Starstruck By “Babe Ruth of Basketball”, 70 YO Veteran Gushes Over The One Person Who ‘Dwarfs’ Michael Jordan

Players come and go, but some athletes will remain legends. Among them is an NBA icon, who has been synonymous with basketball superstardom for decades. Just by existing, this ‘Goliath’ has shaped every generation of NBA pros. Even the likes of Kevin Garnett proclaimed that he’d not be a Boston Celtics star if it wasn’t for this legend. His impact was beyond the court, even on a sports media veteran back when he was an interviewer in his prime.

Mike North has been face-to-face with several athletic stars. This time, Chicago’s premier radio host is on the other side of the Barguments podcast, where he revealed his career-altering interview with the NBA’s ultimate GOAT.

When Mike North met Wilt Chamberlain

Longtime sports radio personality, Mike North, has done a lot in his career. He’s said and done some outrageous things while hosting highly-rated shows and interviewing the biggest names in the sports world. He’s polarizing for many reasons, but he also admires talent where he finds it. Time and again, North has upheld the legendary Wilt Chamberlain as his benchmark for basketball greatness.

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During his appearances on the Barguments podcast, North reminisced about the time he interviewed Chamberlain decades ago. He revealed how that interview came to be, showcasing the larger-than-life personality the late ‘Big Dipper’ possessed.

It started when his colleague told him that he had booked Wilt Chamberlain for their TV show filmed at the Hollywood Casino. Like anyone who is told this news, North had the most obvious response. “Get the h**l out of here. Nobody talks to Wilt Chamberlain.”

But his colleague insisted it’s real and they have plans in place. The original plan was that Chamberlain would fly to North’s city, the show would send a car to pick him up, and Wilt was going to eat at North’s house. They’d put him in a nice hotel and the next night, they’d shoot the interview.

North contacted Chamberlain, who said, “Yeah, I’ll be there,” before proceeding to alter plans after he ran into some acquaintance on the plane. He then informed North that he wouldn’t be coming to his house and would meet him at the interview.

Such changes in schedule could make even a seasoned broadcast veteran nervous. North was understandably worried if his biggest interviewee to date was going to show up or not. True to his word, the NBA legend showed up and awed everyone, including North.

“Couldn’t have been the nicest guy in the world,” North gushed. “Greatest guy. He was just a great guy.” 

North gets sentimental about the legend

Once his subject had appeared, North was prepared to make it the best interview of his career. He told his team that they were sitting with “the Babe Ruth of basketball. Period.” 

This is a comparison even Kevin Garnett would agree with. Garnett would gush that Wilt set the “ceiling” for all NBA stars. He would even say that dignitaries like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant simply dwarfed the enigma set by Chamberlain.

North echoed the sentiment. “You can talk about Jordan, this guy was the Goliath.” Goliath was one of the many nicknames the 7’1″ legend earned in his lifetime. It’s also the title of Showtime’s docu-series on Wilt Chamberlain.

The interview was memorable for North. And they did make up for that lost dinner by going to a restaurant where Chamberlain ate a feast. In the past, North has also said that the NBA legend had a voracious appetite.

But North will forever remember his company. On October 12, 199, Chamberlain passed away from heart failure. He was 63. North said he was extremely sad about the loss. It was the greatest loss to the basketball world indeed.

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