When Wilt Chamberlain Completely Ruptured His Patellar Tendon and Returned to NBA Play in Just Four Months
Seeing Moses Moody’s injury and reading comments on potential recovery timelines reminded me of one of Wilt Chamberlain’s most incredible athletic feats: suffering a complete rupture of his right patellar tendon and returning from injury to play NBA playoff basketball in just four months.
The season is 1969-70. The Lakers are coming back from their first season with Wilt and from a brutal game 7 loss to Bill Russell’s Celtics. The Lakers new coach wants to run the offense more through Wilt this season, and in response, Wilt averages 32.2 ppg on 55 FG%, and the Lakers are 5-3 through the first 8 games of the season. 28 minutes into the 9th game (a game where Wilt has 33 points on 13⁄14 shooting), Wilt is driving to the basket and goes down on a non-contact injury. He leaves the game.
In the following days, it’s revealed Wilt “completely ruptured the patellar tendon at the base of his right knee cap.” Wilt makes a public statement to Lakers fans and says, “I am so positive that I’ll be back that I promise Laker fans and my teammates that in 13 weeks, give or take a week, I’ll be out on the court again playing and helping the Lakers win the world championship.”
Doctors and media are skeptical, with many diagnosing a recovery timeline of at least a year. Factoring in Wilt’s age of 33, others say that his career could be over completely.
But Wilt attacks rehab, spending 10 hours a day on recovery according to one biography - hydrotherapy, leg training, walking and running on the beach. This is also the period of Wilt’s life he first takes up volleyball, feeling that it was conducive to his lower body recovery. His treatment plan works, and he’s back on the court just 3 games before the playoffs start. He misses his initial 13 week return estimate by just a few extra weeks, and puts up 15/9/3 in 23 minutes of play.
That 1970 playoffs is known more for Willis Reed coming out on one leg in game 7 to help the Knicks win their first championship, but Wilt had a pretty productive playoffs. If you look at the footage from that playoff run, he clearly looks hobbled and has limited lateral mobility, and yet he still averages 22/22/4.5 on 55 FG%. He’s still immediately one of the most impactful defenders and rim protectors, and averages 47.3 minutes a game. He also has a number of huge games for the Lakers throughout their run to the finals, and puts up 45/27/3 facing elimination in game 6.
A patellar tendon rupture keeps most NBA players out for at least a year even with modern medicine, and this guy playing in 1969 is able to come back, immediately still be one of the most impactful players in the league, and lead his team to the Finals, all in four months. A lot of Wilt’s athletic feats and impossible stats can at least be contextualized by the era he played in, but that’s unthinkable for a player in any era. It’s a testament to what a physical freak he was, and to Wilt’s under-credited will as a competitor.