I'm only 51 pages into Wilt, 1962, which is pretty pathetic considering the fact that I picked the book up about two weeks ago. I'm a pretty fast reader, and could probably knock it off in two long afternoons, but with about two hours between the end of the bloggin' day and the start of each night's games, I'm kind of at a loss for reading time.

That said, I have made it past the part where author Gary M. Pomerantz quotes an unnamed architectural critic in describing Wilt's Los Angeles-area home as "a curiosity with moments of genius." After looking at this website, I'm sure you'd be inclined to agree.

Wilt passed away in October of 1999, one of those, "always remember where you were" moments for hoops fans (returning to a dorm room, new VCR in hand, reeking of Best Buy), and he died in his estate, named Ursa Major after the constellation that housed the Big Dipper. "Big Dipper" was also one of the many nicknames Wilt owned, and it was likely his favorite.

The house is for sale now, and we'll let Coldwell Banker take it from here:

"Perched on its own promontory with city, valley, and ocean views, this 8,000sf home was recently featured in the February 2007 House & Garden and the March 2007 New York Times Magazine.   This showpiece has been renovated top-to-bottom with all the amenities: gourmet kitchen, huge and glamorous master with retractable ceiling, wrap-around pool, cascading fountains, 50-foot ceilings, spectacular great-room, billiard room, two offices, four-car garage, four-room guest wing, outdoor fire-pit, new high-efficiency systems and more.  The ~2.5 acre property is totally fenced and double-gated: a breathtaking celebrity estate that must be seen to be believed."

The last part is very true. Go to the website. A flash picture slideshow will load, and though it's at least four minutes long, it's an astonishing array of pictures of this glorious monstrosity, and worth a look.

While we're at it, in the spirit of interaction (not to Wilt's degree, mind you), where were you at when you heard about Chamberlain passing away?