Bel Air’s Legendary Wilt Chamberlain House is On the Market Again

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Formerly one of the world’s most famous bachelor pads, the Wilt Chamberlain house has been spruced up and renovated into a unique mansion that is still an architectural gem.

Wilt Chamberlain house

The former bachelor pad of basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain is back in the sales lineup again. Previously listed for $19 million, the Bel-Air, CA, home is now available for $14.9 million.

The 9,395-square-foot mansion was custom-built for the NBA star in 1971 by architect David Rich. Chamberlain chose the secluded 2.5-acre hilltop lot for its privacy and views.

Wilt Chamberlain house

Chamberlain died in 1999, and the home was extensively renovated from 2008 to 2013.

The mansion was “inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright‘s organic style and the natural beauty of California,” according to Zac Mostame, who represents the listing with Santiago Arana and Jonathan Carr.

 

In his 1991 autobiography, “A View From Above,” Chamberlain boasted of bedding more than 20,000 women, many of them in this home.

Among the ’70s-era highlights of the home were a primary suite with a mirrored, retractable ceiling above the bed and a sunken bathtub at the foot of it. There was also a playroom with a water-bed floor, a dining room with an in-floor spa, as well as a swimming pool that extended into the living room.

Wilt Chamberlain house

Dining room today

While many of those risque features have disappeared, a few of the ground-breaking architectural features remain. They include 200 tons of stonework and a 14-foot-high, 2,000-pound front door. The five-story living room “harmoniously blends a cathedral ceiling, walls of windows, tree-like columns, and Bouquet Canyon stone,” says Mostame.

Wilt Chamberlain House

Also revitalized was the enormous swimming pool, which still extends into the living room. According to the agent, such a water feature that wraps around the house would be impossible to build today due to building codes.

Wilt Chamberlain House

Most of the remodeling was done by Dmitri Novikov, who purchased the property for $6.55 million in 2008. He added a chef’s kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and reconfigured the downstairs space to include guest suites, offices, a media room, and garages.

Novikov also removed the sunken tub at the foot of the bed in the primary suite. The Wilt Chamberlain house now features an untold number of bedrooms as well as eight bathroomsOther luxe amenities include a billiard room, gym, redwood sauna, and outdoor kitchen.

Wilt Chamberlain house

Chamberlain built his dream house for a little over $1 million and called it “Ursa Major,” the Latin name for the Big Dipper, which was Chamberlain’s nickname.

Chamberlain’s NBA career spanned 14 seasons, during which he averaged a remarkable 30 points and 23 rebounds per game. The 7-foot-1 center scored 100 points in a single game in 1962—a record that stands today. He died of congestive heart failure in 1999. He was 63.

Formerly one of the world’s most famous bachelor pads, the Wilt Chamberlain house has been spruced up and renovated into a unique mansion that is still an architectural gem.

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Lisa Johnson Mandell

Lisa Johnson Mandell is an award winning journalist, author and film/TV critic. She can be heard regularly on Cumulus radio stations throughout the US, and seen on Rotten Tomatoes. She is the author of three bestselling books, and spends as much of her free time as possible with her husband Jim and her jolly therapy Labradoodle Frankie Feldman.

1 Comments

  1. […] been a lot of speculation about the ultimate fate of NBA superstar Wilt Chamberlain’s storied and luxurious Bel-Air, CA, […]

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