Wilt Chamberlain And Arnold Palmer

The Impact of Wilt Chamberlain and Arnold Palmer

Professional sports have always been a major sector in American culture. During the 1950s many Americans looked forward to watching or playing sports, which was an outlet for stress and tension. Over the 50s the television became common in many households, which enabled viewers at home to watch their favorite athletes compete. This advance in technology during the 1950s indirectly boosted the potential growth of sports. People were eager to watch their favorite athlete idols dominate in their respected sport. Sports icons such as Joe DiMaggio and Jim Brown attracted thousands of people to come and watch them play. Whether it was a result of their physical nature or their extraordinary skill level, athletes Wilt Chamberlain and Arnold Palmer exerted significant influence on professional Basketball and Golf, which continues to have a massive impact. The impact Chamberlain and Palmer had in their sport during their playing days, modified how sports are played today.

Wilt Norman Chamberlain was born on August 21, 1936 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. His family was a working class family with nine children and parents who loved and worked extremely hard to attain a happy childhood for their children. As a child growing up, Wilt was not always enticed to play basketball. He grew up participating in track and field during his school days. However due to his immense size and height and the culture of basketball in Philadelphia, he started to play basketball. At the height of six feet 11 inches by high school, Wilt had an immediate impact on any team he played for (“Wilt Chamberlain” 1). Wilt attracted interest from basketball scouts by the time he was in junior high. Duri...

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...what connected him and his fans. Many young players to this day try to emulate his success and his overall image as a hardworking American who started from modest beginnings. He changed the image of golf from a rich, “country club” game to a common sport any working class American can play (M. Richard).

Wilt Chamberlain and Arnold Palmer both broke stereotypes that are affiliated with basketball and golf. As a center Wilt changed the role by scoring and assisting more than any previous centers of his time. His agility and speed for his size changed how tall athletes are perceived today. Arnold changed the image of golf and elevated the level of popularity to a major spectator sport in America. Although they had both started in humble beginnings, Wilt and Arnold both strived for greatness and impacted the sport of basketball and golf in many non-statistical ways.