20 greatest centers ever: The HoopsHype list

We have taken our HoopsHype 78 list and split it into five positions: point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards and centers.

We wrap things up with the 20 greatest centers of all time in the NBA, in our opinion, led off by a GOAT candidate in his own right, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

1

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Top accolades: Six NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, six MVPs, 10 All-NBA 1st Team selections, 19 All-Stars, five All-Defensive 1st Team selections

NBA rank: 2nd in scoring, 3rd in rebounds, 3rd in blocks, 49th in assists, 109th in steals

The GOAT debate is considered a two-horse race in the NBA, but if there is a strong third candidate, it’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who dominated for almost two decades thanks to his skyhook shot and overall greatness as a scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker. If anything, the longevity argument may still be with Abdul-Jabbar, as the all-time big man won his two Finals MVP awards 14 years apart, first in 1971 and then again in 1985. Most players’ careers don’t last anywhere near that long, yet Abdul-Jabbar was dominating at the highest level for that long.

2

Bill Russell

Top accolades: 11 NBA titles, five MVPs, 11 All-NBA selections, 12 All-Stars, one Olympic gold medal

NBA rank: 2nd in rebounds, 119th in assists, 170th in scoring

Bill Russell’s record for most NBA titles will never be beaten, as no one has come, or will come close to his 11 career championships. Russell’s resume is actually hurt because many accolades, like Finals MVP or Defensive Player of the Year didn’t even exist in his heyday. What’s more, since blocks weren’t recorded as a stat in his career, there’s no way to know how many Russell had for his career. There’s a chance he would be at the top of blocks standings along with the player coming up next on our ranking.

Russell may not have had the longest career, but boy, was that run successful. Just as a curious note: Russell had more MVPs than All-NBA 1st Team selections in his career (three).

3

Wilt Chamberlain

Top accolades: Two NBA titles, one Finals MVP, four MVPs, seven All-NBA 1st Team selections, 13 All-Stars, two All-Defensive 1st Team selections

NBA rank: 1st in rebounds, 7th in scoring, 83rd in assists

The most dominant big man offensively in NBA history, though that partially had to do with the level of competition Wilt Chamberlain faced in his era. Still, when you dominate at the level Chamberlain did, who cares who he did it against?

Chamberlain did come a little short in the team success department as he was usually better in the regular season than in the playoffs, something that many believe had to do with an unwillingness to get fouled late in close games due to his unreliable free throw.

Chamberlain’s single-season rebounding and scoring records are unassailable. Plus he has the second-best scoring average behind only Jordan. And had MJ played one more year with the Wizards, Chamberlain might actually be No. 1 in that stat. Chamberlain is also the only guy to lead the league in total scoring, rebounds and assists for a season, and retired as the all-time leader in scoring and rebounding at the time.

4

Shaquille O'Neal

Top accolades: Four NBA titles, three Finals MVPs, one MVP, eight All-NBA 1st Team selections, 15 All-Stars, three All-Defensive 2nd Team selections, one Olympic gold medal, one World Cup gold medal

NBA rank: 8th in blocks, 9th in scoring, 15th in rebounds, 228th in assists

The most dominant physical specimen in the NBA since the days of Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal was an absolute freak with his blend of size, strength and unreal explosiveness. During O’Neal’s peak years, teams were making moves with the sole intention of containing the big man. Many ho-hum centers made a killing thanks to that just because they were another huge body to throw at O’Neal.

The fact that the Big Aristotle won only one MVP was kind of ridiculous in hindsight, as there were various seasons he was the most dominant player in the league. O’Neal wanting to be a star off the court probably took away a bit of impact on the court, but he was devastating throughout his career regardless, even despite being a porous free-throw shooter.

5

Hakeem Olajuwon 🇳🇬

Top accolades: Two NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, six All-NBA 1st Team selections, 12 All-Stars, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, five All-Defensive 1st Team selections, one Olympic gold medal

NBA rank: 1st in blocks, 10th in steals, 13th in scoring, 14th in rebounds, 225th in assists

Hakeem Olajuwon was one of the greatest big men ever, and he competed and produced at an elite level on both ends of the floor with outstanding low-post moves and defensive skills to match. Olajuwon ranks first in blocks on record, though there’s a bit of an asterisk on that because they didn’t keep track of those before 1973-74. Also, he is the only player to rank Top 15 in four different major statistical categories: points, rebounds, blocks and steals.

6

Moses Malone

Top accolades: One NBA title, one Finals MVP, three MVPs, eight All-NBA selections, 12 All-Stars, two All-Defensive Team selections

NBA rank: 5th in rebounds, 11th in scoring, 28th in blocks, 139th in steals

Perhaps the most underappreciated superstar ever, Moses Malone was as dominant as it gets at the center spot with physical toughness as a rebounder, leading the league in nightly boards an astounding six times, including once at 17.6 rebounds per game. Malone was also a monster scorer in the paint, using his brute strength to batter smaller foes down low. Many consider Malone the greatest offensive rebounder the league has ever seen, as his timing and instincts to chase boards on offense were second to none.

7

David Robinson

Top accolades: Two NBA titles, one MVP, 10 All-NBA selections, 10 All-Stars, one Defensive Player of the Year award, eight All-Defensive selections, two Olympic gold medals, one World Cup gold medal

NBA rank: 6th in blocks, 35th in rebounds, 45th in scoring, 66th in steals

One of the best bodies in NBA history, David Robinson’s physique looked like it was molded out of clay in his prime. He used his frame and strength to torture opponents on both ends for years, doubling as a high-level scorer and freakishly impactful defender, especially protecting the rim. Still, Robinson didn’t get over the hump until Duncan came around, which hurt his spot on this list.

8

Nikola Jokic 🇷🇸

Top accolades: One NBA title, one Finals MVP, three MVPs, one Conference Finals MVP, four All-NBA 1st Team selections, six All-Stars, one Olympic silver medal, one Olympic bronze medal

NBA rank: 81st in assists, 107th in rebounds, 187th in scoring

The best passing big man of all time (yes, it’s already beyond safe to proclaim that), Nikola Jokic continues to add to his legacy in a major way year after year. In just a few months, the Serbian superstar became only the ninth player to win three NBA MVPs, then carried Serbia to a bronze medal in Paris as the first man ever to lead the Olympic tournament in scoring, rebounds and assists.

Jokic can legitimately do it all from the center spot, creating for teammates like a point guard, posting up with incredibly high efficiency as a finisher, spacing the floor from three and almost never missing on his signature floater. Even his defense has improved, as he rebounds like a monster and has quick, intelligent hands to rack up steals.

9

Patrick Ewing

Top accolades: Seven All-NBA selections, 11 All-Stars, three All-Defensive 2nd Team selections, two Olympic gold medals

NBA rank: 7th in blocks, 25th in rebounds, 26th in scoring, 120th in steals

One of the legendary big men of the ’90s, Patrick Ewing was a beastly shot-blocker who had great size and strength down low, but who also had soft touch as a scorer in the post and out of the mid-range. Was never able to win a title, however, due mostly to the Rockets and Bulls, but he’s still remembered as one of the best centers in league history, as he was a beast shot-blocker and scorer from the 5-spot.

10

George Mikan

Top accolades: Five NBA titles, six All-NBA 1st Team selections, four All-Stars

The first truly dominant NBA big man, George Mikan used his massive size to his advantage along with the unusually soft touch he had for a player of his era. Mikan could finish ably with either hand in the paint. There’s a reason the Mikan Drill is still used to this day.

Something not many may realize is that Mikan has the best playoff winning percentage of any All-Star (minimum: 50 games played) at 70 percent. For context, Jordan is at 66.48.

11

Bob McAdoo

Top accolades: Two NBA titles, one MVP, two All-NBA selections, five All-Stars

NBA rank: 69th in scoring, 70th in blocks, 76th in rebounds

A monster-scoring big man who led the league in points three consecutive seasons, including once at 34.5 points per game, Bob McAdoo had a pristine mid-range jumper and a plethora of post moves to torment opponents with. McAdoo was special because he was a big man who could shoot and do his damage with his face-up game, something that was unheard of in his era. The Hall-of-Famer was quietly quite influential.

12

Wes Unseld

Top accolades: One NBA title, one Finals MVP, one MVP, one All-NBA 1st Team selection, five All-Stars

NBA rank: 14th in rebounds, 143rd in assists

Despite standing just 6-foot-7, Wes Unseld was one of the most physically imposing centers ever thanks to his incredible strength and stout frame. Unseld was one of the best rebounders in NBA history, averaging 14.0 for his career and leading the league in boards in 1974-75, and was extremely efficient at finishing down low.

13

Robert Parish

Top accolades: Four NBA titles, two All-NBA selections, nine All-Stars

NBA rank: 8th in rebounds, 10th in blocks, 32nd in scoring, 92nd in steals

The starting center on those legendary Celtics teams of the 1980s, Robert Parish was a great complement to the likes of Bird and McHale, willing to do all of the dirty work down low while still providing a solid scoring punch in the paint. Parish ranks in the Top 10 in both career rebounds and blocks and was a beast in both respects in his prime. Without Parish, the ’80s Celtics might not have been as successful as they were, as he was the perfect role player for what they needed.

14

Willis Reed

Top accolades: Two NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, five All-NBA selections, seven All-Stars, one All-Defensive 1st Team selection

NBA rank: 67th in rebounds

Best-known for limping out onto the court for Game 7 of the 1970 Finals for New York and hitting his first two shots on a bad thigh, Willis Reed is now widely considered one of the greatest Knicks of all time, a big man slightly short on stature but not on talent and sheer will. Reed was a monster rebounder and shot-blocker despite standing just 6-foot-9.

15

Dwight Howard

Top accolades: One NBA title, five All-NBA 1st Team selections, eight All-Stars, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, four All-Defensive 1st Team selections, one Olympic gold medal

NBA rank: 10th in rebounds, 13th in blocks, 56th in scoring, 146th in steals

At one time, Dwight Howard was the best big man in the NBA, an era that lasted for multiple seasons during his time with the Magic. Howard was an awe-inspiring athlete for his size, who would often sky for rebounds, block shots or finish alley-oops. Like Gasol, Howard was another glaring omission from the NBA75 list despite being a Top 10 rebounder ever, ranking 13th all-time in blocks and having three Defensive Player of the Year awards. But that might have to do with him not being that well-liked by coaches and teammates during his time in the league. Howard was also a huge playoff performer, coming up big both when he was a star with the Magic (he impressively led them to the Finals in 2008-09) and as a role player with the Lakers, finally winning a title in 2019-20.

16

Dave Cowens

Top accolades: Two NBA titles, one MVP, three All-NBA 2nd Team selections, eight All-Stars, one All-Defensive 1st Team selection

NBA rank: 38th in rebounds, 209th in scoring, 250th in assists

Florida State legend Dave Cowens is one of just two players ever to win league MVP in a season they weren’t voted 1st Team All-NBA along with another Celtics legend, Bill Russell. He was a bundle of energy in his prime, one who was a monster rebounder, averaging 15.2 rebounds over his eight-year prime, and helped the Celtics win two championships during his time in the league.

17

Joel Embiid 🇨🇲

Top accolades: One MVP, five All-NBA selections, seven All-Stars, three All-Defensive 2nd Team selections, one Olympic gold medal

NBA rank: 178th in blocks, 277th in scoring, 294th in rebounds

Share of the vote: 8.54 percent of the maximum amount possible

On a per-minute basis, few players in NBA history produce as much statistically as Joel Embiid. Just check this out:

When ready to go, he’s one of the most unstoppable big men ever thanks to his massive frame, mobility and deep bag.

The problem with him is that he doesn’t play that many minutes considering he misses a lot of time due to health reasons on a regular basis. Plus his track record in the playoffs is spotty as well.

If he manages to stay in shape and healthy and gets the Sixers to make deep runs in the postseason, he should fly up in this ranking.

18

Bill Walton

Top accolades: Two NBA titles, one MVP, one Finals MVP, two All-NBA selections, two All-Stars, two All-Defensive 1st Team selections, one Sixth Man of the Year award

NBA rank: 99th in blocks, 287th in rebounds

One of the least accomplished players on this list in terms of overall individual accolades and statistical production, Bill Walton was during his brief peak the best player in the NBA, one who inflicted terror defensively and did damage offensively with his passing and scoring.

Injuries derailed his career as an NBA star but Walton, one of the most beloved figures in league history, still managed to win a second NBA championship as a role player with the Boston Celtics before retiring and going on a legendary second career as a TV sportscaster.

19

Top accolades: Six All-Stars, one All-Defensive 2nd Team selection

NBA rank: 27th in blocks, 54th in rebounds, 138th in scoring

Although the majority of his impact was felt in the ABA, where he even won an MVP award, Artis Gilmore’s greatness was still felt in the NBA, where he spent 12 seasons and established himself as one of the deadliest low-post scorers around. Gilmore led the league in field-goal percentage four years in a row and was one of the toughest covers for opposing bigs on a nightly basis.

20

Nate Thurmond

Top accolades: Seven All-Stars, five All-Defensive Team selections

NBA rank: 11st in rebounds, 176th in scoring, 248th in blocks

One of the best rebounders basketball has ever seen, Nate Thurmond averaged 14-plus rebounds nine times in his 14 years in the NBA, including two campaigns where he averaged over 20 boards per contest. Thurmond was no slouch as a scorer, either, as the Hall-of-Famer averaged at least 20 points nightly five times in his career.