A new Wilt Chamberlain documentary series from Showtime Sports is coming soon, the premium cabler announced on Thursday.
The three-part documentary series titled “Goliath” promises to examine the prolific life, career and impact of Wilt Chamberlain. “Brash and confident, Chamberlain changed the way the game is played, broke records and racial barriers and challenged the unwritten rules for all athletes, especially black basketball players, conforming to his own standards on or off the court,” reads the description.
Using AI to recreate Wilt Chamberlain’s voice, the hall of famer will narrate his own story with archival footage provided by the Wilt Chamberlain Estate. Beginning with his emergence on the national scene as a high schooler in the 1950’s and following the arc of his life through his death in 1999, each episode will explore a specific element of Chamberlain’s cultural impact, focusing on the areas of power, money, race, sex, politics and celebrity.
“We are honored to team up with this group of talented filmmakers to bring the underexamined story of Wilt Chamberlain’s complex life to the masses,” said Stephen Espinoza, president of Showtime Sports. “Everybody knows Wilt for his legendary accomplishments on the basketball court – scoring 100 points in a game, averaging 50 points and 25 rebounds in a season – but there’s so much more to him than his stats. He was far ahead of his time in so many ways that will last infinitely longer than the numbers on a scoreboard.”
“It was an honor and privilege for my team and me to share Wilt’s incredible legacy with the world,” said Garnett. “Wilt’s cultural impact as a prominent outspoken African American athlete was revolutionary, especially during a time when social strength was not popular. There is no KG, [Michael] Jordan, Hakeem [Olajuwon], LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant], or Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal] if Wilt doesn’t pave our way. We all stand on his strong shoulders. We all owe a very special thanks to Barbara Lewis and Wilt’s family for allowing us the full access and trust which was crucial to tell this extraordinary story. GOLIATH is not only a tribute to Wilt’s extraordinary career but also a celebration of the mark he left on and off the basketball court and the world.”
“Goliath” is produced by Village Roadshow Television and Gotham Chopra’s Religion of Sports in association with Kevin Garnett’s Content Cartel, Happy Madison Productions and Heeltap! Entertainment.
The series will premiere on demand and on streaming on July 14 for all Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers before making its on-air debut on Showtime on July 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with episodes premiering each Sunday.
