Wilt Chamberlain surprised a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with a unique present: "My mom said, 'We can't keep these'"

When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took his talents to the NBA, he looked up to Wilt Chamberlain, admiring his ability to excel on both ends of the floor. In addition to idolizing his game, Kareem was captivated by Wilt's larger-than-life persona and fame.

With his reputation as a ladies-man who lived a lavish lifestyle, Chamberlain seemed to have had it all. However, when Wilt once treated a young Kareem to a glimpse of his life and presented him with a gift as a souvenir, Cap's mother was forced to intervene.

Kareem was shocked by Chamberlain's lifestyle

While some viewed The Big Dipper as arrogant, he also had a kind side reserved for those he favored. A young Abdul-Jabbar found himself among the fortunate. So, when the 7'1" center invited Kareem to spend an evening with him, that night left a lasting impression on the 19-time All-Star.

In a 1980 Sports Illustrated feature, the six-time NBA champion vividly described how he stood in awe, mouth agape, at the scene he saw at Wilt's pad.

"He had the Bentley and the racehorses and every beautiful woman in Manhattan, and he takes me to his pad, and there is the finest woman I have ever seen in my life," Cap said."I'm 17, and my eyes are big as apples, and my jaw is hanging open."

If having a great time wasn't enough, the Los Angeles Lakers legend also received gifts as souvenirs from Chamberlain.

"Wilt had some beautiful suits. I took them home. I tried them on - the suits didn't fit, but they were beautiful, and they were from Wilt," Kareem said, as quoted by LA Times. "So I wanted to keep them."

Jabbar's mother didn't like Wilt's gift

Although Abdul-Jabbar had every reason to be excited about those gifts since they belonged to his idol, the harsh reality was that they were used. As a result, Kareem's mother didn't want them at her house.

"But he had partied in them and sweated through them, and they didn't smell too good. My mom said, 'We can't keep these,'" the six-time MVP added. "And we had to throw them out."

Wilt probably wanted to show Kareem how much he liked his game. He also saw him as the next great center in the league and probably wanted him to feel welcomed. And judging by Abdul-Jabbar's story, that's how he felt. Unfortunately, his mother didn't let him keep the tangible evidence of Chamberlain's gesture.

Related: "Our bodies have been here, but our minds haven't" – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's comments after the Lakers losing streak in 1983