Wilt Chamberlain was a giant among giants. His years spent at the University of Kansas marked the beginning of a career that spanned decades, changed the game of basketball, and set records that will probably stand forever.

When Wilt finally returned in 1998 to see his jersey retired to the rafters of Allen Field House, he was overwhelmed by the reception he received and showed himself to be a truly gracious, and very human, hero.

This is the story of that very special day.

Out behind Carruth-O'Leary Hall, then a Kansas University dormitory, stood three of KU's most decorated athletes -- Bill Nieder, Al Oerter and Wilt Chamberlain. It was an autumn night in 1956 and the trio had assembled to determine who could put a 16-pound shot the greatest distance.

Opponents thought he was unstoppable. One teammate called him indestructible. But Wilt Chamberlain was mortal after all. The former Kansas University All-American and NBA legend died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 63.

Wilt Chamberlain made a lot of friends during his trip to Lawrence for his No. 13 jersey retirement celebration.

Wilt Chamberlain was scary, flat-out frightening. That's because before he came along, most basketball players were mortal-sized men. Chamberlain changed that.

Joe Ruklick, a Philadelphia Warriors teammate of Wilt Chamberlain says the Big Dipper stood exactly "7-foot-1 and 1/8th."

The man himself could barely get a word in edgewise. When Wilt Chamberlain walked out on court during halftime at Saturday's Kansas University basketball game, the crowd responded with a thunderous standing ovation that lasted nearly a minute. The applause barely subsided when he talked about coming back to Allen Fieldhouse.

Maybe Kansas University officials should think twice before unfurling any more 13s in their storied basketball home.

A long weekend of productive catharsis, healing and closure culminated Saturday with the unfurling of Wilt Chamberlain's No. 13 basketball jersey on the south wall of Allen Fieldhouse.

"Wilt was one of the greatest players who ever played the game. To have him at one of our games is a big thrill. I wish I could have been there at halftime to see the ceremony. ... It's really a great honor to be right there with this guy. I didn't have a chance to see him play, but some of the things he's done are just phenomenal."

Western Pennsylvania is a lot like Western Kansas in that you're usually driving through it to reach somewhere else. Not much to see or do, you know.

Nobody appreciates a super basketball player more than another great athlete whose ego isn't so frail as to prevent him from admiring such a colleague.

Basketball Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain wants to clear up a major misconception."There's been a lot of conversation, since people have been trying to get my jersey number retired, that I have some dislike for the University of Kansas. That is totally ridiculous," Chamberlain said.