The Original Throne Room
The center position is basketball's original throne room.
Before point forwards. Before stretch bigs. Before positionless basketball.
There was the giant.
The anchor. The rim protector. The rebounding warlord. The offensive destroyer.
This position built basketball mythology.
Wilt's impossible numbers. Russell's dynasty machine. Kareem's skyhook empire. Shaq's brute-force terror. Hakeem's footwork sorcery.
No position carries more legendary weight.
This ranking was built on six pillars:
- Peak dominance
- Accolades
- Championship impact
- Individual greatness
- Longevity
- Historical influence
One question guided everything: Who were the greatest centers ever - and why did everyone else fall short?
Here is the official ranking.
10. George Mikan - The Original Titan
Before modern center mythology existed, George Mikan was the original giant.
His dominance helped shape early professional basketball and helped define what center greatness looked like. The NBA literally changed its rules because of him - widening the lane twice to limit his dominance. That's not a footnote. That's legacy.
Accolades:
- 5× NBA/BAA Champion
- 6× All-Star
- Multiple scoring titles
- Basketball's first true dominant big man
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Why not higher? Era importance matters - but the modern giants built larger all-around résumés.
9. Patrick Ewing - The Warrior
Patrick Ewing was a complete center - skilled scorer, tough rebounder, defensive force, and franchise anchor.
He just happened to exist in one of the most brutal center eras basketball has ever seen. Every night was war. And Ewing showed up every night.
Accolades:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 11× NBA All-Star
- 7× All-NBA
- 3× All-Defensive Team
- NBA Rookie of the Year (1986)
- One of the defining centers of his era
Why not higher? The upper tier had stronger championships, MVP power, or larger statistical mountains. Ewing was elite - the competition above him was historic.
8. David Robinson - The Admiral
David Robinson combined athleticism, skill, defense, and discipline at a terrifying level.
One of the most complete two-way centers basketball has ever produced. He could score, protect the rim, rebound, and run the floor. And he won.
Accolades:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 2× NBA Champion (1999, 2003)
- 1× NBA MVP (1995)
- 1× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1992)
- 1× NBA Scoring Champion (1994)
- 10× NBA All-Star
- 10× All-NBA
- 8× All-Defensive Team
Why not higher? The center top tier is historically ridiculous. Robinson's résumé simply ran into giants.
7. Nikola Jokić - The Offensive Genius
Jokić is a basketball anomaly.
A center with offensive orchestration skills normally reserved for elite point guards. He doesn't just score - he conducts. Reads defenses like a chess grandmaster. Makes plays no big man in history has made.
Accolades:
- 1× NBA Champion (2023)
- 1× NBA Finals MVP (2023)
- 3× NBA MVP (2021, 2022, 2024)
- 8× NBA All-Star
- 8× All-NBA
- Greatest passing center in NBA history
Why not higher? Longevity - for now. His climb isn't over. He may not stay at #7 forever.
6. Moses Malone - The Relentless Force
Moses Malone was relentless violence in basketball form.
Offensive rebounds. Putbacks. Physical punishment. He outworked everyone. Every possession. Every night. For decades.
Accolades:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 1× NBA Champion (1983)
- 1× NBA Finals MVP (1983)
- 3× NBA MVP (1979, 1982, 1983)
- 13× NBA All-Star
- 6× NBA Rebounding Champion
- 2× All-Defensive Team
- Dominant interior scorer and offensive rebounder
Why not higher? The players above him reached even greater total center mythology. Moses was a monster. The top five are legends.
5. Shaquille O'Neal - The Force of Nature
Peak Shaq may be the most physically unstoppable force basketball has ever seen.
Not debatable. Pure destruction. The man averaged 29.7 points and 13.9 rebounds in the 2000 Finals - on 61% shooting. Defenders didn't stop him. They survived him.
Accolades:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 4× NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)
- 3× NBA Finals MVP (2000, 2001, 2002)
- 1× NBA MVP (2000)
- 1× NBA Rookie of the Year (1993)
- 15× NBA All-Star
- 14× All-NBA
- 3× All-Defensive Team
- NBA 75th Anniversary Team
Why not #1? Because complete center greatness is more than brute-force dominance. Hakeem's total two-way mastery gave him the edge.
4. Hakeem Olajuwon - The Dream
Hakeem was center artistry.
Footwork. Defense. Skill. Timing. Intelligence. The Dream Shake remains the single most iconic post move in basketball history. And he backed it up - back-to-back championships, back-to-back Finals MVPs, two Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Accolades:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 2× NBA Champion (1994, 1995)
- 2× NBA Finals MVP (1994, 1995)
- 1× NBA MVP (1994)
- 2× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1993, 1994)
- 12× NBA All-Star
- 12× All-NBA
- 9× All-Defensive Team
- NBA 75th Anniversary Team
Why not #1? The top three built even larger historical empires. Hakeem is the greatest two-way center ever. The men above him are among the greatest players of all time - at any position.
3. Bill Russell - The Champion Architect
Bill Russell built the championship standard.
Eleven championships in thirteen seasons. That is not a number - that is a statement about what basketball greatness can look like. Defensive genius. Leadership force. Dynasty anchor. He made winning his entire identity.
Accolades:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 11× NBA Champion
- 5× NBA MVP
- 12× NBA All-Star
- 4× NBA Rebounding Champion
- Greatest winner in basketball history
- NBA 75th Anniversary Team
Why not #1? His teams were loaded, and individual statistical dominance didn't match Wilt or Kareem's personal mountains. His battle with Wilt was razor-close.
But eleven rings speak louder than any statistic.
2. Wilt Chamberlain - The Basketball Myth
Wilt Chamberlain remains basketball's greatest statistical mutant.
His numbers often sound fictional - because they are. The 100-point game. The 50.4 PPG season. The 27.2 RPG season. The assist title as a center. He didn't just play basketball - he broke it.
Accolades:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 2× NBA Champion (1967, 1972)
- 1× NBA Finals MVP (1972)
- 4× NBA MVP (1960, 1966, 1967, 1968)
- 7× NBA Scoring Champion
- 11× NBA Rebounding Champion
- 13× NBA All-Star
- 10× All-NBA
- 2× All-Defensive Team
- NBA Rookie of the Year (1960)
- 100-point game (March 2, 1962)
- NBA 75th Anniversary Team
Why not #1? Because impossible peaks were not enough to surpass Kareem's total empire. Wilt was the greatest statistical force. Kareem was the greatest center.
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - The Empire
This isn't an argument. This is a verdict.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar built the largest center empire basketball has ever seen.
Six championships across two dynasties. Six MVPs. A skyhook so perfect that defenders spent two decades studying it and never solved it. Twenty seasons of elite production. The all-time scoring record held for 39 years.
Accolades:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 6× NBA Champion (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)
- 2× NBA Finals MVP (1971, 1985)
- 6× NBA MVP (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980)
- NBA Rookie of the Year (1970)
- 19× NBA All-Star
- 15× All-NBA
- 11× All-Defensive Team
- 4× NBA Blocks Champion
- NBA All-Time Scoring Leader (38,387 points)
- NBA 75th Anniversary Team
No center combined championships, individual greatness, longevity, accolades, and sustained excellence like Kareem.
The skyhook was unstoppable. The empire was unmatched.
He is the king.
Final Verdict
The center position gave basketball its giants. Its dynasty builders. Its rim protectors. Its scoring machines.
But only one built a total empire that no one else could match.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar isn't just the greatest center ever. He is one of the two or three greatest players in basketball history - full stop.
Great Centers Who Missed The Top 10
Dwight Howard - Defensive monster and dominant peak force. Three-time DPOY. One of the most physically imposing centers of his generation.
Willis Reed - Champion legend and iconic leader. His 1970 Finals performance through injury is one of basketball's most legendary moments.
Robert Parish - Longevity machine and championship pillar. Four rings across two dynasties. One of the most underrated centers ever.
Walt Bellamy - Underrated statistical giant. Averaged 31.6 points and 19 rebounds as a rookie. Numbers that still don't get the respect they deserve.
Alonzo Mourning - Elite defensive force. One DPOY, one championship, and two All-Defensive First Teams. The Heat's defensive anchor.
Artis Gilmore - ABA legend, elite rim protector, dominant rebounder, and Hall of Famer. The stats across both leagues are staggering.
Nate Thurmond - Defensive titan, rebounding monster, Hall of Famer, and quadruple-double pioneer. One of the most overlooked bigs in history.
