Nose to Chin Whiskers

The coach of the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers does not sound like he really belongs in the pros. For one thing, Alex Hannum is so unimpressed with his own basketball knowledge that he solicits suggestions from his players during time-outs. Worse yet, in a profession never noted for modesty, his humility is practically treasonous. "I'm just lucky enough to have inherited a team that was already great," says Hannum, whose 76ers are currently the winningest team in the history of pro basketball. Last week they beat the Baltimore Bullets 121-115 for their 38th victory in 42 games. That boosted their Eastern Division lead to eight full games over the perennial world-champion Boston Celtics, whose own record of 28 wins and ten losses is nothing to sneer at.

What Hannum actually inherited when he took over the 76ers in May was a team that was still in a state of shock over its collapse in last year's Eastern Division playoffs. Under Coach Dolph Schayes, the 76ers posted a 55-25 record during the regular season, beating the Boston Celtics by one game, only to get walloped 4-1 in the best-of-seven play-offs by the same Celtics--who went on to win their ninth N.B.A. championship in ten years. Schayes blamed the debacle on "players who were saying things behind my back"--particularly 7-ft. 1 1/16-in. Center Wilt ("The Stilt") Chamberlain, whose sullen disdain for Schayes flared into open, noisy rebellion. Schayes's inability to handle Chamberlain finally cost him his job, and Hannum, who had coached Wilt for two years when he played for the San Francisco Warriors, came on to see what he could do about taming the temperamental superstar.

Chamberlain showed up seven days late at the 76ers' pre-season training camp last fall. Hannum fined him $1,050 ($150 a day) and invited Chamberlain into a private room for a little nose-to-chin-whiskers chat. Announced Chamberlain: "Hannum is a helluva coach. I don't always agree with what he says, but I do it."

Rebound & Decoy. Thanks to Hannum, Chamberlain has finally demonstrated that he can do a lot more than just stuff a ball into a basket. With an average of only 24 points per game so far this season, Wilt has virtually eliminated himself from competition for the scoring title he has won every year since he came into the league in 1959. Instead, he concentrates on controlling the boards, decoying enemy defenders, setting up teammates for open shots. The result: Wilt ranks No. 3 in the league in assists (with 307) as well as No. 1 in rebounds (with 24.5 per game). But the threat of Chamberlain's great scoring ability (he once hit 100 points in a game) is always there. "We still have our set plays that are primarily designed to play to Wilt's strength," says Hannum, "so the other teams have to double-cover him all the time. This leaves our other men open."

Chamberlain seems perfectly content with his new role as the self-effacing team player--particularly since it may at last bring him the one thrill he has missed so far: playing on a championship team. Of course, that will probably require beating the Celtics in the playoffs, and Wilt knows how tough a job that is. "The Celtics are better than us at every position but one," he says. "You can guess what that position is."

Center, right? Wrong. "The position I mean," says Wilt, "is coach."

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