Months before Arnold Schwarzenegger would redefine the action landscape following his collaboration with James Cameron, the actor joined forces with NBA icon Wilt Chamberlain. After years of struggling to make it big in Hollywood after he parted ways with the realm of bodybuilding, it was 1982’s Conan the Barbarian that gave Schwarzenegger’s career a massive boost.
But while the rated R movie made a major buzz at the box office, what followed was a watered-down sequel, which witnessed The Terminator Star starring alongside Wilt Chamberlain.
It Didn’t Take Long for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Wilt Chamberlain to Get Along
1984’s Conan the Destroyer was another case of an inferior sequel that was a far cry from what made the original work. In an effort to the younger demographic, it strayed away from the R rating, making it more swashbuckling than its predecessor, eventually failing at the box office, witnessing a lower return than the first one. But not everything about the movie was a miss, as it witnessed probably the greatest name in the NBA, Wilt Chamberlain, who was many of the non-actors that starred in the action-adventure.
But while Conan the Destroyer did little to elevate Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s career like the first one did, he did find a great friend in Chamberlain during their time together in the movie. And despite being a force of nature himself and having 6 Mr. Olympia titles under his belt, even Schwarzenegger was impressed by his costar, who played Bombaata, the movie’s antagonist in the movie. In his autobiography, he explained:
“He took a whole stack of weights on the Universal Gym and did triceps extensions with 240 pounds like it was nothing.”
The Predator Star also recalled their time on Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, where apart from engaging in Volleyball, Chamberlain would visit for romantic indulgences.
Wilt Chamberlain Once Doubled Down on His Bold Claim
While it was his prowess as a basketball player that launched him to the top, it was the late NBA legend’s s-x life that kept fans curious, especially after his comments about sleeping with 20000 women. Although many analysts and fans refuse to take Wilt Chamberlain’s word for it, as 20000 is a ridiculously huge number, the Conan the Destroyer Star doubled down on his comments. He said,
“I’m not boasting… I don’t see all this lovemaking as any kind of conquest. All I’m saying is that I like women, people are curious about my s*x life, and to most people, the number of women who have come and gone through my bedrooms – and various hotel rooms around the country – would boggle the mind.”
Although it can’t be said for sure if his claims were true or not, unfortunately, his success in the realm of the NBA and bed didn’t translate to acting, as his only movie failed to bring in the numbers.
Conan the Destroyer is available to rent on Apple TV.
