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Leading dual lives

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Anna Roe

Wilt Chamberlain, NBA star, died last week of congestive heart failure. Some are asking now whether he should be remembered as a hero or as an egotistical basketball player who slept with 20,000 women. The answer should be both.

For those who don't know, the 7'1" Chamberlain, he was the only player in the National Basketball Association to average more than 50 points a game for an entire season, the only player ever to score 100 points in a single game, and one of two players ever to score over 30,000 points in a NBA career.

Chamberlain was looked upon as one of the greatest sports heroes of his time. He should be. He was one of the first players of his height who had control over his entire body. He dominated games with his strength, agility, stamina and speed.

Chamberlain maintained this clean superstar image until he disclosed in his autobiography that he had slept with 20,000 women over the period of his career.

This tasteless comment should never have been made; but since it was, it left some fans with less respect for him, as it should have.

Chamberlain's excuse for his actions was that it was the 1970s, but this is no excuse. While he should remain a basketball hero, Chamberlain should be criticized for his actions.

Referring to the women who he slept with as "conquests" was disrespectful and degrading to women and himself. It was a cheap shot, plain and simple.

In a later interview, a much wiser Chamberlain said, "With you men out there who think that having a thousand different ladies is pretty cool, I've learned in my life. I've found out that having one woman a thousand different times is much more satisfying."

So people who say that Chamberlain was a promoter of promiscuity are wrong. He was just another amazing basketball player who had a lot of women offering themselves to him.

And at the time, he didn't think about the consequences of his actions.

It's unfair for people to say that he wasn't a hero because of his sex life. Wilt Chamberlain wasn't going for that type of sainthood. He never promoted abstinence; he didn't contradict himself.

He was a great basketball player, and that's why his obituary was primarily in the sports section of the newspapers.

Those who emphasize Chamberlain's sex life over anything else probably didn't know that he donated to multiple charities, including Operation Smile, the Special Olympics and the Maurice Stokes Charity basketball game.

People should remember Chamberlain for what he did best, playing basketball.

While he should be criticized for some of his actions, we should remember that he wasn't known for his great ideas, but for his physical ability.

He was a hero of basketball, not of morals.

The way he performed in all aspects of his life is proof of this.