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We finally reached the end of the top ten all-time lists with the centers. Apologies for the last posting of this. I originally wanted to do a post on Labor Day weekend, but sometimes life happens and sets things back a little (laughs). Regardless, I am sure you know the criteria for this list and we will start with the honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
Alonzo Mourning: Alonzo Mourning was once the greatest player in Heat history until Dwayne Wade came around. However, Mourning is one of the many incredible big men from the 1990s who was a defensive force throughout his career. If I made this list strictly about big men from the 1990s NBA, then Mourning would be in the top ten, but he is an honorable mention regarding the all-time great centers.
Bob McAdoo: Bob McAdoo is one of the many forgotten gems of the 1970s NBA. His incredible scoring, especially from mid-range, made him a nightmare for defenders during his era. If this list was only about scoring big men, then McAdoo would be in the top ten, but it is an honorable mention.
Wes Unseld: Perhaps the greatest outlet passer in basketball history, Wes Unseld was an absolute force from day one. Considered one of the best players in Bullets/Wizards history, Unseld was and still is one of the more intimidating big men and rebounders to play the game.
Dwight Howard: One of the more polarizing players in recent history, Dwight Howard would have been in the top ten if this list had been at a different time. Howard was the defensive gold standard during the mid-2000s, leading the Magic to the finals. However, his career after Orlando fell apart with multiple stops, which hurt his career, but he still should be in this conversation.
George Mikan: The last of my honorable mentions is the godfather of centers and one of the first superstars for the NBA, George Mikan. Mikan was a force that set a foundation for what the Lakers would become and what a Laker superstar had to be. Obviously, the appreciation for his game gets lost a little more as time goes on, but he should be remembered as one of the great big men to step on the court.
Top 10 Centers of All-time
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: As I did with the all-time power forwards list, we are going to go from the top, and my number one center of all-time is the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Abdul-Jabbar is perhaps the most overlooked greatest player ever because he is quiet and stoic giant but, he was a dominant force at every level of basketball from high school to the pros validating his greatness. The master of the infamous skyhook shot, Jabbar was a huge part of the many championship teams he was on, and today, he is one of the most beloved and respected former players ever.
2. Bill Russell: The greatest Celtic ever, Bill Russell is the measuring stick for winning and excellence for every player, with eleven titles in his career. There is no feasible way to put all of Russell’s accomplishments in a couple of paragraphs, but Russell was a trailblazer and icon for basketball and society.
3. Shaquille O’Neal: One of my favorite players growing up was Shaquille O’Neal, one of the more exciting things about the NBA growing up. Starting in Orlando, O’Neal eventually won championships with the Lakers and one more with the Heat, which cemented his legacy as one of the game’s best big men ever to play.
4.Hakeem Olajuwon: The city of Houston’s most outstanding player, Hakeem Olajuwon may be the skilled center on this list and absolutely is a top five big man ever. The Dream and his incredible physical abilities, specifically his footwork, where other greats like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James went to him for pointers to improve their footwork in the low post. Olajuwon is the greatest Rocket in franchise history and an icon in Houston today.
5. Wilt Chamberlain: Wilt Chamberlain is basketball’s equivalent to Babe Ruth for baseball as a mythical figure. Chamberlain was a true goliath, putting up incredible statistics and dominance throughout his career. One of the high points of his career was when he scored one hundred points in a single game. Yes, some people slight Chamberlain and the era he played in, but they cannot take away Chamberlain’s greatness and impact on basketball.
6. Patrick Ewing: One of the most beloved sports figures in New York history, Patrick Ewing was the heart, soul, and face of the New York Knicks during the mid-1980s and 1990s. One of the most dominant players in college basketball history, Ewing’s NBA career was about the same. Still, unfortunately, he is missing an NBA championship despite coming close on many occasions. If Ewing had won one championship, he could be higher on this list, but he just missed the top five.
7. Moses Malone: The Chairman of the Boards has one of the longest and accomplished careers in basketball. One of the first to come out of high school, Moses Malone was dominant basically from day one with his time in the ABA for the Spirit of St. Louis to the NBA with the Rockets, 76ers, and other teams where he was a massive part of the Rockets deep playoff runs and the Sixers winning a title. Moses Malone gets overlooked in these conversations because he was not a larger-than-life person like other big men, but his game and resume validate his place on this top ten all-time list.
8. David Robinson: Before Tim Duncan, the San Antonio Spurs had a great big man as the face of the franchise, David Robinson. The Admiral was one of the greatest athletic big men the game has seen and a force throughout his career. But Robinson played during a time in the NBA that had so many great center players at the same time as him (O’Neal, Ewing, Olajuwon, Mourning), so he gets knocked down a bit on this list, landing at number eight.
9. Bill Walton: Bill Walton is one the most beloved people and personalities basketball has ever had. The giant hippie Walton was another legendary goliath in college basketball, leading the legendary UCLA teams during the 1960s. When Walton came to the NBA, many expected the same. While Walton was a beloved player, his career was the first of many careers “What Ifs” in basketball, with a string of bad injury luck involving his feet that certainly changed his career trajectory.
But somehow, Walton remained a great center, leading the Trailblazers to a title in the 1970s and being the sixth man on that iconic 1985-86 Celtics championship team. Walton was one of the most team-oriented players we have seen, and his love for the game of basketball is why he is on this list, so throw it down, big red, throw it down.
10. Nikola Jokic: My number ten center of all-time is still active and could do more to move up on this list in the future but Nikola Jokic at this moment makes the list. Like Walton, Jokic and his team-oriented style of play has made one the best in the game right now winning a title two seasons ago and has three MVPs already building quite resume and legacy already. Unless there is an unpredictable fall from grace, or another supernova big man comes along (Too early to say that Victor Wembanyama or Chet Holmgren) the joker is properly ranked here closing out not only my top ten centers of all-time but my entire top ten all-time series.
So, thank you to everyone who read all the lists, interacted, and just took the time to read this. I appreciate it. Depending on the response/feedback, I may make another top ten all-time list (teams, what ifs, moments, etc.), but until next time, take care.