Chamberlain had a big influence on Garnett

When Kevin Garnett transitioned from the NBA to life after the NBA, he sought to find an avenue to make an impact through his basketball passions. He has found that pathway.

He has delved into the documentary industry in his pact with Showtime Television. The first project, on which he serves as an executive producer, is about one of his role models: Wilt Chamberlain.

“Goliath” is a three-part series on one of basketball’s most remarkable and dominant players, a staple in the record books for his incredible statistical career that was marred by numerous playoff losses to rival Bill Russell.

Chamberlain never received his full credit for his impact on the game because he died in 1999, before social media, before YouTube videos, and before the NBA put more emphasis on its rich history.

Chamberlain is a 7-foot-1-inch mystical figure to many folks, but the documentary examines his journey to stardom, his lavish lifestyle, his many love affairs, his victories, and his many defeats.

Garnett said he met Chamberlain at the 1997 All-Star Weekend in Cleveland when he was a second-year center with the Timberwolves.

“I’m a fan of Wilt, so this is like a big book report,” Garnett said. “I haven’t done a book report since high school but this is great. To be able to dig and have the family interact and give us indepth conversations and in-depth descriptions of what he was as a person.

“As a fan following his path and what he’s done on the basketball court, obviously it inspired me, but seeing the kind of person he was. He stuck up for himself and he spoke up for those who couldn’t speak for themselves.

“He was the first rock star in the NBA and I loved every part of it.”

Chamberlain is still the record holder for most points in a game with 100; he averaged 50.4 points per game in one season and 44.8 a season later. He is the only NBA player to finish his career averaging 30 points and 20 rebounds per game and he played 72 or more games in 13 of his 14 NBA seasons. He still leads the NBA in career rebounds, minutes per game, rebounds per game. And he’s still seventh all time in scoring.

“I saw Wilt at Gund Arena [in ‘97] and he was sitting in like three chairs and I went over and chopped it up with him for about 10 minutes,” Garnett said. “It changed my life. Just giving me descriptions [of the game], it changed my life.”

Chamberlain and Russell were the models for all NBA centers. Chamberlain was the more physically dominant and imposing, but Russell played on better and more cohesive teams. Chamberlain, because of his massive size, often took the brunt of the blame for the losses to the Celtics by the Warriors, 76ers, and Lakers.

Russell was considered the better team player, the winner. Chamberlain was the gifted behemoth who appeared consumed with statistics and wouldn’t sacrifice enough to win championships. It was a label that bothered Chamberlain throughout his life.

Those Celtics teams were consistently deeper and better than Chamberlain’s teams. Those Boston rosters were littered with Hall of Famers, and players who would take the scoring responsibility away from Russell, who concentrated on defense and rebounding.

Chamberlain did win two championships, was also a major supporter for women’s sports in the 1970s, and appeared comfortable with his legacy. He made astute financial decisions to ensure he lived comfortably after his playing career was over.

“When you first start playing basketball you start learning about the pioneers and Wilt Chamberlain is one of them,” Garnett said. “My uncles, my grandfather, the first things they would always tell me is about the [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar] skyhook and Wilt’s 100 points and how the young boys will never break that.

“My first inspiration of Wilt came from being a childhood fan.”

The documentary highlights Chamberlain’s awe-inspiring athletic prowess. He was a high jumper in high school, as well as a basketball player. He played parts of 17 seasons with the Harlem Globetrotters. He became an avid beach volleyball player late in his NBA career and he seriously considered an NBA comeback with the 76ers at age 46 in 1982.

“Wilt was the first pure athlete of basketball, being able to take advantage of not just his raw ability but his leaping ability, his running ability,” Garnett said. “He transcended that into the game of basketball. He was a super weapon. I see similarities, obviously, but I was no athlete like that. Just being real, real honest with you.”