Daily News | Wilt Chamberlain’s Overbrook vs. West Philly was once the most anticipated high school basketball matchup
A photo of Lacy, then a 5-foot-11 guard at West Philadelphia High School, as he’s suspended in the air occupied by Wilt Chamberlain, Overbrook’s 7-foot Goliath, still hangs prominently in Lacy’s home in West Philly.
The ball is not visible in the photo, which, fortunately for Lacy, has allowed for some ambiguity when visitors have arrived through the years. “I say, ‘Come on in the house, I’ll show you a picture of me and Wilt,” Lacy, now 85, said with raspy laughter. “They say, ‘Mr. Lacy was blocking Wilt Chamberlain’s shot!’” If he didn’t give up the goods himself, his wife of 65 years, Rosalee, would ask, “Why don’t you tell them it was the other way around? He was blocking your shot?”It’s a memory still cherished by Lacy, who coached Philly legends such as a young Gene Banks at the Sherwood Recreation Center . Presumably, more memories will be made at 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Joseph’s University when local powers Imhotep Charter and Camden High School face off in a highly anticipated matchup, featuring Justin Edwards, Imhotep’s star forward and ESPN’s No. 1-ranked player in the nation, against Camden’s DJ Wagner, the No. 2-ranked player.In honor of the latest high-profile matchup of area high school stars, here’s a look back at a classic Chamberlain vs. Scott meeting in 1955.Today, the lazy-minded among us can’t fathom Chamberlain’s dominance, so their assumption is that the 7-footer was simply a Goliath terrorizing teams who beat such a hasty retreat that they left their slingshots strewn about the court.Or, some assume Chamberlain played against, “a bunch of plumbers,” a familiar refrain heard through the years. “Wilt was just that insurmountable being in the city,” said Scott, 84. “We couldn’t even get in his sunshine. He was so good he even captured the sun all by himself.” According to Lacy, “The Dipper” was also known for capturing jump shots even though it may have violated the rulebook. “He goal-tended back then,” Lacy said. “I think it was on the books, but they never saw anybody do it.” “So I came down and shot a jump shot,” he added later. “Next thing I know, he’s over the rim and taking it out of the basket.”Scott, though, was a 6-foot-8 junior when the Speedboys faced Chamberlain, a senior, in the 1955 Public League championship in front of 8,500 spectators at the Palestra., including 74- and 90-point performances against Roxborough.“We did everything we could to guard him and trap him,” Scott said, “but he was a mature player and he knew what to do.”Scott and teammate Joe Goldenberg, who later coached the Panthers, were saddled by foul trouble. Reese Murray and Pete Urquhart led West with 13 points apiece. The Speedboys had just three losses that season, all against Overbrook. Back then, the school rivalry between the two teams was the big matchup in the city. Games were played at 3 p.m., Lacy said, so many adults took off work to attend. Regular season contests were held at Sayre Junior High School because it was the only court suitable for a crowd of that magnitude. The following season, Scott averaged 31.7 points per game, returned to the Palestra, and led West Philly with 22 points in a 78-60 Pub title win against Northeast., Scott detailed an encounter that year with Chamberlain, who was a star at Kansas. Scott rode his bike to the Haddington Recreation Center to see if the courts were occupied. At least one was, by Chamberlain, who invited Scott to join. After a strenuous workout of shooting, rebounding, and running sprints , Chamberlain loaded Scott’s bike in his car and drove him home. “This meant a lot to me,” Scott wrote. “He saw me as a real player but more importantly as a person. Indeed, his respect helped me to increase my own self-respect.” The Detroit Pistons drafted Scott No. 4 overall in the 1961 NBA draft. He played 12 seasons of professional basketball, including 10 in the NBA and two in the ABA, averaging 14 points and 9.8 rebounds for his career.in the NBA during his 1974 season leading the Pistons to a then-record 52 wins.Lacy and Scott still talk at least once a week. Lacy’s sons, Carl III and David also played in the Overbrook-West Philly rivalry, but for the Panthers. Carl died in 2014 at age 53. David is 59.“Now that we’re talking about it,” his father said, “I’m just having a great time just remembering it all. As I’ve gotten older, that means a lot to me now.”
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