Best centers all time nba

The center position has historically featured some of the most productive, talland talented players in basketball history, best centers all time nba, making it central to the success of many NBA teams. Defensively, the best NBA centers of all time have been responsible for protecting the rim and rebounding. From the seven-footers like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain that towered over their peers and dominated, to the smaller fives like Dave Cowens and Wes Unseld that used their speed and quickness to make an impact, centers comes in all shapes and sizes.

Big men have defined basketball since its inception. These are the NBA's 25 best centers who ever graced a court with their supreme skill. The center position is arguably the most important position in the game of basketball. Having a strong center means that a team has a willing interior defender who can grab rebounds, but can also score on the offensive end of the floor. The position has seen quite an evolution over the years, with centers being asked to do more than ever nowadays, so unsurprisingly, many of the best players are big men who can take control of games.

Best centers all time nba

By HoopsHype staff October 20, We have taken our HoopsHype 77 list and split it into five positions: point guards , shooting guards , small forwards , power forwards and centers. NBA rank: 2nd in scoring, 3rd in rebounds and blocks, 49th in assists, th in steals. 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 and then again in Russell may not have had the longest career, but boy, was that run successful. 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. Plus he has the second-best scoring average behind only Jordan. 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. The fact the Big Artistotle won only one MVP was kind of ridiculous in hindsight, as there were various seasons he was the most dominant player in the league. NBA rank: 1st in blocks, 10th in steals, 12th in points, 14th in rebounds, th in assists. The best international player ever, Hakeem Olajuwon competed and produced at an elite level on both ends of the floor with outstanding low-post moves and defensive skills to match. Also, he is the only player to rank Top 14 in four different major statistical categories: points, rebounds, blocks and 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

Even his defense has improved, as he rebounds like a monster and has quick, intelligent hands to rack up steals.

Click here for our 5-on-5 debate. Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value. The result is our all-time NBA Top The Top will begin to roll out Wednesday. Meanwhile, we are presenting the top 10 by position. Check out our lists of the greatest power forwards , small forwards , shooting guards and point guards. We'll unveil one player every half-hour starting at 10 a.

Of the five positions, none is more difficult to rank one through four than center. Michael Jordan is the greatest shooting guard in history, period, end. With center, though, the discussion isn't such a black-and-white matter. The "Diesel" rated fourth here undeniably dominated the position and the sport, in general, unlike anybody before him, and one could easily make the argument that he should rest atop the mountain as the greatest center of all time. How does one adequately compare the man with the most rings to the center who holds a record MVP awards and who scored more points than anybody before or since he last played a meaningful second in the NBA? No one list will end this debate. Can anybody currently in the league make the leap into the top five?

Best centers all time nba

In fact, between and the award went exclusively to centers. Born: August 21 , in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania us. Died: October 12, Aged d. College: Kansas. High School: Overbrook in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NBA Debut: October 24,

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The Hall-of-Famer was quietly quite influential. And he could play D, pass and hit his free throws, too. Artis Gilmore. Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value. 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. If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use. Despite that, he still made his mark playing for 14 years on his way to eight All-Star selections and an eventual induction into the Hall of Fame. Reed was a monster rebounder and shot-blocker despite standing just 6-foot Abdul-Jabaar was so good that the NCAA banned dunking in college basketball for ten years to try to slow him down. He played for the Rockets for his entire NBA career, which lasted from to Bill Russell is the greatest winner in NBA history.

It is very difficult for an NBA team to win a title without one of the best centers of all time on their roster.

Follow Us. Dave Cowens. Later on in his career, Olajuwon led the Rockets to back-to-back championships in and Hawks' Young finger to miss at least 4 weeks. Moses Malone. 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. Unseld was one of the best rebounders in NBA history, averaging And he could play D, pass and hit his free throws, too. Not to mention that he holds the four best PPG seasons ever and five of the top six. Just last season, Jokic won the first title of his career after finishing second in the MVP vote. Had he come along 10 years later, Ewing might have been the league's best center. If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use.