Top 10 Centers To Ever Play In The NBA

By Clinton Courier | March 8, 2022 |

Everybody knows that the tallest players make great basketball players, assuming they’re trained well. In your average basketball team, the best centers are those that are the tallest. Today we’re taking a look at the best players that have played in the center position in the NBA.

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1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

It’s no surprise that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the first and best center that has ever played in the NBA. With six NBA Finals titles under his belt, six MVP nominations, two Finals MVP nominations, and ten All-NBA 1st Team selections, Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most accomplished centers in terms of their accolades. There’s a reason that Abdul-Jabbar is consistently called a GOAT.

2. Bill Russell

With more NBA Finals titles under his belt than Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell is also one of the best centers that the NBA has ever seen. While he doesn’t have the same offensive prowess, Russell instead excels with his defensive game. Having won eleven NBA Finals, the same amount of All-NBA selections, twelve All-Star selections, and five MVP awards. If Finals MVP or Defensive Player of the Year accolades existed back then, he’d have gotten a lot of those too.

3. Wilt Chamberlain

Of the more famous center position players in NBA history, no list would be complete without Wilt Chamberlain. He has thirteen All-Stars selections, seven All-NBA 1st Team selections, four MVP and one Finals MVP selection, and then two NBA titles. He also ranks first for rebounds in the entire NBA, along with leading the league for most scores in a season.

4. Shaquille O’Neal

Along with becoming a household name even among non-NBA fans, Shaquille O’Neal has fifteen All-Stars selections, three Finals MVP nominations, and four NBA titles under his belt. He’s eighth in scoring and blocks for the whole league too. With center players, physicality is everything, and it’s something Shaquille O’Neal had in spades. If he wasn’t surrounded by other great players, he’d definitely have more MVP awards to his name.

5. Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem The Dream only racked up two NBA titles in his time, becoming Finals MVP both times. He also has six All-NBA 1st Team selections and twelve All-Stars too, and he’s first in blocks for the entire NBA. He’s also very well recognized for his defensive capabilities too, along with being one of the first non-Americans to make a name for himself in pro basketballing.

6. Moses Malone

Moses Malone is underappreciated for his performance, especially when he led the nightly NBA boards six times during his heyday. Eight All-NBA selections, twelve All-Star selections, and an NBA title where he was named the MVP prove that Malone is one of the better centers that the NBA has seen. He was a great offensive rebounder, brilliant at throwing his weight around.

7. David Robinson

Along with being a great defensive player, David Robinson was one of the best centers in the league. He became MVP once in his two NBA title showings, with ten All-NBA and the same amount of All-Star selections too. He’s ranked at #6 in blocks. Like Malone, he was great at using his physique to torment the opposing team, though he focused more on defense than offense.

8. Patrick Ewing

Though he unfortunately never won any Finals, Ewing was selected seven times for the All-NBA team, eleven times for the All-Stars, and three times for All-Defensive teams. He comes right behind Robinson for blocks at #7, which is his best primary stat. He was one of the 1990’s great shot-blockers but his championship shots were always cut short by better teams.

9. George Mikan

With five NBA titles and six All-NBA 1st Team selections, George Mikan was the first center to really turn heads. As the first big man, he was the biggest on the court and made sure the other teams knew it, though he handled the ball softly when it was time to place shots. There’s a reason that the Mikan Drill is taught to young basketball players all across the country, after all.

10. Bob McAdoo

Lastly, we have Bob McAdoo, who took home two NBA titles and an MVP award during his career. He’s quite far down the list in terms of blocks, scoring, and rebounds (at 67th, 67th, and 71st accordingly) but he led the league for three uninterrupted seasons in his heyday.

Conclusion

These ten players are the best centers that the NBA has seen, so far. As time goes on, there’s sure to be more talent taking to the court with every passing season, and players are only getting taller over time, which is perfect for the center position. NBA team strategies are also changing, allowing great centers to rack up the stats they need to appear in lists just like this one! If you’re a basketball enthusiast eager to witness the future stars of the game, don’t miss out on securing your 2023 NBA finals tickets.