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The center position was often the focal point of championship teams at the start of the NBA. Big men dominated the league in the first few decades of the sport, and even though their contribution has stalled a bit in recent years, we still see some great bigs (with styles different to those from the past) dominate the game.
To choose only 10 centers from NBA history is a challenging task, because a number of superstars who've played at the position have dominated the league.
NBA Rankings: Top 10 centers in the history of the league
Though the history of the NBA is full of many superstar big men, in this article, we will select the 10 best from that talent pool.
Without further ado, let us take a look at this NBA ranking of the top 10 centers in the history of the league.
#10 Patrick Ewing
Unfair criticism has often been levelled at Patrick Ewing's NBA career because he did not give a title to the New York Knicks franchise during his 15-year stint in The Big Apple. Still, in reality, he never really got to play with enough talent around him.
Ewing's 17-year NBA career was fantastic - 11 NBA All-Star appearances, seven All-NBA selections, three All-Defense selections, and even a Rookie of the Year award.
In his first 13 NBA seasons, Ewing never averaged less than 20 points per game. He averaged 23.5 points per game during that 13-year span, along with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks per game.
24,815 career points from a player who was expected to be defense-driven illustrate how good Ewing was. The title evaded him, as his best chance in 1994 fell apart against Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston Rockets, but Ewing deserves great respect for his NBA career.
#9 Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard's presence in this list might be a little antipathic for some, but he had one of the best 'primes' of any center. DH was an absolutely dominant presence on both ends of the court during his best years.
Though he is now a role player for the reigning NBA champions, the LA Lakers, Howard's career is definitely worthy of the Hall of Fame.
With the Orlando Magic, Howard averaged 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. Though he has had some bad years recently, Howard is still a 17-point 12-rebound player over the course of his career, which is extraordinary.
Howard is a three-time winner of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. He has led the NBA five times in rebounds per game, and twice in blocks per game. An NBA championship, eight All-NBA selections and five selections to the All-Defense teams are testaments to Howard's caliber.
He also led the 2009 Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals, as he got past the Kevin Garnett-less Boston Celtics and defeated LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
#8 Willis Reed
The New York Knicks are a laughing stock for many basketball fans currently, but Willis Reed is a big reason why they are one of the most famous franchises in NBA history.
The Knicks have two NBA titles, in 1970 and 1973, and both came on the back of great performances from Willis Reed.
In his 10-year NBA career, Reed averaged 19 points and 13 rebounds per game while shooting 47 percent from the field. He also shot 75 percent from the FT line, which is immense for a center.
Reed was the NBA MVP in 1970 and also won the Finals MVP in that same year. A seven-time All-Star, he was selected to the All-NBA teams five times, and even won Rookie of the Year in 1965 apart from the Finals MVP for a second time in 1973.
In the two Finals they played, Reed and the Knicks faced Wilt Chamberlain and the Lakers. Reed even overcame a thigh injury in the 1970 Finals to win his first ring.
#7 David Robinson
'The Admiral' David Robinson was probably the most physically perfect center ever. At 7'1", the left-handed Robinson was athletic, fast, and a prolific scorer during his prime.
Robinson played 14 years for the San Antonio Spurs between 1989 and 2003, and won two titles as a member of the Twin Towers of the Spurs with Tim Duncan (who was the best player on the team by far).
Robinson averaged 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game in his career, on 51 percent from the field and 73 percent from the FT line. Robinson once scored 71 points in a game (on 24 April 1994), led the league in blocks with 4.5 (seventh-highest all-time), and recorded one of the only four quadruple-doubles in NBA history.
#6 Moses Malone
Moses Malone was a unique player who is often overlooked when many NBA all-time rankings are made. Well, this is not one of those cases.
Though many have listed him as a power forward, Moses was a terrific center who dominated the game and won three NBA regular-season MVPs. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain have more MVPs than him, if we take into consideration only centers.
Malone averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds in his 19 seasons in the NBA, and his average of 5.1 offensive rebounds per game is absolutely stunning. He is the all-time leader in offensive rebounds with 6,731, and also ranks fifth all-time in total rebounds.
Malone led the Houston Rockets to the 1981 NBA Finals and is the only player in history to have won consecutive MVPs with different teams. Also, Malone led the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers to the championship over the Showtime LA Lakers and was named the Finals MVP (26 points and 18 rebounds per game).
#5 Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon was a dominant presence on both sides of the floor. He scored with ease and in spectacular fashion, and was also a great defender and shot-blocker.
Olajuwon is arguably the greatest post player in the history of the NBA, and is the all-time leader in career blocks (the stat was not tracked back when Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain played).
The Dream is one of three players to have won the NBA MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (Michael Jordan and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the others). Olajuwon is also one of five players to have won those two awards in their careers (David Robinson and Kevin Garnett did it in separate years).
Olajuwon averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks over the course of his career. He also led the Houston Rockets to the NBA Championship in 1994 and 1995, and was adjudged the Finals MVP both times.
#4 Wilt Chamberlain
Sentimentally, Wilt Chamberlain is definitely a top-2 center in NBA history alongside Bill Russell, because those two changed the NBA and redefined the center position (after George Mikan's legendary efforts, of course).
Chamberlain's career was truly unique, and he was an imposing presence on the court. Unfortunately, his dominance did not always translate into team success, as we will see next with Bill Russell.
Chamberlain holds almost every record in NBA history, including averaging the most points in a single season with 50.4 and the all-time high 100 points in a game against the New York Knicks on 2nd March, 1962.
He is also the all-time leader in total rebounds (23,924) and rebounds per game (22.8), and ranks second all-time in career points per game with 30.1. Chamberlain was an athletic freak, and he won four NBA MVPs, two NBA titles and one Finals MVP.
#3 Bill Russell
With 11 rings in 13 seasons, Bill Russell will always be defined by two things - his unbelievable winning and his rivalry with Wilt Chamberlain. Of course, he was also a social icon. Russell battled Chamberlain, and most of the time, his teams were able to beat the latter's because his leadership was off the charts.
Russell is arguably the best defender ever, as he was able to block shots for fun when that concept was not even known to most players.
Russell won two NBA Championships as a player/coach with the Boston Celtics. Even though he was not the scorer Wilt Chamberlain was, Russell won more MVPs than Chamberlain because he involved his teammates better.
Russell won five MVPs and averaged 15 points, 4 assists, and 23 rebounds per game in the regular season. In the NBA Playoffs, Russell averaged 16 points, 25 rebounds, and 5 assists per game over the course of 165 games.
#2 Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal is easily in the debate for the most physically dominant player in the history of the NBA, but he was also a skilled big man who knew how to play in the post and take advantage of his physique.
Shaq led the Orlando Magic to their first NBA Finals appearance in 1995, though defending champions Houston Rockets and Hakeem Olajuwon were too experienced for the Magic.
Then, O'Neal went to the Lakers. Despite some initial failures, once they managed to become a real team under Phil Jackson, O'Neal won the NBA MVP in 2000 and led the team - alongside Kobe Bryant - to the NBA title over Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers. Two straight titles followed in 2001 and 2002, with O'Neal averaging 30 points and 15 rebounds per game during that three-year stretch.
In his career, O'Neal won four titles (including his fourth with the Miami Heat in 2006) and three Finals MVPs. He averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds in 19 years, and also won two scoring titles.
#1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The holder of two of the biggest records in the NBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not only considered the greatest center ever, but he might even have a case to be the greatest player ever.
The player with the most points scored in the history of the game (38,387) and the all-time leader in MVPs with six, Abdul-Jabbar had the most unstoppable shot in NBA history - the skyhook.
Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships - one with the Milwaukee Bucks in his second year in the league and five with the LA Lakers alongside Magic Johnson. He won two Finals MVPs and is one of three players to have won the award with two different teams (LeBron James has done it with three franchises, and Kawhi Leonard with two).
Over the course of his 20-year career, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists. In the Playoffs, he averaged 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game.
Guess the Lakers players!
