Good Read: Wilt vs Elgin

Throughout the year, TBCB recognizes good basketball writing as part of our Good Reads series. As part of this series, whenever I come across something that I really enjoy or that makes me wax nostalgic, I'll post it here.

[public domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Hardwood Paroxysm blogger Curtis Harris in Washington, DC. Curtis has been writing about basketball history much longer than I have, and reading his posts on Hardwood Paroxysm was one of several inspirations that led to me creating TBCB.

Curtis recently began a blog called Pro Hoops History, where he posted a great piece yesterday about the rivalry between Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor. Chamberlain had a long and decorated career, and he was a key figure in transitioning from the NBA of the 1950s to today's league. He'll also play an important role in my upcoming story on 1956-57 Kansas Jayhawk team captain, Dallas Dobbs.

Both Chamberlain and Baylor had big egos on the court and were used to being the star of their respective teams. So when they joined forces on the Lakers, fireworks were bound to ensue. In Curtis' post, Classic Rivalries: Wilt Chamberlain vs Elgin Baylor, he explores their rivalry and their time as teammates from 1968-1971 and highlights several of their best on-court duels. I suggest you give it a read.