Shaq on why Wilt Chamberlain saying he had sex with 20,000 women is a lie: “How you meeting 20 women a day?” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
As widely known as legendary center Wilt Chamberlain was for his on-court exploits, his off-court claims were just as shocking.
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In 1991, Chamberlain boldly stated in his autobiography that he had slept with over 20,000 women in his lifetime. This number quickly became a topic of debate and fascination among fans and media.
Fast forward to today, and Shaquille O’Neal decided to weigh in on Wilt’s claim. In an interview on “The Big Podcast,” he shared his thoughts on his outlandish assertion, calling it nothing but an exaggeration.
An impossible feat
The early days of the NBA were a different time, one where players allegedly engaged in promiscuous behavior and lived lavish lifestyles. Chamberlain, known for his larger-than-life personality, often made headlines with his incredible feats of basketball brilliance, highlighted, of course, by his 100-point game — an achievement that no player in the league has come close to doing.
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However, O’Neal drew the line on Chamberlain’s statement that he slept with 20,000 women in his lifetime, calling it an impossible act.
“Nope, that’s impossible. Because first of all, he didn’t have no cell phone. So how you meeting 20 women a day?” O’Neal argued on his podcast.
“If he would’ve said like 7,000, like ‘I got it documented,’ maybe. Like 19,400 letters or something. But he just went straight to 20?” Shaq continued. “No. Ain’t nobody busting seven times a day out here. Hell no. No, they not. They don’t have no way. A day, every day? Doing it seven times a day?”
Nobody knows that many people
During the height of his NBA career, Wilt was nothing short of a legend — a towering figure admired by countless fans and celebrated as a sports icon. But despite his fame, Shaq doubts anyone can know that many people in a single lifetime.
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“I did the math one day. I like to simplify it — 1,000 women a year for 20 years. That’s what the f**k he did?” the 2000 league MVP shared. “Who the f**k knows 20,000 people? Nobody. Hell no. I probably only know 200 people. 200 people that I know. And then, like, I probably know another 700 associates that I’ve seen before. Ain’t doing 1,000 women a year for 20 years. Get the f**k outta here. Hell no.”
Wilt previously explained how he came up with that figure, saying he was merely looking for a nice, round number to demonstrate how big a role sex had on his life as a professional basketball player.
“We’re all fascinated by the numbers, as we were about the 100 points. So, I thought of a number that was a round number that may be close and may be whatever, and I used that number,” Wilt said. “But the point of using the number was to show that sex was a great part of my life as basketball was a great part of my life.”
The 10-time All-NBA Team member, though, had a change of heart later in life, saying having a playboy lifestyle was nothing compared to being in a committed relationship with the right woman.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.