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13.0k voters

The Greatest NBA Centers of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated November 5, 2019 94.9k votes 13.0k voters 150.6k views165 items

List RulesProfessional basketball players in the center position

Throughout basketball history, having a franchise center has been a crucial part of building a championship team. The best NBA centers have carried the success of many basketball teams. A lot of teams spend years looking for a dominant center, but not too many graduate from project to an iconic, Hall of Fame big man. Some teams have had better luck than others when landing a great NBA center. The Los Angeles Lakers has been the best NBA team at developing and trading for the best centers in the league. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan and Shaquille O'Neal are all centers who have played for the Lakers.

Another team that's had a number of great centers on its roster is the Houston Rockets. Counting Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Yao Ming as its alumni, not to mention Dwight Howard, could all be considered some of the top centers in the NBA. While a great center may not guarantee a championship, it certainly doesn't hurt to have any of the big men on this list on your team.

Many of these centers are the biggest names in basketball history. They have MVP awards, scoring titles, and Defensive Player of the Year awards spread among them. Vote for the players you think deserve to be called the best centers of all time.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks
Position: Center
Age: 73
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States of America
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#394 of 904 Celebrity Death Pool 2021#1343 of 1,355 The Greatest Minds of All Time
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4,348
1,786
Wilt Chamberlain
Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Center
Age: Dec. at 63 (1936-1999)
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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18 Unbelievable But True Stories from the Buckwild Life of Wilt Chamberlain#6 of 256 The Top NBA Players Of All Time
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3,605
1,491
Bill Russell
Boston Celtics
Position: Center
Age: 85
Birthplace: West Monroe, Louisiana, United States of America
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#311 of 432 The Most Important Leaders in U.S. History#1 of 133 The Best Boston Celtics of All Time
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1,798
Hakeem Olajuwon
Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors
Position: Center
Age: 57
Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria
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#1 of 50 The Greatest African NBA Players of All Time#249 of 874 Big Grid relations
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4,546
1,957
Shaquille O'Neal
Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat
Position: Center
Age: 48
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
Number: 33
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#1015 of 2,443 The Most Influential People of All Time#378 of 568 American Public Figures Who Are National Treasures
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Patrick Ewing
New York Knicks, Orlando Magic
Position: Center
Age: 57
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
Number: 33
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#107 of 124 The Greatest College Basketball Coaches of All Time#58 of 68 The Best Current College Basketball Coaches
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1,059
David Robinson
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#4 of 163 The Smartest Professional Athletes#3 of 22 The Best NCAA Centers of the 80s
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Moses Malone
Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks
Position: Power forward, Center
Age: 64
Birthplace: Virginia
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#5 of 78 The Best Philadelphia 76ers of All Time#22 of 31 The Best Power Forwards of the 1990s
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1,906
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Tim Duncan
San Antonio Spurs
Position: Power forward
Age: 44
Birthplace: Christiansted, United States Virgin Islands
Number: 21
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#101 of 150 The Greatest Point Guards in NBA History#24 of 35 Famous People with Literal (and Hilarious) Names
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759
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Artis Gilmore
Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls
Position: Center
Age: 71
Birthplace: Chipley, Florida
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#11 of 53 The Best NBA Players Who Played Overseas#31 of 96 The Best Rebounders in NBA History
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Elvin Hayes
Washington Wizards, Baltimore Bullets
Position: Power forward, Center
Age: 74
Birthplace: Rayville, Louisiana
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#11 of 25 The Best Power Forwards of the 80s#8 of 22 The Best NBA Centers of the 1960s
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499
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Bob McAdoo
Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets
Position: Power forward, Center
Age: 69
Birthplace: Greensboro, North Carolina
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#4 of 51 The Greatest UNC Tar Heels Basketball Players of All Time#14 of 107 The Greatest Lakers of All Time
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Bob Lanier
Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons
Position: Center
Age: 71
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
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#97 of 116 The Greatest Left-Handed Athletes of All Time#8 of 26 The Best NCAA Centers of the 70s

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Kevin Garnett
Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Power forward
Age: 44
Birthplace: Greenville, South Carolina, United States of America
Number: 5
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#943 of 1,427 The Best Athletes Of All Time#84 of 175 The Greatest Shooting Guards in NBA History
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Joel Embiid
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Wes Unseld
Washington Wizards, Baltimore Bullets
Position: Center
Age: 73
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky
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#31 of 69 All NBA Rookie Of The Year Award Winners, Ranked#73 of 76 The All Time Greatest NBA Coaches
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Anthony Davis
Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Power forward, Center
Age: 27
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Number: 3
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#25 of 135 The Best Small Forwards of All Time#50 of 102 The Most Likable Players In The NBA Today
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Nikola Jokić
Denver Nuggets
Position: Center
Age: 25
Birthplace: Sombor, Serbia
Number: 15
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#2 of 50 The Best NBA Centers Right Now#5 of 294 The Top 100+ NBA Players Today
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Ben Wallace
Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic
Position: Power forward, Center
Age: 45
Birthplace: White Hall, Alabama
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#29 of 73 The Greatest Chicago Bulls of All Time#31 of 168 The Greatest Power Forwards in NBA History
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Willis Reed
New York Knicks
Position: Power forward, Center
Age: 77
Birthplace: Hico, Louisiana, United States of America
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Arvydas Sabonis
Portland Trail Blazers
Position: Center
Age: 56
Birthplace: Kaunas, Lithuania
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#21 of 232 The Best White Players in NBA History#10 of 107 The Best Foreign NBA Players of All Time
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Nate Thurmond
Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors
Position: Power forward, Center
Age: 78
Birthplace: Akron, Ohio, United States of America
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#8 of 30 The Best Power Forwards of the '60s#18 of 121 The Best Cleveland Cavaliers of All Time
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Dirk Nowitzki
Dallas Mavericks
Position: Power forward
Age: 42
Birthplace: Würzburg, Germany
Number: 41
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#67 of 75 The Biggest Crybabies in Basketball#2 of 56 People Who Should Be in the Basketball Hall of Fame

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Yao Ming
Houston Rockets
Position: Center
Age: 39
Birthplace: Shanghai, China
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#22 of 161 The Best NBA Players With No Championship Rings#16 of 55 The Best No. 1 Overall NBA Draft Picks of All Time, Ranked
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Robert Parrish
Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets
Position: Center
Age: 66
Birthplace: Shreveport, Louisiana
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#55 of 85 Great Athletes Who Waited Too Long To Retire#52 of 77 US Men’s Olympic Basketball All-Time Dream Team

Joel Embiid