Last week I published an excerpt from Roland Lazenby’s upcoming biography of Lakers great Jerry West. The snippet detailed sexual activity by the Lakers during the Showtime era - which was headlined by Magic Johnson. Lazenby has a fascinating follow on his blog today that expounds on the sexual proclivities of the Lakers and the NBA at large.
Though you should definitely read the entire blog post, I’ll highlight something I found interesting. In Lazenby’s piece, former longtime LOS ANGELES HERALD-EXAMINER Lakers beat writer Doug Krikorian completely debunks Wilt Chamberlain’s claim that he slept with 20,000 women.
Doug, who is a friend of mine, actually doesn’t just debunk the myth, he obliterates it with “firsthand” knowledge. And Doug is as credible as they get.
Looking back on the times in his 1990 book, “A View From Above,” Chamberlain claimed to have slept with better than 20,000 women during his career. His claim was designed to sell copies of his book, but Chamberlain very quickly came to regret it.
Part of the reason for Chamberlain’s regret was that he felt his claim led people to view him differently. Suddenly his off-court activities overshadowed his real accomplishments. However, there was another reason as well. Some of his associates doubted his claims.
Doug Krikorian: “Complete hyperbole. Trust me. I spent many a Saturday night where Wilt would call me and say, ‘Let’s go out and have dinner together.’ He was the worst guy I’ve ever seen trying to hustle women. I’m serious. That thing should be debunked. Trust me. I saw firsthand. Yes, he might have had his share of women, but as a slick hustler, please. No. I saw too many nights where he was alone. I was with him.
“There were nights he’d call me up. I was like his valet at times. I’m sure he had hookers come up to his room and stuff like that. He scored on some women, but as a regular Lothario? I know bartenders that scored way more than Wilt. Please. He was playing basketball. How could a real guy be a Lothario? What did he say, 20,000? It’s ridiculous. It’s farcical. Why would he even claim that?”
I’ve talked to Doug about the subject before, but never heard him go on the record to that extent about Chamberlain. While very few ever seriously believed Chamberlain’s claim, especially after actually doing the math, Doug goes further to say that Chamberlain was actually quite clumsy with women.
He was the worst guy I’ve ever seen trying to hustle women. I’m serious. I know bartenders that scored way more than Wilt. Please.
While those remarks might be hard to believe, Doug was the closest print reporter to the Lakers during Wilt’s heyday in Los Angeles. And remember, Chamberlain played in a completely different era than Magic and Showtime.
NBA broadcaster and former player Fred Carter sets the scene:
“The Forum was kicking in the seventies too. It was just a different time. The hype wasn’t there. But the feeling, the enthusiasm was still there.”
Chamberlain pre-dated Jerry Buss taking over the team in 1979. It was Buss who created the Laker Girls and proactively sought out the attendance of celebrities. Buss changed everything, which may explain the sexual disconnect between Chamberlain and Magic.
4:13 pm on February 22nd, 2010
Krikorian is awesome. Wish he was still on the radio.
5:09 pm on February 22nd, 2010
AGREE ABOUT DOUG K….SIMPLY THE BEST…LOVE TO HEAR HIS LA RAM STORIES…CLASSIC.
5:38 pm on February 22nd, 2010
WOW! I’m stunned! You mean he didn’t actually sleep with 20,000?
6:19 pm on February 22nd, 2010
McDonnell-Douglas we’ll always be the best sports-talk show in the history of Los Angeles. Miss Doug E. Krikorian on the radio and that laugh hehe “Oh Joe!”
6:25 pm on February 22nd, 2010
What should I do with this game used condom card for Chamberlain?
8:24 pm on February 22nd, 2010
Yep, the news is official. Wilt Chamberlain was actually a virgin his entire career.
9:32 pm on February 22nd, 2010
Even though I had my doubts about “The Big Dipper” having slept with 20k women, his claims provided us with good laughs and interesting (and often hilarious) conversations.
Thanks Wilt!
10:53 pm on February 22nd, 2010
Doesn’t everyone just love this site, it’s the best!
10:56 pm on February 22nd, 2010
Ok good the moderator is gone. I have been blocked a few times which is ironic because it seems like this site is openly geared toward destroying people with no filter. Yet when I want to post an opinion I am blocked and filtered…how ironic. Do you all even read these posts? I mean all they contain are issues that are meant to demean and embarrass athletes. It’s as if the owner of this site has a hatred towards athletes and any sport related object. Just an opinion…keep living.
11:00 pm on February 22nd, 2010
Anyone with a calculator knew the 20,000 claim was nonsense the day Wilt made it.
Old, old, old news
11:04 pm on February 22nd, 2010
Has anyone noticed that none of the posts on this site have any real sports value? It seems like all the posts are geared toward embarrassing or demeaning the subject. Is this TMZSports? It seems this way. I think the owner of this site used to have a soul, but I guess everything has a dollar value. Brooks if you are there, you make me sad. You seem bitter and this site seems geared toward score settling or even worse you long to be the news not report it. Am I sad to even make this effort in the first place yes, yes I am but I’m bitter because I’ve spent a year enjoying this site to only find I picked the wrong girl.
12:18 am on February 23rd, 2010
Maybe not but he did sleep with 100 women in one game.
1:18 am on February 23rd, 2010
Do the frigging math people….there are 365 days in a year.
20,000 divided by 365 days equals 55. That means if he slept with just one different woman, night after night, every night, 365 nights a year, it would take him 55 years to reach 20,000.
1:35 pm on February 23rd, 2010
Heard he has a tiny one
12:08 am on February 24th, 2010
I wonder if I’ll ever reach 20,000 masturbatory sessions.
2:27 am on October 10th, 2010
I was going to Santa Monica CC and hanging at Muscle Beach every day the first year Wilt came to LA and got hurt- He was always down there and he was completely lost socially- I played quite abit with and against him and it was sad- in fact pathetic- He had no social graces whatsoever. One day a grandfather approached him for an autograph and Wilt was the biggest jerk I’ve ever seen- Used to see him alot at Fort Derussie in Hawaii- same thing- the guy coulnd’t even talk to people