The Los Angeles mansion, originally constructed for NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain in the 1970s, has been sold on February 2024 for $9.675 million. Initially listed at $18.999 million in mid-2018, the property has undergone a significant price reduction, marking a shift from its previous ambitious pricing strategy. The evolution of the residence, which has transitioned from a notorious party venue tailored to the basketball star to a contemporary family abode featuring fruit trees and a vegetable garden.
The renowned basketball Hall of Famer, whose career spanned 14 years from the late 1950s to the early ’70s before his passing at the age of 63 in 1999, enlisted architect David Rich to craft a geometric, modernist-style residence using steel, wood, and stone.
Situated in Bel Air, the property’s origins trace back to its days as a former missile silo under the ownership of the U.S. government while in a helicopter, spotted the secluded promontory and promptly decided to erect a dwelling on the site.
Featuring a steeply pitched, asymmetrical exterior, the house boasts a dramatic main living space that reaches heights of four to five stories—a design element necessitating the use of “very high-end equipment” by the current owners to update the heating and cooling systems.
Standing at over 7 feet tall, Chamberlain implemented a practical adjustment during his ownership by reducing the height of all bathroom and kitchen countertops to standard levels.
The previous owners, a young couple engaged in business, have steadily reduced the price over the years and are now committed to selling the residence. Over the past decade, they have meticulously transformed the property from Chamberlain’s original extravagant party hub.
Chamberlain stood over 7 feet tall, and one of the most practical changes since his ownership was taking all of the bathroom and kitchen countertops down to standard height.
Furthermore, the owners have adjusted the depth of the pool and hot tub, which were unusually deep, according to him.
Renowned for both his on-court prowess and off-court persona, the basketball player often boasted of his romantic adventures. Whether factual or embellished, Chamberlain designed the house for entertainment purposes. Among the original features removed by the current owners were a staircase connecting the garage to the bedroom and an underwater passage from the expansive pool directly into what is now the dining room.
They have also eliminated the enormous retractable sunroof and the hot tub in the main suite, as well as dismantling a bedroom enclosed by one-way glass, fondly referred to by Chamberlain as the “boom boom room.”
Conversely, the previous owners have introduced more commonplace amenities such as a vegetable garden and fruit trees, while creating a pathway through the surrounding wilderness.
The owners have added amenities like a vegetable patch and fruit trees and carved out a path through the wilderness.
Although the architectural influence of Frank Lloyd Wright remains largely unchanged, as does the secluded hilltop setting.