Knicks. It became the Woodstock of basketball, with 10 times as many people claiming they saw the event as were actually in attendance. But that fit Chamberlain perfectly.

That season changed the barometer of sport and he roared right along with the burgeoning profile. Averaging 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds, Chamberlain had at least 50 points an amazing 45 times during that season.

Showing the depth of his game, six years later, he led the league in assists -- with 8.6 -- to go along with 24.3 points and 23.8 rebounds. He and Michael Jordan are the only players to lead the league in scoring seven consecutive seasons. His 11 rebounding titles are still the all-time record.

What seemed to matter most to people was his struggle to win an NBA championship, and his rivalry with Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics.

While Russell had enough championship rings (11) for every finger and a toe, Chamberlain had to settle for playing on what many consider to be the best team of all time in 1967. The Philadelphia 76ers were 68-13 and featured a starting lineup of Chamberlain, Lucious Jackson, Chet Walker, Hal Greer and Wali Jones. Billy Cunningham came off the bench as a star.

He managed another title as he neared the end of his career in 1972, with Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and the Los Angeles Lakers. The main controversy in his career was the perceived adoration for Russell and disdain for Chamberlain.

Thus, the theory "Nobody loves Goliath" was born.

Wilt Chamberlain's battles with the Celtics are considered classics.(AP)

Said Russell, at the 50th anniversary of the NBA as both were included among the top 50 players of all time, "Nobody seems to appreciate what an incredible player Wilt was. He was the best player of all time because he dominated both ends of the floor like nobody else ever could. To be that big and that athletic was special."

That commentary put to rest a lot of the problems that had festered between the two for years. Not that it was absolutely necessary for Russell to clear up any misconceptions between the two superstars, but for him to bestow that tag on Chamberlain unstrung the underachiever tag.

His legendary volleyball career on the southern California beaches and just his larger-than-life persona seemed set for eternity.

But just like everybody else, the end had to come for Chamberlain. And just like he was in life -- filled with braggadocio and facts to back it up -- Chamberlain's legend will live on forever.