The Greatest Centers In NBA History

These players are involved in offense, defense, rebounding, and just about everything in the paint. Increasingly, they're even coming into the fold beyond the arc. Here are the 35 greatest centers and power forwards in NBA history.

Feb 20, 2018
This is a photo of Dikembe Mutombo and Yao Ming
Getty

dikembe-mutombo-yao-ming

This is a photo of Dikembe Mutombo and Yao Ming
Getty

dikembe-mutombo-yao-ming

As the era of “positionless basketball” progresses, the importance of a solid starting center (or power forward) has remained crucial for NBA teams.

These players are involved in offense, defense, rebounding, and just about everything in the paint. Increasingly, they're even coming into the fold beyond the arc. A solid seven-footer can give teams putback dunks, second-chance opportunities, and rejections on the defensive end of the floor — all crucial parts of the game.

A franchise big man can alter the direction of your franchise. Bill Russell’s arrival drove the Celtics to be the greatest dynasty in NBA history. Shaquille O’Neal’s acquisition instantaneously turned the Lakers and Heat, respectively, from mediocre to contending teams. And Anthony Davis has turned the Pelicans from an awful team, to a slightly less awful team. The possibilities are limitless with a franchise center, perhaps more so than with any other position on the NBA floor.

When it comes to the greatest of all time argument, there is a ton of room for debate. Unlike the greatest overall player of all time, which is Michael Jordan and not LeBron James, there are several players that can make the case for greatest center or power forward of all time. Bill Russell and his 11 championships make a solid case. As does Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his all-time scoring record. Wilt Chamberlain, who once averaged 50 points per game one season, deserves some consideration for that post as well.

But Complex Sports has resolved to end this debate once and for all, with 100 percent accuracy and without any need for dissent. So without further adieu, here are the 35 greatest centers and power forwards in NBA history.

35. Marc Gasol

Image of Marc Gasol
Image via Getty/Layne Murdoch

Years: 2008-Present

Teams: Grizzlies

Stats: 696 games, 15.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.5 BPG

Accolades: 3x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 2013 Defensive Player of the Year


Gasol’s — and his Grizzlies —- have always unjustly flown under the radar. He’s been a pivotal part of the most successful small-market team recent NBA memory, averaging over 15 points and eight rebounds per game. Gasol is also one of the league’s best defenders; he won Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.

34. DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan Shoots Free Throw 2018
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

Years: 2008-Present

Teams: Clippers

Stats: 721 games, 9.3 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.7 BPG

Accolades: 1x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 2x rebounds leader


A lockdown defender and a magnetic rebounder, Jordan has established himself as one of the game’s best centers. He’s averaged 14.1 rebounds per game since the start of the 2013-14 season, and has led the league in field-goal percentage in each of the last five seasons.

33. Ralph Sampson

Image of Ralph Sampson
Image via Getty/Billy Baptist

Years: 1983-1991

Teams: Rockets, Warriors, Kings, Bullets

Stats: 15.4 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.6 BPG

Accolades: 4x All-Star, 1x All-NBA, 1984 Rookie of the Year



His prime was short-lived, but few dominated like Sampson did in his heyday. He and Hakeem Olajuwon formed the “Twin Towers” that first made Houston a legitimate contender, culminating in an NBA Finals appearance in 1986.

32. Bill Laimbeer

Image of Bill Laimbeer
Image via Getty/Rocky Widner

Years: 1980-1994

Teams: Cavaliers, Pistons

Stats: 1,068 games, 12.9 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Accolades: 2x NBA Champion, 4x All-Star, 1x rebounds leader

Laimbeer was one of the most physical (and dirtiest) defenders of his day, which made him one of the poster children for the “Bad Boys” Pistons teams of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

31. Neil Johnston

Image of Neil Johnston
Image via Getty/Hy Peskin

Career years: 1951-1959

Team(s): Warriors

Stats: 516 games, 19.4 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 2.5 APG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 3x scoring champion, 1x NBA Champion, 6x All-Star, 5x All-NBA

Johnston was the Philadelphia Warriors’ Wilt Chamberlain before Wilt Chamberlain; he won three consecutive NBA scoring titles from 1953-55, and won a championship in 1956. But at 6-foot-8, it’s just a tad unlikely that Johnston would be able to cut it as a center in today’s NBA. Just goes to show how much the game has evolved over time.

30. Al Horford

Image of Al Horford
Image via Getty/Omar Rawlings

Years: 2007-Present

Teams: Hawks, Celtics

Stats: 698 games, 14.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.2 BPG

Accolades: 5x All-Star, 1x All-NBA


Horford has established himself as someone who can score, shoot, distribute, defend. He can pretty much do anything on the court, and do it well at that. His lifetime three-point field goal percentage of .367 isn’t bad for a seven-footer, either.

29. Zelmo Beaty

Image of Zelmo Beaty
Image via Getty/Wen Roberts

Years: 1962-1969, 1974-75

Teams: Hawks, Lakers

Stats: 16.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 2x All-Star


“Big Z” was a standout for some solid St. Louis Hawks teams in the 1960s, averaging 19.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game from 1965-66 to 1968-69. Beaty then became one of the biggest names in the NBA to jump ship to the rival ABA, where he would continue to dominate while legitimizing the new league.

28. Brad Daugherty

Image of Brad Daugherty
Image via Getty/Rocky Widner

Years: 1986-1994

Teams: Cavaliers

Stats: 548 games, 19.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Accolades: 5x All-Star, 1x All-NBA


Prior to LeBron James, Daugherty was the best player in Cavs history. Daugherty would routinely carry the Cavs to the playoffs, much like LeBron does now. But unlike LeBron, Daugherty’s squads almost always got bounced in the first round.

27. Dan Issel

Image of Dan Issel
Image via Getty/Focus on Sport

Career years: 1970-1985

Team(s): Denver Nuggets

Stats: 718 games, 20.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Accolades: 1x All-Star

Issel started off his career on fire with the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels in 1970, as he led the league in scoring in his first season. He would later be a part of the Nuggets squad that made the jump from the ABA to the NBA when the two leagues merged, and continued to dominate well into the 1980s.

26. Ben Wallace

Image of Ben Wallace
Image via Getty?Dan Lippitt

Years: 1996-2012

Teams: Wizards, Magic, Pistons, Bulls, Cavaliers

Stats: 1,088 games, 5.7 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 2.0 BPG

Accolades: 4x Defensive Player of the Year, 4x All-Star, 5x All-NBA, 6x All-NBA Defensive Team: 2x Rebounds leader, 1x Blocks leader


Wallace was the basketball equivalent to a shutdown corner. His lifetime defensive rating of 96 is the fifth-best mark of any player in NBA history, making him as good a defender as there has ever been.

25. Anthony Davis

anthony davis ron baker dunk
Photo by Layne Murdoch via Getty

Years: 2012-Present

Teams: Pelicans

Stats: 383 games, 22.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 2.3 BPG

Accolades: 5x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 2x All-NBA Defensive Team, 2x blocks leader

Davis could be near the top of this list in a few years. He’s averaged at least 20 points per game in each of the last five seasons, including a whopping 26.8 points per game this year. Hopefully the Pelicans can build a solid supporting cast around him.

24. Yao Ming

This is a photo of Dikembe Mutombo and Yao Ming
Image via Getty/Bill Baptist

Years: 2002-2010

Teams: Rockets

Stats: 486 games, 19.2 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.9 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 8x All-Star, 5x All-NBA


Had it not been for injuries, Yao might have been at the top of this list. Standing at 7-foot-6, Yao averaged 19 points, 9.2 boards, and 1.9 blocks per game over the course of his career. Unfortunately, his career was essentially over by the time he turned 29, thanks to a series of injuries.

23. Alonzo Mourning

Image of Alonzo Mourning
Image via Getty/Marc Serota

Career years: 1992-2008

Team(s): Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat

Stats: 838 games, 17.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 2.8 BPG

Accolades: 1x NBA Champion, 7x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 2x NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 2x All-NBA Defensive Team



Mourning made seven All-Star teams throughout his NBA career, and helped make the Hornets and Heat teams he played for into perennial contenders.

22. Dikembe Mutombo

Image of Dikembe Mutombo
Image via Getty/Rocky Widner

Career years: 1991-2009

Team(s): Nuggets, Hawks, 76ers, Nets, Knicks, Rockets

Stats: 1,196 games, 9.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.4 SPG, 2.8 BPG

Accolades: 8x All-Star, 3x All-NBA, 4x NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 6x All-NBA Defensive Team

Mutombo’s 3,289 career blocks are the second-most in NBA history. And his signature finger wag might be the best celebration in NBA history.

21. Bill Walton

Image of Bill Walton
Image via Getty/Dick Raphel

Career years: 1974-1987

Team(s): Trail Blazers, Clippers, Celtics

Stats: 468 games, 13.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.2 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 2x NBA Champion, 1x MVP, 2x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 2x NBA All-Defensive Team, 1x Sixth Man of the Year

Walton’s NBA career pales in comparison to his all-time great college career, but he was still quite good in the Association. He was the star of the Trail Blazers’ only championship team in 1977, and won league MVP in 1978.

20. Bob Lanier

Image of Bob Lanier
Image via Getty/Robert Lewis

Career years: 1970-1984

Team(s): Pistons, Bucks

Stats: 959 games, 20.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.5 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 8x All-Star

Lanier dominated on both ends of the floor with the Pistons and the Bucks, putting up a 111 career offensive rating and a 98 career defensive rating over his 14-year career. It’s not hard to see why both teams decided to retire his number.

19. Artis Gilmore

Image of Artis Gilmore
Image via Getty/Nathaniel S. Butler

Career years: 1971-1989

Team(s): Kentucky Colonels, Bulls, Spurs, Celtics

Stats: 909 games, 17.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.9 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 6x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Defensive Team

Aside from maybe Julius Erving, few players lit up the ABA like Artis Gilmore did. Gilmore was an ABA All-Star in all five of his seasons with the Kentucky Colonels, averaging 22.3 points and a whopping 17.1 rebounds per game in the league. When the Colonels folded, Gilmore was taken by the Bulls first overall in the dispersal draft of ex-ABA players by NBA teams. He continued to be a force in the NBA, making five All-Star teams with the Bulls and the Spurs during the 70s and 80s.

18. Bob McAdoo

Image of Bob McAdoo
Image via Getty/Andrew D. Bernstein

Years: 1972-1986

Teams: Buffalo Braves, Knicks, Celtics, Pistons, Nets, Lakers, Sixers

Stats: 852 games, 22.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.5 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 2x NBA Champion, 1x MVP, 5x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 1973 Rookie of the Year

McAdoo led the NBA in scoring three years in a row from 1974-1976 while playing with the Buffalo Braves (now the Clippers), and made five consecutive All-Star teams from 1974-78. He was later able to invent himself as a solid reserve player for the “Showtime” Lakers, and won two rings as a result.

17. Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard
Image via Jed Jacobsohn/Getty

Years: 2004-Present

Teams: Magic, Lakers, Rockets, Hawks, Hornets

Stats: 1,009 games, 17.1 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.0 BPG

Accolades: 8x All-NBA, 8x All-Star, 5x rebounds leader, 5x All-NBA Defensive Team, 3x Defensive Player of the Year


He’s a bit of a joke now, but Howard was one of the game’s best players just a few years ago. From 2007-08 to 2012-13, he averaged 20.0 points per game, led the league in rebounding five times, and carried the Magic to an NBA Finals appearance in 2009. It’s a shame Howard can’t play like that anymore.

16. Nate Thurmond

Image of Nate Thurmond
Image via Getty/Focus on Sport

Career years: 1963-1977

Team(s): Warriors, Bulls, Cavaliers

Stats: 964 games, 15.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 2.1 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Defensive Team

Thurmond was the first homegrown star the newly-minted San Francisco Warriors had ever developed. He made seven All-Star teams in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and made an All-NBA Defensive Team five times.

15. Robert Parish

Image of Robert Parish
Image via Getty/Dick Raphael

Career years: 1976-1997

Team(s): Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls

Stats: 1611 games, 14.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, all-time games played leader, 4x NBA Champion, 9x All-Star, 2x All-NBA

Aside from Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, no player had more to do with the Celtics’ success in the 1980s than Robert Parish. Parish made nine All-Star teams in 11 seasons from 1981-1991, and was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996.

14. Walt Bellamy

Image of Walt Bellamy
Image via Getty/Dick Raphael

Career years: 1961-1974

Team(s): Bullets, Knicks, Pistons, Hawks, Jazz

Stats: 1043 games, 20.1 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 4x All-Star, 1962 NBA Rookie of the Year

Bellamy may have been the best center of the 1960s not named Wilt or Russell. Averaging 26.8 points and 16.5 rebounds per game from 1961-62 to 1962-66, Bellamy dominated on both ends of the floor by a wide margin.

13. Wes Unseld

Image of Wes Unseld
Image via Getty/NBA Photos

Career years: 1968-1981

Team(s): Baltimore Bullets

Stats: 984 games, 10.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 1x NBA Champion, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 1x MVP, 5x All-Star, 1x All-NBA, 1969 NBA Rookie of the Year

Unseld played his entire 13-year career with the Bullets, and still stands as the greatest player in Bullets/Wizards franchise history. His resume includes a league MVP, a Finals MVP, and a championship in 1978 — the only title in franchise history.

12. Elvin Hayes

Image of Elvin Hayes
Image via Getty/Jerry Wachter

Career years: 1968-1984

Team(s): Rockets, Bullets

Stats: 1,303 games, 21.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.0 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 1x NBA Champion, 12x All-Star, 6x All-NBA, 2x All-NBA Defensive Team

Like Unseld, Hayes was also a pivotal part of the 1978 Bullets team, as the two provided for one of the best frontcourt duos in league history. Hayes was also a star over three different decades, having made the All-Star team every year from 1969-1980.

11. Patrick Ewing

worst nba playoff performance patrick ewing
Image via Getty/Lou Capozzola

Career years: 1985-2002

Team(s): Knicks, Sonics, Magic

Stats: 1183 games, 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.4 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 11x All-Star, 7x All-NBA Second Team, 3x All-NBA Defensive Team, 1986 NBA Rookie of the Year,



Ewing will always be on any shortlist of best players to not win a ring. Too bad he didn’t play in the super team era, because then he could have joined the Bulls and actually won one. And maybe he would have won one anyway had John Starks not decided to go AWOL in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals.

10. Dave Cowens

Image of Dave Cowens
Image via Getty/Dick Raphael

Career years: 1970-1983

Team(s): Celtics, Bucks

Stats: 766 games, 17.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 2x NBA Champion, 1x NBA MVP, 7x All-Star, 3x All-NBA, 3x All-NBA Defensive Team, 1971 Rookie of the Year,

Cowens, John Havelchick, and Jo Jo White helped bring about Celtics championships in 1974 and 1976. This period of Celtics history is sometimes overlooked because it took place between the Russell and Bird dynasties, but it deserves a lot more attention than it gets. As does Cowens, whose 95.52 defensive rating is the second-best mark in league history.

9. Willis Reed

Image of Willis Reed
Image via Getty/Dick Raphael

Career years: 1964-1974

Team(s): New York Knicks

Stats: 650games, 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.1 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 2x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 1x NBA MVP, 7x All-Star, 5x All-NBA, 1x All-NBA Defensive Team, 1965 Rookie of the Year



The image of Reed walking out of the Madison Square Garden tunnel ahead of Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals is one of the most iconic in NBA history. Reed was the centerpiece of two Knicks championship teams, back when “Knicks” and “championship” could still appear in the same sentence.

8. Moses Malone

Image of Moses Malone
Image via Getty/Bill Baptist

Career years: 1976-1995

Team(s): Buffalo Braves, Rockets, 76ers, Bullets, Hawks, Bucks, Spurs

Stats: 1,329 games, 20.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 1x NBA Champion, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 3x MVP, 12x All-Star, 8x All-NBA, 2x All-NBA Defensive Team



The late great Malone won three MVP’s from 1979-1983, led the league in rebounding six times, and was the centerpiece of the Sixers’ last championship in 1983.

7. George Mikan

Image of George Mikan
Image via Getty/ Bettmann

Career years: 1949-1956

Team(s): Minneapolis Lakers

Stats: 379 games, 22.3 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.7 APG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 4x NBA Champion, 4x All-Star, 6x All-NBA



Mikan was the first true NBA superstar. He was named the greatest player of the first half-century by the Hall of Fame. He dominated the league back when it was just a startup, carrying the Minneapolis Lakers to five league championships in six years from 1949-1954. Without Mikan’s star power, the NBA might not have ever gotten off of the ground.

6. Hakeem Olajuwon

Image of Hakeem Olajuwon
Image via Getty/Noren Trotman

Career years: 1984-2002

Team(s): Rockets, Raptors

Stats: 1238 games, 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 3.1 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 2x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 1x MVP, 12x All-Star, 12x All-NBA Team, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 9x All-NBA Defensive Team



The No. 1 overall pick in 1984, “The Dream” bought the Rockets two rings in between ‘90s Bulls three-peats — no easy task. His 1994 season stands out as one of the greatest ever: He became the only player to ever win MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. He also has the most blocks in NBA history.

5. David Robinson

Image of David Robinson
Image via Getty/Tim Defrisco

Career years: 1989-2003

Team(s): Spurs

Stats: 987 games, 21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 3.0 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 2x NBA Champion, 1x MVP, 10x All-Star, 10x All-NBA, 1x Defensive Player of the Year, 8x All-NBA Defensive Team, 1990 Rookie of the Year



Robinson’s aforementioned conventional stats are obviously impressive. But believe it or not, his advanced stats are even better: he’s fourth all-time in PER, eighth all-time in VORP, and is fourth all-time in defensive rating. In the former two categories, he’s second all-time among centers. So as great as you thought “The Admiral” was, the advanced stats indicate he’s even better.

4. Shaquille O’Neal

Image of Shaq
Image via Getty/Robert Mora

Career years: 1992-2011

Team(s): Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns, Cavaliers, Celtics

Stats: 1,207 games, 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.3 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame 4x NBA Champion, 3x NBA Finals MVP, 1x NBA MVP, 15x All-Star, 14x All-NBA, 3x All-NBA Defensive Team, 1993 Rookie of the Year

Few players in the NBA are more iconic, recognized, and beloved by fans than Shaquille O’Neal is. O’Neal’s four championships, 15 All-Star appearances, 14 All-NBA appearances, and MVP title make him one of the most accomplished players to ever play the game, never mind centers. Off the court, Shaq is also one of the most recognized NBA players, as he’s also a rapper, businessman, reality TV star, police officer, video game protagonist, and an actor. Even if you hate the Lakers, there’s no way you can hate Shaq.

3. Wilt Chamberlain

Image of ilt Chamberlain
Image via Getty/Wen Roberts

Years: 1959-1973

Team(s): Warriors, 76ers, Lakers

Stats: 1045 games, 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 4x NBA MVP, 13x NBA All-Star, 10x All-NBA Team, 2x All-NBA Defensive Team, 1960 NBA Rookie of the Year

Looking at Chamberlain’s stats is so much fun, because they’re literally insane. Like the fact that he averaged 50.4 points per game and 25.7 rebounds per game in the 1961-62 season — the year that he scored 100 points. That obviously could never happen today, but it’s impressive nonetheless.



Wilt led the league in scoring in each of his first seven NBA seasons, making him one of the game’s most recognizable faces in the early days of the league.

2. Bill Russell

Image of Bill Russell
Image via Getty/Sporting News Archive

Years: 1956-1969

Teams: Celtics

Stats: 963 games, 15.3 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 11x NBA Champion 5x MVP, 12x All-Star, 11x All-NBA, 1x All-NBA Defensive Team, 5x rebounds leader


No team has dominated quite like the Russell-led Celtics of the ‘50s and ‘60s did.

But first, let’s start with Russell’s individual stats: He averaged 15.2 points per game and a whopping 22.5 rebounds per game for his career. Russell is perhaps the best defensive player of all time, having led the league in defensive win shares in 12 of his 14 NBA seasons. 

And Russell’s Celtics never stopped winning: They won a whopping 11 championships in 13 seasons from 1957-1969, including eight straight from 1959-66. In fact, Russell won the last two championships of his career as a player-coach in 1968 and 1969. Let’s see Michael Jordan do that. 

If you thought the Warriors’ dominance makes basketball boring now, they don’t even come close to the Celtics back then. And Russell was the backbone of that dominance.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Image of Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Image via Getty/Focus on Sport

Years: 1969-1989

Teams: Bucks, Lakers

Stats: 1,560 games, 24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.6 BPG

Accolades: Hall of Fame, All-time leader in points, field goals, field goal attempts, 6x NBA Champion, 6x MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 19x All-Star, 15x All-NBA, 11x All-NBA Defensive Team, 2x scoring leader, 4x blocks leader, 1x rebounds leader, 1970 Rookie of the Year


There’s plenty that can (and has) been said about Kareem’s legacy. But nothing speaks more aptly to his ability than the accolades listed above. Few NBA players — let alone centers — have accomplished (or will ever accomplish) what Abdul-Jabbar has in the NBA. And for that, he stands as the greatest center of all time.

LeBron JamesSportsBasketballNBAMichael JordanBill RussellKareem Abdul JabbarHistoryComplexWilt ChamberlainPower-Forward

Latest in Sports