Unveiled: The New Wilt Chamberlain Stamp

Fittingly taller than most postage stamps.

Wilt Chamberlain’s life is the stuff of legend, from his time at Overbrook High School to his towering frame to his incredible feats both on and off the court. And so, it is only fitting that the United States Postal Service’s new Wilt Chamberlain stamp is a third taller than most postage stamps.

On December 5th, the Wilt Chamberlain stamp will be officially dedicated by the USPS and the 76ers during a halftime ceremony at the game against Oklahoma City. There’s also a version with Chamberlain in a Lakers jersey, but who cares about that? (And it should be noted that the Philly jersey seen here is from the Philadelphia Warriors, Chamberlain’s team prior to his reign with the Sixers.)

You can thank Philadelphia Tribune sportswriter Donald Hunt for the stamp. According to ESPN, Hunt started the crusade back in 2008, believing that Chamberlain deserved the same honor bestowed upon Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson, among others.

What other Philadelphians warrant a postage stamp? Some arguable entries: Joe Frazier, Octavius Catto, Bill Cosby (you could do a whole series of these, from Sweater Cosby to Sweatpants Cosby), Hall & Oates, Will Smith, Andrew Wyeth, Patti LaBelle, Mario Lanza, Reggie Jackson, Tina Fey, Rocky*… What are we missing?

Below, the new Wilt Chamberlain Stamp in all its oversized glory.

* There were five sets of Rocky stamps released in 1996 in honor of the movie’s 20th anniversary, but you’ve never heard of them because they were produced by Uganda, the Gambia, Ghana, St. Vincent and Grenada.