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Despite being dominant on the court, Falkenstien said Chamberlain was very different off of it.
MAX FROM 7
"Wilt was somewhat reserved in his acceptance of other people," Falkenstien said. "I think he had built a protective screen around himself because he was so tall and he didn't like the jokes and the attention and the notoriety that went with his great size. People would come up to him and say, 'How's the weather up there, big boy?' and stuff like that. He wasn't real fond of that type of conversation."
Falkenstien said Chamberlain was one of the best players Kansas has ever seen. Only one other rivaled him - Danny Manning.
"While Wilt was the most dominant player that we've ever had because of his size and just the way he was a huge force on the floor, as far as the most skilled basketball player goes, I still vote for Danny Manning as the best," Falkenstien said. "Danny was a great scorer, a great passer, a great shot blocker, and (he) made everybody on the team so much better. But Wilt had a dominance in the game that nobody's ever matched."
Manning notched 2,951 career points — the best any player has ever accomplished at Kansas by a long shot. The next best is Nick Collison, who totaled 2,097. Chamberlain had 1,433 career points, before the three-point shot was invented.
However, Chamberlain still holds the record for highest career scoring average with 29.9 points per game.
BEST OF THE REST
BEST OF THE REST Even after his retirement in 2006, Falkenstein said he swears he has only missed one game. Kansas has played about.2,000 games between 1946 and 2015.
LASTING LEGACY
JCH CLARKSON PHOTO
KU WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM & MASS COMMUNICATION The University of Kansas
RICH CLARKSON.
KU School of Journalism alumnus, has been documenting historic moments at Allen Fieldhouse for 60 years, including the photo above of Phog Allen on the day use was dedicated.
The William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications thanks Rich for his contributions to KU history,the J-School and to the field of photojournalism for more than six decades.
"There have been a lot of spectacular finishes and some heartbreaks, too," fallenstein said.
The best game of all? Without missing a beat, Falkenstien said the final game against Missouri in 2012.
"There was just so much emotion involved in that game," Falkenstien said. "We were 17 points behind at one stage and made the great comeback. T-Rob (Thomas Robinson) blocked the shot at the finish that preserved the victory for KU. It was so satisfying to make up that huge deficit and beat the hated Tigers in their last visit ever to Lawrence, Kansas."
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
There were two other games that stick out in Falkenstien's mind: He remembers Bud Stallworth's 50 points in his final game as a Jayhawk in 1972. He smiled when talking about the 1993 Indiana game when then-freshman Jacque Vaughn hit a three-pointer to win it in overtime.
ENDING
HIS JOURNEY
Former Kansas basketball announcer Max Falkenstein smiles in relief after the Jayhawks defeated Missouri 87-86 in February 2012 in the final Border War. Falkenstein said that his favorite game
March 1, 2006, wasn't just any game for Falkenstien. It was the last time he would call a game in Allen Fieldhouse.
As he made his way toward his seat, the student section held up newspapers that read, "Thanks, Max."
At halftime, many former players came back and stood with him on the court as a jersey with the No. 60 wung in the rafters.
"I sort of thought they might do something special, but I didn't anticipate having my jersey
hanging in the fieldhouse," Falkenstien said. "It was a wonderful feeling to be recognized up there with all the great athletes who have worn the KU crimson and blue as a singular honor."
That was his last game in Allen Fieldhouse, but Falkenstien called four more games that year before the Jayhawks abruptly ended their season against Bradley in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
After Falkenstien retired, he wrote a book, "A Good
Place to Stop."
"I had set a goal of finishing 60 years and thought that would be a good place to put it to bed." Falkenstien said. "It turned out that it was a terrible title for my book because two years after I quit, we won the Orange Bowl and the National Championship in basketball in the same year. I thought, 'What the hell, I should have stayed two more years.' Then it really would have been a good place to stop."
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