Who is the G.O.A.T

I have often said, and continue to hold the belief, that Michael Jordan is the G.O.A.T. on the hardwood. 
With that said, anyone having the debate regarding who is the Greatest Of All Time in the sport of basketball would be remiss to not consider Wilt Chamberlain who stood 7 feet, 1 inch and played the game from 1959-1973. 
He played center in a time before the 3-point line, but was a prolific scorer and rebounder and in 1962 rocked the sports world by setting an all-time scoring record of 100 points in a single game, which included a 59-point second half. 
Chamberlain was playing for the Philadelphia Warriors at the time and the 169-147 victory was over the New York Knicks.
The numbers he put up were unbelievable. He shot 36-63 (57%) from the field, and was 28-32 from the line (87.5%) and he also boarded an astounding 25 rebounds and managed two assists in the game. 
It’s almost impossible to fathom watching a performance like that, or that it would even be possible to accomplish in just 48 minutes of play. 
To score 169 points as a team, the Warriors needed to score 3-and-a-half points per minute, and remember, this was before the 3-point shot. Chamberlain needed to score 25 points per 12-minute quarter to get his 100 points. 
Just putting up 63 shots in a game is a crazy high number. In comparison, the San Antonio Spurs averaged as a team 93 shots per game in the 2021 season. Chamberlain was only 30 shots short of that on his own.
His stat line from the 61-62 season was also mind-blowing. He averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds per game that year and his shooting percentage and shot average was also crazy. He was 50.6% from the field and averaged 40 shots per game.
Granted, most of his shots probably came from close range given he played in the paint a majority of the time, but even still, numbers like that are an anomaly even among the best players of the game.
So how did he, and how does anyone, get to be that good?
Obviously, the man was dedicated to his craft and any player you look back on throughout the history of hoops who achieved greatness has been dedicated to their craft. 
For example, Michael Jordan had a career high game of 69 points, Kobe Bryant dropped an amazing 81 points for his best game, LeBron James’ high was 61 points and Steph Curry’s best was 62 points.
They didn’t just practice during the season, or when their coach organized workouts. They worked on improving day in and day out, putting up hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of shots. 
They are certainly gifted with athletic ability, but they didn’t rely solely on that gift. They put in the work to turn their talent into something more than being just a “good” player. 
You don’t achieve G.O.A.T. status without that kind of dedication. 
Obviously, players of their caliber don’t come along everyday, but anyone can become their best if they put in the work to make it happen. It doesn’t come easy, but if you want it bad enough, it’s worth the sacrifice to be your own Greatest Of All Time.