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13.0k voters

The Greatest NBA Centers of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated November 5, 2019 94.8k votes 13.0k voters 150.5k 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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4,346
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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3
3,604
1,488
Bill Russell
Boston Celtics
Position: Center
Age: 85
Birthplace: West Monroe, Louisiana, United States of America
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4,189
1,798
Hakeem Olajuwon
Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors
Position: Center
Age: 56
Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria
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#1 of 50 The Greatest African NBA Players of All Time#21 of 27 The Best Centers of the 70s
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4,543
1,957
Shaquille O'Neal
Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic
Position: Center
Age: 48
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
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2,164
1,058
David Robinson
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#4 of 163 The Smartest Professional Athletes#128 of 874 Big Grid relations
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Patrick Ewing
Orlando Magic, Seattle Supersonics
Position: Center
Age: 57
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
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Moses Malone
Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks
Position: Power forward, Center
Age: 64
Birthplace: Virginia
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#2 of 57 NBA Players Who Played For 8 Or More Teams#7 of 85 The Best Atlanta Hawks of All Time
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Tim Duncan
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#101 of 150 The Greatest Point Guards in NBA History#116 of 120 The Fastest NBA Players of All Time
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Artis Gilmore
Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls
Position: Center
Age: 70
Birthplace: Chipley, Florida
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#95 of 227 The Greatest Offensive Players in NBA History#11 of 53 The Best NBA Players Who Played Overseas
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Elvin Hayes
Washington Wizards, Baltimore Bullets
Position: Power forward, Center
Age: 74
Birthplace: Rayville, Louisiana
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Bob Lanier
Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons
Position: Center
Age: 71
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
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13
496
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Bob McAdoo
Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets
Position: Power forward, Center
Age: 69
Birthplace: Greensboro, North Carolina
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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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Wes Unseld
Washington Wizards, Baltimore Bullets
Position: Center
Age: 73
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky
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Anthony Davis
Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Power forward, Center
Age: 27
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Number: 3
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#49 of 102 The Most Likable Players In The NBA Today#1 of 141 The Greatest Kentucky Basketball Players of All Time
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Nikola Jokić
Denver Nuggets
Position: Center
Age: 25
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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Joel Embiid
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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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#4 of 22 The Best NBA Centers of the 1960s#17 of 23 The Best Power Forwards of the '70s
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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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Arvydas Sabonis
Portland Trail Blazers
Position: Center
Age: 56
Birthplace: Kaunas, Lithuania
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#22 of 232 The Best White Players in NBA History#7 of 146 The Best European NBA Players 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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#25 of 161 The Best NBA Players With No Championship Rings#8 of 107 The Best Foreign NBA Players of All Time
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Dikembe Mutombo
Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Center
Age: 53
Birthplace: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Joel Embiid