Wilt Chamberlain’s Revamped Bachelor Pad in Bel Air Is on the Market for $19M

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One of the ’70s most infamous homes is now on the market. We’re talking about the lavish bachelor pad built in 1971 for basketball Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain.

“Infamous” might be too strong a description for the $19 million mansion, but it’s definitely a home with a reputation. The NBA great memorably claimed he had bedded 20,000 women, more than a few of them in this Bel Air mansion.

Bolstering his claims of debauchery were the home’s custom amenities and detailing: the master bedroom with the mirrored, retractable ceiling and the sunken bathtub at the foot of the bed; the playroom with the water bed floor; and the moatlike swimming pool that extended into the living room.

Many of the home’s flashy features have since gone the way of leisure suits and macrame.

Wilt Chamberlain’s famous bachelor pad

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Since the ’70s, the home has undergone substantial updates and added modern features to justify it multimillion-dollar price tag. Yet Chamberlain’s spirit and aesthetic remain in the five-story living room, the 200 tons of stonework, and the 14-foot-high, 2,000-pound front door.

Five-story living room

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Chamberlain’s custom-built pool table remains, along with the in-ground spa in the dining area.

Game room with custom-built pool table

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Dining room with in-ground spa

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The massive master suite still spans the entire second floor, but it no longer has the sunken bath at the foot of the bed.

Master suite

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The “iconic fortress” on 2.5 acres atop a ridge line has six bedrooms and six baths. The 7,158-square-foot house was purchased by Dmitri Novikov for $6.55 million in 2008. He extensively remodeled the home, adding a chef’s kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and reconfiguring the downstairs space to include guest suites, offices, a media room, and garages.

Chef’s kitchen

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Chamberlain had purchased the parcel for $150,000 in 1968. His architect, David Rich, took a helicopter ride and spotted the lot, which overlooks the Stone Canyon Reservoir and features views of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Rich persuaded Chamberlain to build there, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Views of the Stone Canyon Reservoir from the top of the ridge

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Wilt the Stilt, relaxing on the deck

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Rich built Chamberlain’s dream house for just over $1 million. The home was dubbed “Ursa Major,” the Latin name for the Big Dipper, which was Chamberlain’s nickname.

In a 2004 biography of the basketball legend, author Robert Cherry likened the home to a smaller version of the Playboy mansion.

Three pools surround the house.

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In an NBA career spanning 14 seasons, Chamberlain averaged a remarkable 30 points and 23 rebounds per game. In 1962, he scored 100 points in a single game—a record that stands today.

In 1991, he penned “A View From Above,” in which he made his legendary (perhaps dubious) claim about sleeping with tens of thousands of women. In 1999, Chamberlain died of congestive heart failure at home, in his beloved bed. He was 63.

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