- Wilt Chamberlain would have been many million dollars richer.
- Richman and Irv Kosloff purchased and co-owned the Syracuse Nationals in 1963.
- Wilt Chamberlain’s net worth was estimated to be around
If a contract with former Philadelphia 76ers owner Ike Richman had gone through, Wilt Chamberlain would have been many million dollars richer. However, tragedy struck before everything fell into place.
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Wilt Chamberlain and Ike Richman
Fans of the Philadelphia 76ers should thank Ike Richman for purchasing the team and dubbing it the 76ers.
Richman and Irv Kosloff purchased and co-owned the Syracuse Nationals in 1963.
however, suffered a heart attack in 1965 and resigned after only two years.
Richman was more than a business owner.
He was also Wilt Chamberlain’s personal attorney.
It’s no surprise that the two became fast friends.
Ike was also credited with getting Chamberlain to the 76ers.
Wilt stated Richman treated him like a father, and he built close ties with the owner’s family.
However, the two were far closer than they appeared.
Richman purportedly offered Wilt a 25% stake in the 76ers.
However, the agreement fell through when Ike collapsed at courtside before the start of the Philadelphia-Boston game in December 1965.
Because Kosloff refused to uphold Ike and Wilt’s agreement,
The Big Dipper moved on to play for the Los Angeles Lakers once his contract with the 76ers expired.
Another stipulation in the agreement: an active player is not permitted to own an NBA team.
According to Basketball Mecca, if the agreement went through, Chamberlain would have to wait until after his retirement to become a part-owner of the 76ers.
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Chamberlain might have lost millions.
If the sale had gone through, Wilt would be many million dollars richer today.
The 76ers are currently worth $2.45 billion.
The former Los Angeles Lakers legend could have made up to $612 million.
Aside from his NBA salary, The Big Dipper has also had some success in the show industry.
He owned his own production firm, “Go For It.” He was cast as the villain in the film “Conan the Destroyer” because of his stature and intimidating presence.
Wilt Chamberlain’s net worth was estimated to be around $10 million at the time of his death.
The extra millions would have undoubtedly aided the process.
But even without it, he remained a multi-millionaire who spent the remainder of his life in luxury.
Wilt would have wished his trusty friend hadn’t died in 1965, not because of the promised contract, but because of their friendship.
Who knows, Wilt may have stayed in Philadelphia and helped the team win additional championships along the road.
