Cash-Conscious

Wilt ("The Stilt") Chamberlain is a lanky (7 ft. 2 in., 225 Ibs.) Philadelphia Negro with a delicate talent for dunking basketballs through 10-ft.-high hoops and an understandable urge to see his skill pay off. But high-paying summer jobs and a free ride at the University of Kansas have not added up to enough cash, says Wilt in the current issue of Look Magazine. "I'm quitting college basketball, even though I have a season's eligibility remaining and a year to go for my degree. I am arranging a big barnstorming tour [two ten-man squads -- one white, one Negro], which will give me a chance to play some real basketball for a change. The barnstorming tour will also give me a chance to make some money."

The rumor that a wealthy K.U. alumnus put up $25,000 or more for Wilt's services may die off, now that he is quitting the campus, says Wilt hopefully. But other well-paid college stars will wonder at his disclaimers of a decent salary at Kansas. More than 200 colleges bid for the privilege of paying Wilt to study in their classrooms. If Kansas offered only the approved room, board, tuition and $15 a month for laundry, it is hard to see why a cash-conscious young man like Wilt chose a college so far from home.

Wilt got a fat fee from Look for his story, will not be eligible for the pros until his college class graduates next year. But the figure of $25,000 seems to attract him. After he gets back from his barnstorming tour, he plans to demand just that amount in salary from the Philadelphia Warriors.

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