Wilt Chamberlain's nephew weighs in after Philadelphia's 76ers' Joel Embiid broke Hall of Famer's record
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Joel Embiid's record game in the Philadelphia 76ers' win over the San Antonio Spurs is still the talk of the town, and even Wilt Chamberlain's family is weighing in.
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Until Monday night, Chamberlain, a Philadelphia native, held the Sixers' franchise record for most points in a single game with 68 in 1967.
Embiid's 70-point night puts him ahead of the Hall of Famer, whose family says that's exactly what Chamberlain would have wanted.
"I think he would say that records are meant to be broken," Olin Chamberlain Sr., Wilt's nephew, said.
Embiid did something Monday night that no Sixer has ever accomplished by scoring 70 points in a single game.
Embiid is also only the ninth player in NBA history to reach this 70-point mark. He also became the first to score at least 70 points, grab 15 rebounds and have five assists in a single game.
Olin Chamberlain Sr. said his late "Uncle Dippy," as he called him, would be very proud.
"Uncle Dippy would have a big old smile on his face right now, absolutely," Olin Chamberlain Sr. said. "I can just imagine watching Joel Embiid, watching him play and the different things he does and how he dominates on the court."
Olin Chamberlain Sr., who helps lead the Wilt Chamberlain Memorial Fund, believes Embiid's history-making performance matters even more because of what it shows about this Sixers squad.
"I go back to this teamwork, right? They see how one of their teammates is accomplishing something special that everybody wraps their arms around them and helps them get there," Olin Chamberlain Sr. said.
As for what's next, Olin Chamberlain Sr. says this may be just the start of a championship run that would solidify Embiid's story here in Philly forever.
"If I was going to sum it up I would say statue," Olin Chamberlain Sr. said. "Big fella is on his way to a statue. He's on his way to having a statue out front maybe next to Uncle Dips."