Chamberlain Has Irregular Heartbeat

Doctors said Thursday night that Wilt Chamberlain has a slight heart arrhythmia but is in stable condition at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, where he was admitted Wednesday night after complaining of an upset stomach.

At a news conference at the hospital, Ellen Goudlock, Chamberlain’s personal physician, said the former NBA great will undergo tests over the next few days to try to find the cause of his atrial arrhythmia, a rapid heartbeat in the upper chambers. Doctors say the condition is not life-threatening. Goudlock said Chamberlain did not suffer from a heart attack and probably will be released after the tests.

Chamberlain’s condition is similar to one suffered by President Bush, doctors said. Recently, University of South Carolina basketball player Joe Rhett was found to suffer from an atrial arrhythmia. He quit playing and is undergoing tests to determine the cause and treatment.

Chamberlain was at the Forum for a reunion of the 1972 Laker championship team Wednesday night when he called Goudlock complaining of an upset stomach about 30 minutes before the New York Knicks’ game against the Lakers. He was driven to the hospital and admitted to the coronary care unit after physicians found the irregular heart beat and elevated blood pressure.