Tom Meschery was an NBA rookie in the 1961-62 season, appearing in 80 games for the Philadelphia Warriors. In one of those games (No. 76 for Philly), on March 2, 1962, Meschery’s Hall of Fame teammate Wilt Chamberlain had his historic 100-point game in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Meschery contributed 16 points, seven rebound and three assist in the Warriors’ 169-147 victory over the New York Knicks at Hershey Arena.

In his wide-ranging and compelling memoir, The Mad Manchurian: From the Internment Camps of Tokyo to the Hardwood Courts of the NBA (2025), Meschery shares memories of that game and The Big Dipper’s incredible performance.

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Meschery humbly described his participation in the same game as Wilt’s unbelievable outing this way: “It was an extraordinary feat, and I was a part of it, although in context, my teammates and I were merely footnotes at the bottom of that epic chapter of Wilt’s career.”

More than 60 years after Chamberlain made 36 of 63 shoots from the floor and 28 of 32 free-throw attempts, Meschery distinctly recalled the hours leading up to that game on the first Friday of March ’62.

“As we arrived and got off the bus,” he wrote, referring to the trip from Philly to Hershey, “I remembered from training camp the chocolate fumes from the Hershey factory. Wilt had been complaining that he’d not slept at all the night before. Our hotel rooms were not ready. I headed to the restaurant to get something to eat. Wilt and other players went to the arcade and played pinball and other games to pass the time. In his autobiography, Wilt claims he shot 100% of the targets on the arcade shooting shooting range.

“When it comes to hyperbole, Wilt Chamberlain and Mark Twain have a lot in common. Recalling that day, Wilt insisted his flawless target shooting was predictive of the upcoming record-setting game against the Knicks. It is even more astounding because back then there was no basket that counted for three points.”

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On witnessing Wilt’s historic performance, Meschery remembered how quickly his teammate put points on the board against the Knicks.

Indeed.

Entering the fourth quarter, Chamberlain had 69 points.

At that point, the Warriors led 125-106.

“It was clear to everybody in the arena that Wilt could reach 100 points in the fourth quarter, Meschery wrote. “By this time, all the fans were standing and cheering each of Wilt’s baskets. And in the background, Dave Zinkoff, ‘The Zink,’ our team announcer and statistician, was heralding each of Wilt’s baskets like a medieval town crier: Dipppaaa, 87; Dippa dunks, 89. When Wilt scored 91, I saw Richie Guerin, point guard and team captain of the Knicks excoriating his teammates to stop that ‘fucking Chamberlain.’ ”

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Wilt Chamberlain was a career 51.1% free-throw shooter. It was the one flaw in his game. But not on March 2, 1962.

Describing the flow of the game, as Wilt amassed points in a hurry, Meschery wrote, “Earlier the Knicks, knowing Wilt was a notoriously bad free-throw shooters, had begun fouling him. But Wilt couldn’t miss. I’ve often used Wilt’s sudden accuracy at the free-throw line as proof that miracles exist.”

What else did Meschery remember from that game, one in which he started (along with Warriors teammates Al Attles, Guy Rodgers, Paul Arizin and the legend) and played 40 minutes as a rookie and Chamberlain played all 48 minutes?

There was a moment late in the game that captured the absurdity of what was happening.

“Realizing the futility of fouling Wilt, Richie Guerin began yelling, ‘Foul the other guys. Goddamn it, foul the other guys!’ The Knicks began fouling,” Meschery wrote. “It was a scene out of a Keystone Cops movie; some of us being chased off the court trying to avoid getting fouled. Wilt yelled, ‘Throw me the ball from out of bounds. I’ll get it.’ And he did. Wilt scored 31 points in the fourth quarter.”

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Further reading: Conversations with Tom Meschery