



The NBA may appear to have lost the need that it had in years prior for dominant forces in the paint, but that does not take away from the greatness and impact that NBA centers have had on the game's history. From George Mikan to Shaquille O’Neal, centers have the unique ability to influence and dominate a game on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.





And while the prevailing sentiment in the NBA has treaded away from franchise big men in favor of guards and small forwards, three of the four teams left in the 2013 Eastern conference finals have game-changing centers: Marc Gasol, Roy Hibbert, and Tim Duncan (who can play either PF or C).





With that in mind, here are the top-10 greatest NBA centers of all time:





10. Willis Reed









Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG % FT % Titles MVPs Finals MVPs 18.7 12.9 1.8 N/A N/A .476 .747





Reed spent his entire career in the 60s and 70s as a member of the New York Knicks. His legendary performance in the 1970 NBA Finals against another all-time great, Wilt Chamberlain, immortalized him in NBA history. Fighting through injury that series, he was crowned an NBA champion (and Finals MVP) for the first time to complement his regular season MVP honors.





9. Patrick Ewing









Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG % FT % Titles MVPs Finals MVPs 21.0 9.8 1.9 1.0 2.4 .504 .740





not accomplish: that evasive NBA championship title. Nonetheless, he was compared to great NBA centers before he was even drafted. Pat O’Brien Another Knicks superstar, Ewing is probably most remembered for what he didaccomplish: that evasive NBA championship title. Nonetheless, he was compared to great NBA centers before he was even drafted. Pat O’Brien declared before Ewing was in the NBA that “we’ve had the Mikan era, the Russell era, the Kareem era…now we’ll have the Ewing era.” Even though he has since been bombarded with criticism and the notorious Ewing Theory emergence, Michael Jordan obviously thought very highly of the 11-time NBA All-Star when he said that Ewing “has a heart of a champion. When you thought about New York, you thought of Patrick Ewing. He came and gave life back into the city.”





8. David Robinson









Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks

FG % FT % Titles MVPs Finals MVPs 21.1 10.6 2.5 1.4 3.0 .518 .736





The Admiral served the length of his entire NBA career as a member of the San Antonio Spurs and was best known for being half of the “Twin Towers” with current Spurs forward/center, Tim Duncan. Robinson could do it all, not only was he an MVP winner and NBA champion, but he also took home Defensive Player of the Year honors (1992) and was an NBA scoring champion (1994). His most memorable offensive outpouring was on April 24, 1994 when he dropped 26 of 41 from the field en route to a 71-point performance.





7. Moses Malone









Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG % FT % Titles MVPs Finals MVPs 20.6 12.3 1.3 0.8 1.3 .495 .760





In a career that spanned 21 seasons and three decades (70s, 80s, and 90s), Malone was one of the first players to successfully transition from high school to the pros (ABA). His three MVPs and NBA championship title only begin to tell the story of his impressive résumé which includes top-10 rankings all-time in points, rebounds, free throws, minutes, and games played. In 2001, he was appropriately enshrined in the NBA Hall of Fame.





6. George Mikan









Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG % FT % Titles MVPs Finals MVPs 23.1 13.4 2.8 N/A N/A .404 .782 7* N/A N/A

Includes BAA and NBL championships.





Mikan may not be exactly a household name but he single-handedly revitalized the NBA in the 40s and 50s. Prior to that time period, the NBA was “considered a sport better suited to shorter men” (per NBA.com ). Not only that, but Mikan’s presence forced the NBA to implement several rule changes, including the aptly-named “Mikan Rule” which is more commonly known today as the three-second rule.





5. Hakeem Olajuwon









Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG % FT % Titles MVPs Finals MVPs 21.8 11.1 2.5 1.7 3.1 .512 .712





Often coveted to train with by today’s NBA big men (most recently by Amaré Stoudemire ), Hakeem Olajuwon had arguably the best repertoire of post moves. Collectively known as the “Dream Shake,” Shaquille O’Neal said it best after being dominated and swept by Hakeem in the 1995 NBA Finals: “He’s got about five moves, then four countermoves…that gives him 20 moves.” Two-time winner of the NBA Finals, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year, Hakeem is undoubtedly also one of the greatest NBA players of all time





4. Shaquille O’Neal









Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG % FT % Titles MVPs Finals MVPs 23.7 10.9 2.5 0.6 2.3 .582 .527





TNT). At 7’1” and 325 pounds, Shaq absolutely overpowered opponents during his NBA career. Although his feud with Kobe Bryant led to his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004, the dynamic Kobe-Shaq duo won three consecutive NBA titles at the beginning of the new millennium. O’Neal is also known for a host of off-court endeavors (including music, law enforcement, MMA, and of course his NBA analysis on





3. Bill Russell









Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG % FT % Titles MVPs Finals MVPs 15.1 22.5 4.3 N/A N/A .440 .561 11 N/A





Bill Russell and the three best centers of all time are difficult to place considering Russell was the epitome of a champion but was not very impressive offensively, Kareem had greatness in stats and a championship résumé, and Wilt Chamberlain had jaw-dropping stats but a less than impressive winning record when compared to Russell and Abdul-Jabbar. Russell lands the three spot because he doesn’t stack up very well against the other two in terms of offensive output and Chamberlain actually hauled down more rebounds per game than the NBA’s greatest champion. I have a hard time seeing Russell with the same insane success in the Magic-Bird, Jordan, Kobe, and LeBron eras of basketball…especially considering Russell is barely taller than LeBron.





and coach from 1966 to 1969. With all of that said, Russell and the Celtics dominated the NBA during the 60s, winning it every year during that decade except for 1967. That success that has never been repeated by another franchise—and most likely will never be in the future, either. Russell even had the unique distinction of being a playercoach from 1966 to 1969.





2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar









Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG % FT % Titles MVPs Finals MVPs 24.6 11.2 3.6 0.9 2.6 .559 .721





Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s six MVP awards are an all-time record and prove that he (like Chamberlain and Russell) not only had more impressive peaks than other centers but were also able to sustain those peaks for an extended duration of time. At his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar owned NBA records for points scored, shots blocked, All-Star appearances, seasons played (20), in addition to the six MVPs. His trademark skyhook was simply unstoppable and is something he is sharing with WNBA rookie, Brittney Griner. Pat Riley went so far as to say that the Lakers Hall of Famer is the “greatest player ever.”





1. Wilt Chamberlain









Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG % FT % Titles MVPs Finals MVPs 30.1 22.9 4.4 N/A N/A .540 .511





A Tribute to Wilt Chamberlain help provide a glimpse into his larger than life game-play: For a position so strongly associated with dominating the floor, Wilt Chamberlain owned it on a nightly basis like no other player (save maybe Michael Jordan). 100 points in a game, 18 consecutive FGs made, 55 rebounds in a game, four MVPs, and innumerable other records are what slot Wilt the Stilt at the No. 1 spot for greatest center of all time. Chamberlain possessed incredible size and ability, something not hard to believe considering he towered over opponents at seven feet and peaked in weight at over 300 pounds. Some quotes fromhelp provide a glimpse into his larger than life game-play:





“We’d go into a dressing room and see a box score from the night before where Wilt had 55 or 60 points. No one would think twice about it. Getting 50-some points, or even 60-some, wasn’t news when Wilt did it.” – Kevin Loughery





“The first time I guarded Wilt, I stood behind him and he was so wide that I couldn’t see the rest of the game. Then I saw him dunk a ball so hard that it hit the court and bounced straight up back through the rim again.” – Bob Ferry





“One-on-one he would’ve murdered Russell and everyone.” – Red Holzman





“Double-teaming defenses used today wouldn’t bother him.” – Wayne Embry





“He can score anything he wants. There is no way to stop him. How can you defend him? The only way I know is to lock the door to the dressing room before he comes out.” – Ed MacAuley



