Wilt Chamberlain
Did you know that Shaq’s humorous attempt at dunking a free throw at an All-Star game wasn’t the first time a player tried the stunt? Apparently, Wilt Chamberlain mastered the technique without others knowing before he unloaded it on the world in an exhibition match. Opposing coaches immediately deemed the tactic of cheating and considered it unfair, and they complained to the Coaches Rule Recommendations Committee. Shortly afterward, the NCAA made rules against foul-shot dunks, though it was narrow in scope since not many players could even accomplish this feat. It was pretty obvious to observers that Wilt solely triggered this and what made the situation worse was that this happened before the internet. It was not easy to verify the claims that a 100% free throw percentage is something he could easily attain, but the committee was still quick to believe coach Tex Winter’s tall tales.
Wilt Chamberlain
Pedro Ferrandiz
Coach Pedro Ferrandiz of Real Madrid called for a play that was not only wild but also previously un-thought of – he instructed his players to make a basket for the opposing team. This may seem crazy, but his reasoning was very sound. The teams were tied at 80-80 and appeared to be going into overtime, but his top three players were already sitting on the bench because of fouling out. He reasoned that losing by two now was better than dragging on the game and possibly losing by a lot more since the total series score was what determined whether a team could advance or not. FIBA reacted by banning the tactic outright, citing the move unsportsmanlike and saying it would disqualify any team which was found to have deliberately scored baskets for the opposition.
Pedro Ferrandiz
